If you celebrate Christmas, how will you spend the day?

[zoebartlett]

What are your plans for Christmas? We're going to my husband's sister's house for their family's annual get-together. We do it pretty much every year and it's always good to see my husband's siblings and their kids. On Christmas Day, we've invited my mom's brother to come over for the day since he'll be alone. He's staying with my parents for a while, and they'll be visiting my sister who lives out of state. My uncle and I are sort of just getting to know each other (long story), so I'm hoping for a great day. I'll make apps. (baked brie and shrimp cocktail, most likely) and maybe pork tenderloin for dinner.

What about you?

 

[manderz]

I will be cooking at my house for about 10 people, and we will have a small gift exchange. Slightly frustrating, because my anniversary is Christmas eve, and we don't get to enjoy it; were too busy cleaning and prepping for the next day, or as in previous years, I was working retail. I love my family, and love spending time with them, and have no problem hosting dinner, but would like to enjoy my 9th anniversary this year, too.

 

[Maisie]

Up at the crack of dawn with the kids! Then my hubby will spend all morning putting together toys... this year we got James two Lego ships from Pirates of the Caribbean... that should keep them busy all day and maybe boxing day too! I will cook and in the afternoon have a snooze before watching the Queens speech on tv. A light afternoon snack and then probably watch dvds. We will all be in bed by 9pm due to the VERY early start

 

[manderz]

Sounds like a wonderful day, Maisie!

 

[Maisie]

Sounds like a wonderful day, Maisie!

I don't know who is more excited... me or the children!

 

[JewelFreak]

My favorite part of the day is the conference call my brother makes every year on Christmas morning. The whole family gets on & yacks as long as we can think of something to say, which is a fair amount of time. He's done this for about 25 yrs & even included me when we lived in Holland. Since we are spread all over the country & rarely get together, it's a real joy.

Otherwise, get up slowly & have coffee, walk the dogs, then put on some beautiful music & open presents. Usually we take a long walk in the aft. (after I have a nap). Think I'll cook a rib roast this year.

--- Laurie

 

[AprilBaby]

Watching the Packers beat the Bears!

 

[vc10um]

I'm not sure how we'll spend Christmas Day proper this year. We got a Christmas White House Tour on December 16, so my mom is coming into town for that and staying a few days before and after, so we'll be celebrating "Christmas Day" on December 17. DH is making homemade bagels for breakfast (with lox and all the fixings). Then we'll open gifts, I'll make a big meal (Crown Roast of Lamb, wild rice stuffing, green bean casserole from scratch, pierogie with sauteed onions, and roasted squash) and then we'll just chill out the rest of the evening.

With no kids and only 3 of is, it doesn't promise to be very eventful, but it'll still be Christmas!

 

[zoebartlett]

Manderz, can you ask people to bring a dish so you'll have less work to do?

Maisie, how's James doing? It sounds like you'll have a nice day with your family!

JewelFreak, that sounds fun!

April, sounds like fun. If the Patriots or the Bruins were playing, that's probably how we'd be spending our day.

 

[zoebartlett]

Vc, I know what you mean. Since it's just the two of us here at home, holidays aren't as exciting as they used to be when I was younger. Still fun though. The White House tour sounds like fun! Homemade bagels...mmmmmm. My parents are coming over to our house on the 16th to celebrate Christmas with us since they'll be away on Christmas Day.

 

[manderz]

Manderz, can you ask people to bring a dish so you'll have less work to do?

They do pitch in with the cooking and the like, but I swear I think I have OCD and need to do way more than is really needed for the day. That's a really good idea though. I typically ask people to bring dessert, as that's not my forte (I much prefer cooking) but I may ask for help with dinner dishes, too. Thanks for the idea!

 

[Miss Sparkly]

Same thing I've been doing for years. Rent a ton of movies, buy a lot of sparkling cider and much on a cheese and cracker tray all day

 

[monarch64]

We're going to my parents' home, and my brother and SIL and our niece will be there as well. My niece is almost 4 this Christmas, so of course it will be fun to watch her open her gifts and play with them. We are also making a special announcement (my mom already knows but no one else does)! It should be a very special day.

 

[Maisie]

We're going to my parents' home, and my brother and SIL and our niece will be there as well. My niece is almost 4 this Christmas, so of course it will be fun to watch her open her gifts and play with them. We are also making a special announcement (my mom already knows but no one else does)! It should be a very special day.

Special announcement?

 

[Maisie]

Manderz, can you ask people to bring a dish so you'll have less work to do?

Maisie, how's James doing? It sounds like you'll have a nice day with your family!

JewelFreak, that sounds fun!

April, sounds like fun. If the Patriots or the Bruins were playing, that's probably how we'd be spending our day.

James is fine, thank you for asking. He is quite hard work but very funny so it makes it all worth while!

 

[Dandi]

Christmas Eve will be dinner and present opening at my parent's house with all my brothers, their partners, my husband and our pets (they're always included!). Christmas Day will be dinner at our house with DH's mum and her partner and their kids, and Boxing Day will be lunch at DH's dad's house with his wife and their kids. I've got a few lemon meringue pies to bake!

I feel a food coma coming on!

 

[JewelFreak]

Vc, I know what you mean. Since it's just the two of us here at home, holidays aren't as exciting as they used to be when I was younger.

True here too. I really loved Christmas when we lived in San Francisco. My mother always came out from the Chicago area & my uncle, her brother, who lived nearby. We did SO much laughing! DH & Mom & my uncle loved to needle & play tricks on each other; it got pretty hilarious sometimes. And noisy & full of affection, just as Christmas should be. They're both gone now & I think of them with nostalgia every year (not to mention other times, of course).

--- Laurie

 

[maplefemme]

My SO will be away on rotation so I picked up a day shift at my work and will spend it with my patients and their families.
I have done this for the last three years. I feel lucky to do so, it'll be the last Christmas for the patients and we try to make it very special.

 

[Maisie]

Christmas Eve will be dinner and present opening at my parent's house with all my brothers, their partners, my husband and our pets (they're always included!). Christmas Day will be dinner at our house with DH's mum and her partner and their kids, and Boxing Day will be lunch at DH's dad's house with his wife and their kids. I've got a few lemon meringue pies to bake!

I feel a food coma coming on!

I am going to get my pets a stocking this year. They deserve some pressies too! My friend got her horse a special advent calender. I wonder what the treats are inside it... sugar lumps?

 

[Maisie]

My SO will be away on rotation so I picked up a day shift at my work and will spend it with my patients and their families.
I have done this for the last three years. I feel lucky to do so, it'll be the last Christmas for the patients and we try to make it very special.

God bless you for doing the job you do. You are a very special kind of person and i'm sure you are a blessing to the people you work with.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

We are going to open presents, eat yummy food and nest! My kids want to stay home and we'll play board games and probably (hopefully) watch a movie, etc. Maybe it will snow!

For a few years, the entire extended family wanted to celebrate on Christmas day and my younger son had been upset about it. Finally, we took charge and insisted that we have the bigger family group on Christmas eve and have our alone time Christmas day.

 

[monarch64]

We're going to my parents' home, and my brother and SIL and our niece will be there as well. My niece is almost 4 this Christmas, so of course it will be fun to watch her open her gifts and play with them. We are also making a special announcement (my mom already knows but no one else does)! It should be a very special day.

Special announcement?

Yes--I am growing a new family member who should be "done" by June! That's a good present, right?

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Watching the Packers beat the Bears!

ah, there is a football game on? Damn. Looks like we'll be doing that. I was hoping for a QUIET day. Now my dh will have the TV blaring. lol

 

[MichelleCarmen]

We're going to my parents' home, and my brother and SIL and our niece will be there as well. My niece is almost 4 this Christmas, so of course it will be fun to watch her open her gifts and play with them. We are also making a special announcement (my mom already knows but no one else does)! It should be a very special day.

Special announcement?

Yes--I am growing a new family member who should be "done" by June! That's a good present, right?

Congratulations Monarch!!!

 

[Maisie]

We're going to my parents' home, and my brother and SIL and our niece will be there as well. My niece is almost 4 this Christmas, so of course it will be fun to watch her open her gifts and play with them. We are also making a special announcement (my mom already knows but no one else does)! It should be a very special day.

Special announcement?

Yes--I am growing a new family member who should be "done" by June! That's a good present, right?

Best present I could think of!! Congratulations to you both!!!

 

[Pandora II]

We're at my parents this year, so I anticipate...

Wake up around 8.30am, persuade Daisy to go back to sleep for another hour, get up at 9.30am and look to see if Father Christmas has been. D will open her stocking and then we will all have breakfast.

My father will go across the road to the 11th Century village church to ring the bells. He's an atheist like the rest of us, so he doesn't bother with the service. After that we'll all do family presents and bits and pieces for the lunch.

Turkey goes in the range at midnight on Christmas Eve and will be ready for 2pm.

So, crackers at the beginning of the meal (I make them every year - this year the contents are little fish carved in different types of rock) then smoked salmon and seafood to start, turkey with roast potatoes, vegetables and roast potatoes, christmas pudding with sherry sauce and brandy butter and mountains of whipped cream. Then mince-pies, truffles and marzipan fruits with the coffee.

Collapse in front of television - films and the Queen's Speech, and play with toys/read books. Phone calls from the enormous numbers of relatives that we all seem to have.

Supper is the rest of the smoked salmon and seafood on blinis, Christmas Cake and 'help yourself in the fridge'.

It's going to be a bit sad this year. My parent's siamese cat died of old-age in September and my sister's 1/4 siamese, 3/4 bengal who was living with them was hit by a car 3 weeks ago, so it's the first time they will have not had a cat in 28 years. On the other hand my highly allergic husband might be able to spend a happier xmas...

 

[maplefemme]

My SO will be away on rotation so I picked up a day shift at my work and will spend it with my patients and their families.
I have done this for the last three years. I feel lucky to do so, it'll be the last Christmas for the patients and we try to make it very special.

God bless you for doing the job you do. You are a very special kind of person and i'm sure you are a blessing to the people you work with.

Thank you, Maisie, that's very kind of you. I feel very lucky, I have had chance to meet and care for some wonderful and inspiring people, they are definitely a blessing to me and keep me mindful of what's important.

 

[mrscushion]

We're going to my parents' home, and my brother and SIL and our niece will be there as well. My niece is almost 4 this Christmas, so of course it will be fun to watch her open her gifts and play with them. We are also making a special announcement (my mom already knows but no one else does)! It should be a very special day.

Special announcement?

Yes--I am growing a new family member who should be "done" by June! That's a good present, right?

Yay! Congrats!

 

[Dandi]

Christmas Eve will be dinner and present opening at my parent's house with all my brothers, their partners, my husband and our pets (they're always included!). Christmas Day will be dinner at our house with DH's mum and her partner and their kids, and Boxing Day will be lunch at DH's dad's house with his wife and their kids. I've got a few lemon meringue pies to bake!

I feel a food coma coming on!

I am going to get my pets a stocking this year. They deserve some pressies too! My friend got her horse a special advent calender. I wonder what the treats are inside it... sugar lumps?

Oooooh that is adorable!! My furchildren got new collars and leads, which they'll be soooo thrilled about.

 

[Maisie]

Christmas Eve will be dinner and present opening at my parent's house with all my brothers, their partners, my husband and our pets (they're always included!). Christmas Day will be dinner at our house with DH's mum and her partner and their kids, and Boxing Day will be lunch at DH's dad's house with his wife and their kids. I've got a few lemon meringue pies to bake!

I feel a food coma coming on!

I am going to get my pets a stocking this year. They deserve some pressies too! My friend got her horse a special advent calender. I wonder what the treats are inside it... sugar lumps?

Oooooh that is adorable!! My furchildren got new collars and leads, which they'll be soooo thrilled about.

I think they will be pleased to have a present! My daughter lives away from home and she sent gifts for the cat and dog.