I love Christmas Eve. It is a day filled with such anticipation of joy to come, I love it. We've never waited until Christmas Eve to make our graham cracker houses but December flew by this year. It was a really fun thing to do mid-morning, maybe we'll do it this way every year. Plus it was great incentive for the kids to get up and get going and do their part to tidy up the house for Christmas.
We gathered to take a picture of the finished houses and Malia pulled Brenner's hair right as Dave took the picture and I looked down as Brenner burst into tears. After that the photo op was gone, so we have a memory of a true moment instead of a perfect moment. And Brenner needed a hug, which was more important anyway.
The last few years we have helped the kids make homemade gifts for each other. It is always a much looked forward to part of Christmas for them. But we didn't get to that either this year so thank heavens for the dollar store! I picked them up from school one day a few days before Christmas and we made a dollar store run. It was so fun! I love how the spirit of giving makes everything brighter! Their eyes were twinkling as they bustled through the store picking out things for each other. And they were so excited to come home and hide in a different room and wrap them. Then we really had a pile of presents under the tree! They were crazy with anticipation! So we let them open those gifts on Christmas Eve afternoon.
We made them hug the giver after opening each gift and for once there was no fighting. Just kindness! It made my heart all warm and fuzzy. It was so nice.
There were little Mr. Potato Heads, small journals, markers, pens, farty-putty, sparkly tattoos, sketch pads, and little things picked out especially for the person in mind and everyone was happy. Lexi gave Brenner bubbles. His favorite. He was so cute blowing them for Malia.
We discovered Malia can blow too! It was the cutest thing.
Brenner shared his bubbles and let Daddy blow more for Malia. She loved them and we loved watching her love them.
We usually make sugar cookies on Christmas Eve to leave for Santa, but this year instead of frosting and decorating them after they baked, we painted them with egg yolks mixed with a few drops of food coloring before baking. It was a fun way to do it a little different and made the clean-up much easier!
Our friends told us about a live Nativity on Christmas Eve so in the afternoon we bundled up and took the subway to the cathedral of the Church of Heavenly Rest.
More than 100 children were dressed up for their parts in the Nativity. Joseph led Mary into the cathedral on a live donkey, and cute little shepherds carried real baby lambs. It was so sweet to hear them baaing through the program. I'm sure Mary and Joseph heard those little baa-s as they got settled in the stable on that first Christmas night. It was very crowded and the kids couldn't see very well and so had a hard time paying attention during all the songs and the pastor's words, but I thought it was a very nice program. I especially liked when every one stood at the end and sang, "Hark the Herald Angels Sing." I got goosebumps.
The Guggenheim Museum is on the same block so we had to see it. I remember studying it in Humanities, and have any of you seen Mr. Popper's Penguins? Such a cute show. The penguins slide around the spiral halls in this fancy-shmancy museum.
We took an invigorating walk through a bit of Central Park in the crisp winter air and headed to the Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art) where there is a big Christmas tree decorated with Japanese Origami Ornaments that is supposed to be a sight to see. Not realizing what time it closed we dawdled too much through Central Park and so we got to the Met right as it was closing so we missed seeing the tree.
Back at home the kids got bathed and ready for bed and opened their new Christmas jammie-pants. Then we had an Army-Man-Rubberband-Battle because the kids gave Dave a whole bunch of Army men and rubber bands. I got this idea from my sister-in-law, Natalie. We played it years ago at my parent's house. So fun! You flip rubber bands at the other team's army men and the first team to knock them all down wins. The kids loved it.
My cute little sweetheart was as excited as the rest of us even tho she has no idea what Christmas is.
We ate oranges together on the couch while watching "The Christmas Orange" and then read the Christmas story in Luke 2. Right before bed Dave and the kids checked on Santa's progress on the computer. He was flying over England delivering gifts and his next scheduled stop was New York City! That helped them hurry to bed!
And this little plasma car... it was actually a late night Dec. 21 purchase on Amazon with 2 day shipping when I realized we needed one big present for one child! It had great reviews and was probably something I wouldn't normally have gotten, but it has been so super fun! It goes by twisting the steering wheel. Quite the amazing little invention! The kids love it.
