What are you tackling? Christmas Eve Edition 12-24-23

[mommyoffive]

What are you tackling on Christmas Eve? 

Edited December 24, 2023 by mommyoffive

[WildflowerMom]

Our Christmas is today.  My back is killing me.  I hate the holidays.   You have my permission, actually I’m begging any of y’all, if I ever say I’m hosting Thanksgiving and Christmas in the same year again, yell at me, speak gently, say whatever the hell you want to say.   I am so stupid and I can’t believe I’m going this.  I’m miserable, I hate everybody, and my food is going to suck. 

[history-fan]

I got everyone through the flu and was grateful I hadn’t gotten it. Until during the night starting with the ongoing cough that started. I can do this , I hope.

it’s raining here and supposed to break temperature records even getting up to 51 degrees. Both ds are trying to remember if they have ever had a brown Christmas 

 

[history-fan]

Merry Christmas to all of you and your people’s. 🎄🎄🎄🎄

[HomeAgain]

This is the first Christmas where everyone is a teen and above.  And it's so QUIET.

Youngest ds is gaming with friends.  Oldest ds is with his work friends. Dh is working.

I'm watching movies.  Alone.

Tracking Santa. Alone.

Eating lunch. Alone.

It's so weird not to have a house full of excitement right now.  I mean, I'll get that in a few hours, but it's unnervingly quiet at the moment.

[history-fan]

1 minute ago, HomeAgain said:

Tracking Santa. Alone

I totally get all of this.

[mom31257]

@WildflowerMom, I’m so sorry! I pray your back feels better and you can find some joy in the day! 

@history-fan, praying your cough goes away! 

@HomeAgain, yes, things definitely get quieter as our kids get older. Neither kid is sure they want kids, at least not anytime soon, so it will be quiet for a while for us I suppose. Thankfully, I do enjoy some amounts of quiet. 

We are on the way to Ohio. Yesterday was an all day event. My family came, and we had lunch together.

We played an Unsolved Case Files together that I gave dh for his birthday. 

The kids and dd’s gf stayed. We opened presents and had breakfast for dinner. We played a new game, Skull. 

It was a lot of work because I made all the food, but it was a really great day! 
 

[WildflowerMom]

Im horrible to complain so much.  I have so much to be grateful for and I am.   I just want one Christmas where the entire month of December is like on big advent where I read my Bible, do Bible things, worship Him, quietly usher him in on the 25th.  I think next year that is going to be what I do.  I’ll do Thanksgiving, but Christmas is just me, dh, and Him. Unless of course, ds and gf wants to join.   This rushing around, spending gobs of money; trying to please each set of parents is draining me and my joy.   
I really don’t complain like this too much and I’ll plaster a genuine smile on my face especially when my boy gets here.  I really do like these people; even my in-laws, lol.   My parents and in-laws love each other so much, I should count my blessings instead of counting down the hours.  And now I’ve taken meds so no wine, liquor for me.  Oh well.   My dh is a blessing and cleaned and did poop patrol this morning.  We’ll have five dogs underfoot today. 

[mommyoffive]

@WildflowerMom I hope the meds help your back.  I am sorry you are in pain.  It is amazing that you are hosting Christmas while dealing with your back.  Hosting is such a huge gift to everyone there.  It takes so much time, energy, and money.  I hope that everyone pitches in and you can enjoy some of the day.

 

@history-fan Oh no, I am sorry to hear you might be getting sick.  I hope it is quick for you and you feel better soon.

@HomeAgain Sending some hugs.  Christmas with little kids is just so joyful and exciting.  With older kids I think it is not quite the same.  My older kids bring so much life and are crazy loud, it is just later into the day and way into the night when they are.  Only one teen was up at 6am this morning.  The next just came downstairs to eat.  I think the 3rd just woke up.  Early for that one.  I hope you can find some fun things to do with your older set that brings you joy. 

[HomeAgain]

DS13 hung out for a bit.  Oldest ds announced they had watched our usual crappy Christmas cartoons in the middle of the night last night, so we can skip it. 😞 

Ah, well.  I think I'll start laundry and take a shower.  Maybe get youngest ds to finish cleaning his room.

[City Mouse]

Going to be a quiet holiday here with just me, DH, and 2 adult kids. I’ve got some gluten free Chex mix the oven for DS. Later I’ll prep a couple of small breakfast casseroles to cook tomorrow morning. DH will smoke some ribs tomorrow, and the sides are all store bought except for the GF cheddar biscuits (Red Lobster brand from a box) will bake tomorrow. I always try to incorporate things that I know each person likes, but after years of holidays not being “right” for my mother, I gave myself permission to quit trying to please everyone all the time.
 

DH has to work the 3:00-11pm shift (law enforcement) today, and I hope everything stays quiet so he gets to come home on time. His regular days off are Monday and Tuesday this week, but he has to cover on-call tomorrow night because of other people taking vacation time. Again, hoping that the county stays quiet, but after a full day of extended family and alcohol, Christmas night usually results in a domestic call or two. Also hoping that the snow up in the mountains doesn’t get too heavy, So he can avoid late night traffic accidents. 

At least last year when we got stranded at DisneyWorld (not the worse place to get stranded) during the Southwest Airline collapse, One bright spot was that he couldn’t get called out to work on Christmas.

Edited December 24, 2023 by City Mouse

[HomeAgain]

Okay, I shouldn't be grumpy about the cartoons.  I'm actually glad that my kids got together and did "our" thing with each other and didn't wait for it to be orchestrated. 

 

It's still quiet here, but there's an extra kid now hanging out (a different one was here staying the night last night, lol) and ds24 just described the insane wrapping job he did.  So activity, but I'm not in the middle of it?  Still feels weird.

[LifeLovePassion]

Made quivers cinnamon rolls dough and will assemble rolls later and pop them in the fridge. Made sugar cookie dough, it is chilling. Other food is prepped (veggies cut, etc). 

Football is on, will watch Christmas movies and maybe go look at lights later 

[ScoutTN]

Merry Christmas Eve!

We’ve been to church and had lunch/snack. I am about to do some cooking. 

Church at 4:00, then to my in-laws’ for food and fun. 

No little kids here either and I do miss the magic. I will enjoy sleeping in tomorrow, though! 

[mom31257]

We stopped at Buc-ee’s in Kentucky. It wasn’t as crowded as I expected. We’re now less than 2 hours from my MIL’s house. 

[City Mouse]

1 minute ago, mom31257 said:

We stopped at Buc-ee’s in Kentucky. It wasn’t as crowded as I expected. We’re now less than 2 hours from my MIL’s house. 

I am wearing my Bucee’s Christmas t-shirt right now. It makes me happy. And, there is a new Bucee’s under construction in Amarillo which is just 4 hours from my house. I am very excited about it.

[ScoutTN]

Dd made the salad. Cranberry sauce is cooling. Cranberry orange bread is baking and smells amazing. I retrieved the egg nog and cookies from my neighbor’s house, where I stored them far from Ds’ sweet tooth.

Got kids’ filled stockings out of my car. 

Laundry is running. 

Time to have some hot tea and read til it’s time to get dressed for tonight.

[mommyoffive]

Some kids are decorating with Santas from around the world.

One is dog walking.

Some of them have spent the morning making presents for family.

Dh made a brunch for everyone.  He also picked up a grocery order this morning.  We will be eating like kings for a few days.

On the agenda  Christmas movies, making a Christmas ornament, decorating Christmas cookies, Decorating the tree, letters to Santa, and Gingerbread houses.  Just trying to keep the kids busy because some of them are so so so so excited.

[DawnM]

Just finished the last of my shopping for our home for tomorrow.   I still have to order a few items for DH's mom that will arrive late, but whatever.

Now to start the wrapping.

And I plan to make some cookies.   I may be lazy and make bars instead.

[LifeLovePassion]

Cinnamon rolls done and in fridge for morning. Dinner rolls are baking now. Roast is on the grill. Cookies all baked. Debating if they need frosting (sugar cookies, but this recipe doesn't actually need it, but it is good, can always do that tomorrow if I want). 

Youngest has a friend over and the kids just finished watching Christmas Vacation as friend had never seen it. Once I heard my kids laugh and he said "what the.??...", lol 

[athena1277]

We visited dh’s family yesterday and my mom is coming after Christmas, so we are having a fairly calm day.  We went to church and out to lunch.  I finished wrapping gifts and did some needed kitchen cleanup before cooking tomorrow.  
 

And we are tracking Santa! Noradsanta.org

[math teacher]

Finished the meal with the help of DS, mother in law came to our house and left already. I got all the leftovers put away and the dishwasher is running. Still a lot of dishes to wash, and I need to get washing on them. 

[ScoutTN]

Church was lovely!

Dinner and Christmas with Dh’s family was fun and crazy. 26 people. 

We are home and winding down. I have forbidden anyone to be up and doing before 9:00 am. Hoping the next couple days are very leisurely! 

[mommyoffive]

Christmas is set.  2 teens are still awake, but I am heading to bed.  I know at least half of my crew will be up early and upset with the ones that are sleeping in.  

[SKL]

• Spent a lot of time figuring out how to download photos from my phone to my computer (apparently you have to have the latest itunes on your PC), choosing some photos for my dad, and ordering prints.
• Did a bunch of shopping.
• Helped with the Christmas tree, but my kid did most of it.
• Helped give the dog a bath, which wasn't his favorite thing.  😛  Then cleaned up after it.
• Went to church for the first Christmas since 2019.
• Napped.
• Wrapped.

Remember a couple years ago when my sister declared that nobody is allowed to buy her kids Christmas gifts ever again, because they have too much stuff?  So we discussed and agreed that we wouldn't exchange physical gifts between our families.  I was bummed at the time, but I got used to the idea.  Well today, she asks me if my kid's ears are pierced because she bought them some jewelry.  I kinda gave her a hard time about it.  If she was gonna do that, why tell me on Christmas Eve when I'd have to scramble to reciprocate?  (I said, I'm glad you told me today so I can still get your kids something.)  Her kids are younger than mine, so it's not like I could justify leaving them out while my kids had stuff to open.  😕  I probably shouldn't have given her a hard time, but it's confusing.  You want me to respect your boundary of no gifts for your kids, but then you don't respect it.  Maybe she forgot all about it.  I'm probably mean.  Oh well.

The big gift I had bought for my kid's January birthday ended up being a Christmas gift.  So now I have to figure out something else for her birthday.