Day 8: Holiday plans and traditions!
So the countdown is on to Christmas in my house now. Usually I avoid it until after my birthday and considering I have a December 22nd b-day that doesn’t leave much time to look forward to Christmas. But this year, I’ve booked tomorrow and Friday off so I am getting a bit more excited about the whole thing. My mom is coming up for my
Lillian with daddy in 2009.
birthday on the Saturday so I can go to dinner and a movie with my husband. Then on Christmas Eve my brother and father-in-law are coming for dinner. The 25th we’re staying home for the first time since Lillian was born and I’m super excited to have a day spent in pjs taking our time opening all the gifts and just enjoying time as a family. My girls are getting new dolls and their doll house! So excited!
Lillian’s left over gifts after she opened her train in 2011.
Lillian ignoring her other gifts Christmas 2011.
The tradition in this family is having the in-laws and my mom/step dad for dinner on the 24th. Since my mother-in-law passed away I want to make Christmas special for my husband’s family of all guys. This year we’re having ham since it was such a big hit last year, with fresh veggies and scalloped potatoes (which my mother will be taking care of). For dessert I have the last batch of cookies from my exchange and I’ll be making a fresh pecan pie too. I’m not a huge fan by the guys are and my birthday will have just passed. Christmas day, is actually my step-dad’s birthday so breakfast will be brunch feast aimed at making everyone happy. Lots of bacon, eggs, ham, cinnamon buns, and such. I figure we can open a few gifts, then eat and then finish the gifts/stockings if the girls are not in the rip everything apart mood. You might laugh at kids not opening gifts, but it happened last year. Then my parents head home later on the 25th, and on boxing day I will hit the store to get deals on paper, cards, and decor for next year.
Finally, being Catholic we attend Christmas Mass alone which with two small kids is a treat for us. My mother is home with the girls so we go to the midnight Mass and let the kids play in the morning. I figure as long as we attend God isn’t going to mind them being at home. At this age they don’t get anything out of the Mass anyway, and only go to the playroom. But having the freedom to go when we want to is something I treasure and the music on Christmas is always so beautiful, despite what Katrina’s face below may lead you to believe!
Katrina. Christmas 2011.
So what are your Christmas/holiday traditions? We also love to get Chinese food on New Year’s Eve. 🙂