We had our breakfast pizza on Christmas Eve morning, and then took our time getting all packed up and ready to go to Grandma and Grandpa's house. The kids were anxious to get going, but we had some last minute errands to run and extra packing to do since we were hauling Christmas up there. We made it in plenty of time to unpack and enjoy a clam chowder Christmas Eve dinner.
I made the kids play some rounds of UNO before I let them open their Christmas Eve gifts, they didn't want to at first, but ended up having so much fun.
They were biting at the bit to open those jammies! Luckily the boys were happy with their polar bears, and Miriam who has lots of hand-me-down pajamas got some joggers and a top. So basically jammies that are acceptable to wear to school. Even though they know what the gift is, they were pleasantly surprised...especially Miriam.
Then we opened the photo book we had made from our California trip last summer. So fun to share those memories with G'ma and G'pa and remember our summer fun.
We read the Nativity, the kids sang Mary's Lullaby and Sleep Baby Jesus, the songs they sang in the Christmas program and then we all ended with Silent Night.
Whenever we are with Darin's side of the family we read "How Mrs. Santa Claus Saved Christmas" and "The Year without Santa Clause". They are traditions from Darin's childhood, and the editions of these particular books are out of print. We read the first and saved the second for right before bedtime.
The kids ran downstairs to watch a Christmas movie while the grown-ups played a fun-petitive round Quiddler. We all had some sort of a snack before bed...cheesecake or cranberry cake for Darin and I, cookies for the kiddos. Luckily Ris had given us some of her beautiful and delicious iced cookies on our way out of town so we had something to offer the big guy.
The kids didn't fight going to bed this night! They happily and excitedly got ready for bed, eager for morning to come.
