Christmas Eve!

This is what was happening around our place on Christmas Eve: stockings hanging, lights shining, gumdrops missing from the gingerbread -- what!?! What kind of kids are these that snitch candy off the gingerbread house before New Year's Day, the high holy holiday made for demolishing the creation? Kids that aren't afraid enough of their parents, that's what kind. So I removed one of the licorice shingles myself and figured if I can't beat them, I'd join them. It was awful.
For dinner we had stacked enchiladas. Rob began teaching the secrets of making them to Will. We've been trying to fit in our scripture reading in between dinner and dessert lately, so we did it here, with the reading of Luke 2 as a prerequisite to the Mohr im Hemd (I decided it was my Christmas. I wasn't going to torture myself with pies or my kids with steamed vegetable pudding this year). In fact, the whole day was wonderfully low key. We had a great time.
This year, with Joss being so interested in denuding the tree, we didn't put any presents under it. Instead we followed another tradition from the McFarland family: the Parade of Presents. Rob claims that his mother was always wrapping presents up until the last minute, and so on Christmas Eve, they would play Anne Murray's Oh Come, All Ye Faithful and the kids would ferry the presents from the room where she'd been madly wrapping, to under the tree. The kids really enjoyed carrying them all since it gave them a chance to weigh them and check out who they were all for.
We had the traditional opening of pajamas as well and this year I got some too! My only winter pajamas had a huge rip in one knee, one elbow, and both pockets were torn. They were not warm with all of that ventilation. They barely made it to Christmas and now they're out on the curb, waiting for the garbage men. Will got me pj's that are like wearing a stuffed animal, and Maddie got me slippers that are as fluffy as Maltese dogs. I'm pretty toasty now.
We sang carols on the couch and were Christmasy. The Lyons came back from their festivities and helped us reenact the Christmas story. We shined the apple and put out the plate of goodies for Santa. Then I gave the kids Candy Cane foot massages and Rob gave them each a dose of Benadryl (no, I'm not kidding; see above. Once upon a time I looked disapprovingly at Rob's pharmaceutical dabbling. I'm a convert now. The only regret I have is that he didn't give some to Joss too. Joss was up wailing from 3-4am on Christmas morning).
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Comments

Anonymous said…
Everything looks wonderfully festive. The table, your pajamas, and especially Joss's face when he recognizes Thomas the Tank Engine on his package. Looks like a Merry Christmas!
Audrey said…
Looks like you all had a wonderful Christmas! The gingerbread house looks so awesome! I just absolultly LOVE Grandma Dee's stacked enchiladas. They are so much better than the rolled! Its good to know that Will is being taught the secrets! Love you all!
Curtis said…
Hey, would you like a real Maltese to go with your slippers? I'm about ready to put ours out on the curb for the garbage man.
Curtis said…
And I just noticed, you left Tim Tams and cocoa for Santa. Did you leave instructions on how to do the Slam?
Zina said…
What gorgeous photos.

I need to tell Santa to get me pajamas. Even if he is too late to bring them for Christmas, maybe he could get me some for Valentine's Day.

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