Question of the Day Wed Dec 21, 2011

This year my family is having their big dinner Christmas Eve, so we'll be heading to Mom's and stuffing our face!

Christmas Eve is the start of the holiday in Germany, so it's celebrated with the extended family, gifts are exchanged, etc..

This year, we'll begin by watching the Jets vs giants game, while I prepare dinner in advance. At 6 we'll go to Christmas Eve mass, which is dubbed "the Coliseum mass" since there isn't even standing room, so we get there at 5 to get a seat! Then when we get home, dinner will be easy as putting it in the oven for a half hour or so, then we'll eat. then my husband and I will put the kids to bed, wrap whatever might be left to wrap, then wait until about midnight (when we know the cherubs are asleep) and stock the tree, eat the cookies and milk, and go to bed.

 

Normally we do all of that without the football game! I fully expect some of the presents this year may have some claw marks and ripped paper!

Usually, we go to my moms house. My grandma and aunt and uncle go too. This year, we are staying home as far as I know. We moved and don't want to drive 30 minutes each way to get to my moms when we are going there the next morning.

Rick will take his mom to church....I think he's an usher, so he has to get there early.

 

While he's gone, I'll probably be working on dinner tasks for Christmas Day. When he comes back home, we will each open one small gift. And then we'll go to bed and wait for Santa to come!

 

We've decided not to bring the wrapped presents for everybody else out to the tree until right before the kids and grandkids come on Sunday. Our wrapped gifts have a tendency to all show tooth and claw marks from the furkids, who have to check out everything. Long ago, we gave up on bows and ribbons on packages. Tooth marks don't bother us; we just tell everybody that the cats did the wrapping , but our son and DIL are bothered by them.

Loading the truck with presents for the traveling on Sunday. But other than that nothing but eating amd relaxing and watching cheesey movies with df.

During the day we mostly relax or have a normal day.  It's usually a work day for DH but this year he might not have to.  He's on a volunteer list because it's straight overtime!  If he does work it'll probably only be about 4 hours or so though. 

 

We always go to our church's candlelight service in the evening. 

 

After that someone from church will host a party till late or the wee hours.  They usually do the gag gift exchange there too.  And people bring food of course!  When we moved here it was just a little party at one lady's house every year with maybe 5 families.  Now it's grown to be one for the whole church.  They are always a blast!  I doubt we will go this year; or at least not for long, with us having DD.  We will also need to put together her kitchen set that night so it's ready for her in the morning!   I always end the night with a glass of eggnog too.

OMG last minute shopping,wrapping.mad dash basically and then bring all the pressies down for the kids when they are all asleep and then finally might be able to sit down and have a drink because after this mad stressed out week I will flippin well need it!! x

We just hang out and relax. :) Usually we also get to open one present or a stocking stuffer that night!

We usually go to  the early Christmas Eve Service at Church, though we MIGHT go to a Jesus Party instead and go to Church on Christmas Day.

This year we will be at my parent's in Door County. Looking forward to it - We don't open present's though till Christmas morning. My husband's family always open's presents on Christmas Eve. I am hoping for some snow up North for Christmas.

Work for me, I'm in on the afternoon not that it bothers me though I love work then possibly the mil's but I'm not sure yet

We're having DH's family over for Christmas Eve dinner so most of the day will be spent touch up sweeping and straightening up then preparing dinner. At least that is the plan but DH came down with a bad case of the stomach flu today (had to take him to the emergency room for fluids, he couldn't keep anything down) so it depends on how he feels by then. AND whether or not I catch it (please, cross your fingers I don't!!) If he doesn't feel up to it we will probably postpone it until New Year's Eve.