December 24, 2013

Christmas Eve!
I have been looking forward to this Christmas Eve for years.  All settled in our own house, not a move anywhere in sight.    We have had sick kids the past two Christmas Day's too, and only Mari has a little cold. I have mentioned before. But some of my favorite things of this holiday have been sacrificed the past two years because of moves And of course sick kids make Christmas a little less magical.  The decorating, the neighbors all stopping by, the slower pace, the happy fun kids.  I had  a lot of high expectations and hopes for the perfect Christmas.  It was not as perfect as my mind had concocted but it was pretty great.  Nobody screaminsg because of ear infections, no living out of boxes, and lots of Christmas things.

We started Christmas Eve Day but moving the Christmas tree from the front room where it stood in a front window but most of all behind glass doors, so we could see the tree, but little kids were not into it and knocking it on top of themselves all month- to the living room so we could put gifts under it and have it out for the day.  Bethany has giggled every time I bring her close to the Christmas tree with lights.  Her first Christmas tree!  You can see she is in awe.... and I am in awe watching her.

The kids and I started planning a nativity play.  We collected costumes. Then when Jake came in from work, we started our family Christmas Eve with it.  The kids dressed up.  Marianne was a shepard, Kate was Mary, and Sam was all the wise men.  We made Bethy the angel and everyone thought it was pretty fun when I flew her in the air and made her pretend to proclaim Christ's birth.  Jake read the story from Luke.

Then we ate our Christmas Eve Dinner.  Ham, pineapple, salad, and delicious mashed potatoes and gravy.  Many of the kids favorite foods.
Then there was a break out Chrismas Carol Dance Party in the Living Room.

Then the sibling gift exchange.  Our kids love to pick out gifts for one another, but this year instead of everyone getting a gift for every sibling like we have done in the past and is way too many gifts, we opted for a draw.  Kate had Bethany and picked her out two rattles.  Sam had Marianne and picked her out a mini dream light.  Mari was delighted with her new (beebug)  it is a ladybug and that is what she calls them.  She went straight away and placed it in her bed.  Marianne had Kate and I helped her pick out Candyland for her. We all played it right after. Except for Sam.  Bethany picked him out a new soccer ball, and he was too busy playing himself in soccer in the living room to play with us.

After the gift exchange the kids opened a gift from us- new Christmas pj's.
Then we set out some gumballs from our neighbor gift collection for our Christmas Eve elf.  At our house we don't have an elf on the shelf who makes mischief, we just have one who bring you a game to play as a family if you have been good that year.  He likes when you sing Christmas Carols as a family and when you are all ready for bed.  He came this year while the kids were in the bath and dressing in their new pj's.  He brough a Disney Guess Who Game, which we played together as a family.

Next the kids got to open another gift from us- their name books.  I have started getting them each a book with their name as a character-usually the main character for that year.  I managed to find everyone this year except Bethany- who got a book about a Dorothy (her middle name) instead.  Kate's book this year was my favorite- Katie the Candycane Fairy.  It was a Christmas book, similar to a book she bought her teacher (from the same series) so I knew that meant she wanted it for herself, and had a Crystal as the Katie's best fairy friend.  Sam got a true story book about a dare devil jumper named Sam, Marianne got a Christmas book called "Mary's first Christmas" a nativity book, and Bethany got a book about Dorothy who didn't like to sleep  (sounds about right!)  We read all the books and then said our family prayers and went to bed.  Jake and I sang the children Christmas Carols in their rooms while they laid in bed to tuck them in- we very rarley both tuck each child in- it is usually more of a divide and conquer strategy.

After kids were finally sleeping, we wrapped and assembled and stuffed stockings.  It took us only about an hour maybe and hour and a half, because Jake had already begun to put together the larger present.  We turned on the Christmas Story as we wrapped like we often do. And managed several hours sleep before the morning came and kids woke us happily.