Tackling Christmas Eve

[TravelingChris]

Good morning!

30 minute Rolling blackouts

So far, made coffee, dusted in bathroom, took some meds

[LifeLovePassion]

Breakfast done. 

Putting some more mud on the sheetrock project currently (won't take long)

Christmas movies, games, sewing, reading, hobbies, together time and relaxing on the agenda for the rest of the day. 

[DawnM]

We have been working on a few things, so our downstairs is a mess.   I am hoping to work on some of that today and get it cleaned up.

clean kitchen

Wrap gifts

CVS run

purge through some of 5 year old's clothing and toys and have college boy drop off at goodwill

 

[HomeAgain]

We were lucky.  The other side of the main road has been without power for a while now, but we were spared.  Our road is ice.

DS12 is quite sick. We are on a triage system now of just keeping him hydrated because he cannot tolerate anything heavier than water.  It has made for a pretty poor Christmas morning.  We did open gifts, and the huge hits were unexpected: an egg pan for ds23 and warm socks for ds12.  Good to know it's not the price of the gift, it's the intentional thought behind them.

Scratched from the list:

• making biscuits and gravy (nobody is interested in a food that starts out looking unappetizing)
• family fun time
• tracking Santa
• tacos for linner
• sprinkling "reindeer food" outdoors (the wild turkeys will be so sad!)

 

On the list:

• taking care of ds
• making the taco meat anyway
• leaving cookies for Santa. 

[ScoutTN]

Good morning! 

@HomeAgain Sorry your Ds is sick! I hope he recovers soon! 

We had a 25 minute blackout, but the power is back on and I have coffee. Amazing how such a short time can drop the temperature inside by 5 degrees! 

Today is less loungey than yesterday for me. Lots of cooking! I will build a fire and read some. 

Kids will sleep late and watch Christmas movies. 

I need to wrap one last gift.
 

Later:
Load the car with gifts and food
Pick up my mom
Church
Drop off mom
Go to IL’s for big, crazy Christmas celebration

Stuff stockings after kids go to bed? Or before they get up? Tricky with teens who are night-owls. 

 

[Kidlit]

Threats of rolling blackouts but nothing  here so far . . .

shower✅

bake the things that need baking ✅

set table/decor ✅

Brunch with friends✅

finish wrapping gifts✅

rest/nap?✅

Prep food for Christmas Eve at my parents'✅

Go to my parents'✅

Whatever else must be done

Merry Christmas Eve!

Edited December 25, 2022 by Kidlit

[Faith-manor]

We canceled the festivities due to the weather. Non essential travel is still banned in the county while the road crews work, and everything is a sheet of ice. You can practically see our reflection in the street out front. Salt doesn't work at these temps. Mark really needs to go check on his mom, and since she is 87 living alone on a side road, it does meet the essential travel requirement because either they left him do it or the sheriff/police need to do a well check, and ya, they would prefer to hope he can make it safely there because they are dealing with a ridiculous number of accidents this morning plus stranded folks. Last night's call volume at 9 pm was 1400 calls an hour for a tiny dispatch in a county of only 50,000 people. Lots of going and retrieving elderly folks, sick folks, etc. whose heating systems went down. I guess the camp out at the hospital waiting room was epic because that was one main place they were being taken since the Moose Lodge warming center was at full fire code capacity. 

We will be hunkered down here since I am leery to have both of us venture out because if something happens, that leaves no one to help the other or deal with any emergencies the mothers might have. Christmas Eve just the two of us. I think we will stream Nutcracker, and I am making spinach/artichoke dip for supper with celery sticks, red pepper sticks, and tortilla chips and salsa. Simple. Very scrummy as Mary Barry would say.

I should be quilting. When it became evident that our sons would not be able to travel here (that call was made on Wednesday evening), I relented from the insane push to get the last two quilts completed. I have not taken up the cause again. So I REALLY need to since we are going to host Christmas/New Year festivities next weekend, and those quilts need to be done. I was just so weary of sewing so many hours a day that I am struggling to pick it up again, and my fingers were sore from so much hand sewing on the bindings. Maybe I can make myself get going this afternoon by putting a time limit on it. Two hours, then put the quilt away.

Mark is tackling cutting and etching a new power board for a model train engine that had corroded electronics, and then wiring and soldering. He is in his element! He and electrical engineer son have been on the phone numerous times discussing the project. Meanwhile the bachelors decorated their tree. Having no bank of Christmas supplies, it had white toilet paper with red felt marker drawings on it for ribbon garland, a stuffed llama tree topper, fishing lures, pop cans, other stuffed animals, and candy wrappers for ornaments. 😂😂😂 I give them credit for creativity!

[ScoutTN]

Got a yummy grits bowl for b’fast. I love grits cooked in the crock pot, so creamy snd smooth. I added a lightly fried egg, sausage, smoked gouda, green onion, ted bell pepper, and tomato. 
 

Built a fire. 
Waiting for Ds to get out of the kitchen….

[math teacher]

Good morning. Stayed in bed too long, but it's ok. I have the Cider cooking. There are two kinds of Martha Washington candy chilling in the trunk of my car. I still need to scoop out the mocha ones. Still to do after the water is fixed-might can do some before water is fixed. 

dressing

gravy

cranberry sauce

fruit salad

beet salad

potato salad

english pea salad

green bean bundles

brussel sprout/butternut squash dish

pecan pie

molasses cookies

shower/wash my hair

laundry

clean the floors-at least sweep

 

 

[73349]

🎵 Here we go a-tackling... 🎵 🎄

DH's gift  is under the tree and the stocking items are sorted. I made DS frozen pizza and fancy cocoa for lunch. DH and DS have gingerbread cookie dough chillings made. DS took out the trash and recycling. DH is doing his laundry.

I need to

• run the dishwasher. empty the dishwasher. start the dishwasher again.
• make the eggnog (with the new recipe that accounts for not having gotten access to pasteurized eggs)
• promote the general neatness/cleanliness (e.g., sweep kitchen floor)
• put shipped presents from afar (sent by loved ones) under tree
• get a picture of DS by the tree.

Edited December 24, 2022 by 73349

[Mrs Tiggywinkle Again]

I worked last night and I’m exhausted. We had a 911 call for an unknown problem, turned out an elderly couple living dangerously close to the poverty line had no heat due to their furnace breaking And were worried they might get hypothermic(valid concern) and so instead of sleeping I ran around at 2 am trying to buy them some portable heaters instead of taking them to an emergency room that they didn’t need to be in.

So now I am running on zero sleep and still need to drag three kids to the mall to buy a Grinch sweatshirt for DH’s Christmas.

And it’s cold.

Then DD is reading the Christmas story at the Christmas Eve service tonight, then the whole family is coming over for a hot chocolate bar I need to set up, then I still need to wrap presents and put stockings together.  DH is on a 24 hour shift today so I’m doing this by myself.

I just want to go to bed.

[mommyoffive]

19 minutes ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle Again said:

I worked last night and I’m exhausted. We had a 911 call for an unknown problem, turned out an elderly couple living dangerously close to the poverty line had no heat due to their furnace breaking And were worried they might get hypothermic(valid concern) and so instead of sleeping I ran around at 2 am trying to buy them some portable heaters instead of taking them to an emergency room that they didn’t need to be in.

So now I am running on zero sleep and still need to drag three kids to the mall to buy a Grinch sweatshirt for DH’s Christmas.

And it’s cold.

Then DD is reading the Christmas story at the Christmas Eve service tonight, then the whole family is coming over for a hot chocolate bar I need to set up, then I still need to wrap presents and put stockings together.  DH is on a 24 hour shift today so I’m doing this by myself.

I just want to go to bed.

Oh no, I am so sorry you are so  tired.  Thank you for taking care of that couple.  So sweet.  I hope they have a warm and cozy holiday season now.

Any chance you can grab a nap? And then some coffee?

[mommyoffive]

@HomeAgain I am so sorry DS is so sick.  Poor guy.  It stinks so hard to have a sick kid on a holiday.  Do you know what he has? Maybe someone would have some advice on what to do or give him based on what he has. I hope he feels better soon.

[JustEm]

I have been tackling Christmas Eve since I woke up. Had to run out to Walgreens to get my brother Mucinex and Sudafed because he finally got sick after taking care of all the sick people in his house. We also wrapped up a big box filled with gifts for their family and delivered that. Tomorrow we'll deliver them a hot Christmas dinner.

Sor today, my other brother and his family are coming over soon for a quick visit and lunch. Made ham, broc, and scalloped potatoes for lunch.

Tonight all I have to do is the annual string lights all over the living room after young kids go to bed, older kids started that a few years ago. Stuff stockings, put presents out and exchange presents with dh after midnight.

[JustEm]

25 minutes ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle Again said:

I worked last night and I’m exhausted. We had a 911 call for an unknown problem, turned out an elderly couple living dangerously close to the poverty line had no heat due to their furnace breaking And were worried they might get hypothermic(valid concern) and so instead of sleeping I ran around at 2 am trying to buy them some portable heaters instead of taking them to an emergency room that they didn’t need to be in.

So now I am running on zero sleep and still need to drag three kids to the mall to buy a Grinch sweatshirt for DH’s Christmas.

And it’s cold.

Then DD is reading the Christmas story at the Christmas Eve service tonight, then the whole family is coming over for a hot chocolate bar I need to set up, then I still need to wrap presents and put stockings together.  DH is on a 24 hour shift today so I’m doing this by myself.

I just want to go to bed.

I wish I could come over and do that all for you so you could nap. I'm sorry you have such a busy day. I hope you sneak a nap in there somehow.

[KungFuPanda]

We've decided to Do Christmas today because we're traveling (probably) tomorrow.  We haven't told DS yet. 🤣 He's grown, so it's not a big crazy deal, but he's enjoying a leisurely morning in bed and I don't want to rush him into getting into his chair for the day until he's ready.  I'm gonna make an apple crisp and some spritz cookies to take to BIL's tomorrow.  I was assigned "any dessert" so I'm taking what I can make without leaving the house for ingredients.

[lynn]

3 hours ago, TravelingChris said:

Good morning!

30 minute Rolling blackouts

So far, made coffee, dusted in bathroom, took some meds

We haven't had any here yet.  My son is in Owens cross roads and has had no electricity for hours.  They are heading here earlier than planned.

[73349]

I did *not* have the stocking stuff sorted, LOL. The candy I ordered was still in its sealed box. Now resolved.

I'm not going to sweep the floor until DH and DS are finished in the kitchen. I think I will wait until the cookies are cooling to make the eggnog.

[lynn]

3 hours ago, TravelingChris said:

Good morning!

30 minute Rolling blackouts

So far, made coffee, dusted in bathroom, took some meds

a little off Christmas eve and a bit of local conversation....I dont think the city has a plan for accommodate all the apartment units and new housing going in.  If they are doing rolling blackouts now I can't imagine what the situation will be in a couple years

[TheReader]

2 hours ago, ScoutTN said:

 

Stuff stockings after kids go to bed? Or before they get up? Tricky with teens who are night-owls. 

 

We always opt for "before they get up" around here. Usually when one of us wakes for the 4 a.m. bathroom break/insomnia wake up, we get up, do the stockings, go back to bed. 

[TheReader]

Moving over here - Christina, we must have been posting around the same time! Oops. 

I have some things on my list, so thought I'd start us off....

...coffee
...organize pantry
...pick what time to go to church today (the church we like has 6 services today, 4 of which won't be crowded)
..make cranberry sauce for tomorrow
...sew
...DH is going to make pie for tomorrow
...make dinner (found a recipe to use our green bananas)
...help DH clean bathrooms
...figure out if I  need to do any other prep for tomorrow's meal (I don't think so)
...movie night tonight w/the family
...veg out, go to bed, remind the kids I *will* wake them up if they aren't up by 9 tomorrow.....

Happy Christmas Eve! 

 

finished the pantry and cup sort-out, filled a donation box with extra cups, etc.; we're going to aim for the 1 pm church service, and if we miss that one, probably go to the 11 pm. We'll see. DH is concerned about getting sick, so we may well end up streaming the 4 pm online instead. 

Having lunch, then heading up to sew.

[HomeAgain]

32 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

@HomeAgain I am so sorry DS is so sick.  Poor guy.  It stinks so hard to have a sick kid on a holiday.  Do you know what he has? Maybe someone would have some advice on what to do or give him based on what he has. I hope he feels better soon.

I'm up for advice if anyone has any.  He has a fever, and a lot of congestion in his lungs.  The congestion makes him cough, which then gives him spasms and he can't get his breathing under control until some form of action happens and he expels the congestion.  Then he's exhausted, naps, and the cycle repeats.  He's not hungry, really doesn't want any of his favorite foods today.

We know it's not covid.  We've tested twice. When he got it last winter it was so much worse.

Flu is possible.  He's had his shot this year, but most years he gets the flu it's usually accompanied by a lot of lethargy on the couch and then settles in his muscles, causing him to be pretty weak. 

It's not croup.  Or if it is, isn't presenting like our experience with it.

We have:

a humidifier, dehumidifier, air purifier, heating pad

teas with turmeric, ginger, lemongrass, chamomile

Propel, Gatorade, Jello, crackers

just about every OTC cold and flu med you can think of, in as many forms as it comes.

Pulse ox, stethoscope, garmin watch to monitor heart rate

 

I managed to get him to take Alka-Seltzer C & F, and that has stayed in but minimally helped.  He's currently laying on the heating pad putting together legos.

[mom31257]

@HomeAgain, I hope your ds feels better soon! 

@Mrs Tiggywinkle Again, I'm sorry you are so tired but glad you helped those people. I hope you find some time to rest!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas Eve!!! 

There are some rollouts with people on North Georgia EMC power, but we're on Georgia Power. No outages here so far. 

I slept in a bit and then watched Notting Hill on Netflix. Not a Christmas movie, but I have always loved it!   

Dh and I are going to be greeters at the 5:00 service. 

Dd is coming down sometime today, but I'm not sure when. We might open some presents tonight. 

My dad comes down tomorrow, but my sister and BIL have decided to stay in. He has COPD and the cold temps really mess with his breathing. We'll plan to get together with them later. My sister in KY came down in November and can't come back right now. She started a new job and needs to be there getting settled with it. 

[Kidlit]

2 hours ago, Kidlit said:

Threats of rolling blackouts but nothing  here so far . . .

shower✅

bake the things that need baking ✅

set table/decor ✅

Brunch with friends✅

finish wrapping gifts

rest/nap?

Prep food for Christmas Eve at my parents'

Go to my parents'

Whatever else must be done

Merry Christmas Eve!

Bumped for progress 

[ScoutTN]

1 hour ago, TheReader said:

We always opt for "before they get up" around here. Usually when one of us wakes for the 4 a.m. bathroom break/insomnia wake up, we get up, do the stockings, go back to bed. 

Exactly what I was thinking!

[LifeLovePassion]

I've been sewing a few fabric post ard fronts for fun. We played some Mario Kart and are now watching football. 

[ScoutTN]

Done (either cooked or prepped)

Cranberries
Brussels sprouts casserole 
Pecan pie
Breakfast casserole
Mushroom casserole 

Kitchen is tidy. Whew! I’m tired!

Confirmed pick-up time with my mom.

Snack

Next up: 
Shower and get dressed
 

 

[Kidlit]

4 hours ago, Kidlit said:

Threats of rolling blackouts but nothing  here so far . . .

shower✅

bake the things that need baking ✅

set table/decor ✅

Brunch with friends✅

finish wrapping gifts

rest/nap?✅

Prep food for Christmas Eve at my parents'

Go to my parents'

Whatever else must be done

Merry Christmas Eve!

Bumped for progress--I did indeed take a nap! 😴

[JustEm]

Dh and I have always exchanged gifts after midnight. So, we usually do that and then get the presents in their place and stockings stuffed. Older kids who may still be awake have to be in their rooms anyway so that isn't an issue

[73349]

Eggnog is chilling. DH and DS have gone for a short walk. The dishwasher is running again & the dryer's tumbling.

[KidsHappen]

I need to take a bath and wash my hair which I am putting off because I am disabled and it is already a project and my bathroom is the coldest room in the house even with a space heater. Even if I turn up the house heater for 30 minutes or so it is going to be painfully cold and will take a while under the covers to recover from.

Then I still have a few presents left to wrap and I am supposed to go over to my dds house for a while tonight.

Tomorrow I still need to bake a few pies and transport food, gifts, and drinks to my dds in preparations for our dinner and celebrations on the 26th.

It may not seem like a lot to most but it will be a handful for me. I am blessed that we will all be together, warm and have plenty to eat and drink. 

[Kidlit]

@KidsHappenthat is a lot!  I know it takes a lot of courage and stamina to do all of that.   I just wanted to say that you're doing great and merry Christmas!

[BlsdMama]

Good morning! And afternoon!

 The adult girls and spouses came over this morning and we did presents with them. The four of them are fun. ♥️ DD#2 and hubby have to work this afternoon and evening so they left at lunch. DD#1 and hubby stuck around. 
Agricola ✅ 

Chili for this evening ✅ 

Kids are staying here while they go to their service. 
We’re doing our service online. My muscle contract and cramp painfully if I shiver. 
Then watch the Nativity Story and off to bed. ♥️ 

 

DS is coming in the AM for the day. Super low key and I admit I’m loving it this year. 

[KidsHappen]

7 minutes ago, Kidlit said:

@KidsHappenthat is a lot!  I know it takes a lot of courage and stamina to do all of that.   I just wanted to say that you're doing great and merry Christmas!

Thank you.

[BlsdMama]

27 minutes ago, KidsHappen said:

I need to take a bath and wash my hair which I am putting off because I am disabled and it is already a project and my bathroom is the coldest room in the house even with a space heater. 

Hugs, mama. It is so hard when the basics are SO hard. ♥️ 

[TheReader]

Am making slow progress on the quilt, even with figuring out how to simplify it. :sigh: 

Took a very long nap, and am still just sleepy. I think the cold is doing it. 

DH is making his pie, I printed the recipe for dinner, he took over doing the cranberry sauce, and now maybe we can play a game or something. 

[HomeAgain]

Well, it's probably the flu. Dh is now feeling ill, too, but had to go to work.  He's not around people, especially tonight, but he's miserable.

DS is passed out on the couch, waking up every 15 minutes or so to check if his nose is bleeding.

I shoveled the snow that we weren't supposed to get.

Santa gifts are ready to come downstairs, whenever I finally get a child as big as I am to make his way upstairs.

 

[LifeLovePassion]

We are watching enjoying our Christmas Eve tradition of watching Die Hard. We also had some cherry pie and ice cream. 

 

[City Mouse]

We were supposed to be flying home from Disney World to the Denver airport then driving the 4 1/2 hours home traffic night.

instead, we got through security and my DD got a notice that her flight had been canceled (She bought her own ticket so wasn’t on my account), but I never got any notice on my app. I guess Southwest wanted us to be stuck after the first leg of out flight in New Orleans. Since there is only one vehicle in Denver for the ride home, we all need to arrive close together. The first flight we could get that meets our needs is late at night on the 27th. Then we had to figure out where we would stay for an extra 3 days. In the end it all worked out and the hotel was even able to help me make a lunch reservation for tomorrow, but I really feel bad for all those families I saw at the airport with little kids and canceled flights. The place was a mad house.

[JustEm]

We're trying to get our 7 year old to sleep while the oldest 3 watch Krampus. Once that is over we'll send them to bed, get stockings stuff, presents under the tree, and then exchange gifts with each other.

I imagine we'll end up falling asleep around 2 or 3 just to have the kids wake us up at 5. Dh and I are still very much like kids at Christmas. We love it so much and the anticipation of the morning makes sleeping hard

[mommyoffive]

3 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

Well, it's probably the flu. Dh is now feeling ill, too, but had to go to work.  He's not around people, especially tonight, but he's miserable.

DS is passed out on the couch, waking up every 15 minutes or so to check if his nose is bleeding.

I shoveled the snow that we weren't supposed to get.

Santa gifts are ready to come downstairs, whenever I finally get a child as big as I am to make his way upstairs.

 

Oh no.  Can either of them get Tamiflu? I hope by some Christmas Miricale nobody else gets sick and they both feel better in the morning.  

[TravelingChris]

5 hours ago, KidsHappen said:

I need to take a bath and wash my hair which I am putting off because I am disabled and it is already a project and my bathroom is the coldest room in the house even with a space heater. Even if I turn up the house heater for 30 minutes or so it is going to be painfully cold and will take a while under the covers to recover from.

Then I still have a few presents left to wrap and I am supposed to go over to my dds house for a while tonight.

Tomorrow I still need to bake a few pies and transport food, gifts, and drinks to my dds in preparations for our dinner and celebrations on the 26th.

It may not seem like a lot to most but it will be a handful for me. I am blessed that we will all be together, warm and have plenty to eat and drink. 

Today was a lot for me too, as a fellow disabled person, including the shower.  Mostly cleaned bathroom first too.  Made a batch of cookies- froze another.  

I had forgotten to pack a number of items so quickly put them in gift  bags. Lots of medical issues too. Forced others to put away clean pots, etc that I can't find which included my very annoying undiagnosed Aspberger brother who never ever volunteers to help in anything.

I stupidly put some vinegar I normally don't use on fish, and generally wasn't to hungry, not even 

Dh, dd1 and dsil 1 went om person to church which was uncharacteristically quite sparsely attended. One couple they met had power out for 8 hours. Dd2 and dsil2 plus I watched on YouTube live.

Had mulled cider dd2 made. Compote dh made snx cookies dd1 and I made. Next presents.

Tomorrow morning, ds and family come for breakfast plus maybe dd1 and dsil1 plus my brother. 

[ScoutTN]

I picked up my mom and brought her to church with us, then dropped her back at her AL place. Church was nice, but not amazing. 

Celebrating with Dh’s family is always fun. About 20 people. My Ds15 is the youngest. Big crew of college and young adult cousins. Tons of food and drink, hilarious dirty santa game, music, karaoke, and a few gifts. A good time was had by all. 

I am snuggled under a lovely, soft, heavy, faux fur blanket that Dh’s sister gave me. Perfect for such a cold day! 

Wrapped the last gift. 

Next up: read to unwind

I will do the stockings when I wake up around 4 or 5 am. I unpackaged all the items, took tags off, and sorted them into bags for each kid a week or so ago. 
 

 

[JustEm]

Dd2 spiked a high fever about an hour ago. She had been fine all day, fell asleep at a normal time, and then woke up with a fever.

This does happen to her on occasion when her sleep is interrupted, which it had been, so I'm crossing everything that comes the morning she is fine.

[Kidlit]

14 hours ago, Kidlit said:

Threats of rolling blackouts but nothing  here so far . . .

shower✅

bake the things that need baking ✅

set table/decor ✅

Brunch with friends✅

finish wrapping gifts✅

rest/nap?✅

Prep food for Christmas Eve at my parents'✅

Go to my parents'✅

Whatever else must be done

Merry Christmas Eve!

Everyone is in bed and the gifts are wrapped, stockings stuffed--just waiting for the morning.  Good night!

[Mom_to3]

We celebrate on Christmas Eve, with an Asterix movie while waiting for the gifts to arrive (had a mild worrisome few hours earlier in the day that we had forgotten wrapping gifts with all the storm prep the last few days).. Kids were lovey and thrilled, even the 13 year old who had not provided us a wish list. Calls in to my parents who were too exhausted to talk for more than a few minutes due to a visit from my brother. Tomorrow we'll call FIL and SIL. Grateful that we were able to enjoy Christmas in the warmth and with lights. Happy day! I really needed this after a tough semester...Tomorrow will be play time interrupted by good food.