How We Wednesday

The last installment of How We Wednesday - this is a round up of how we do all things Christmas!

Things we like to do at Christmas:

- Visit Santa at Sherway

- Check out the windows at the Bay downtown and the big tree at the Eaton Centre

- Put together our Rockefeller Place Christmas puzzle

- Host our neighbours, friends and family for a party

- Drive around to see the lights and inflatables 

- Make cookies

- Sing Christmas songs (at home and in the choir for E)

- Send cards

- Wait for Jesus

- Watch all of the Christmas shows and movies

This is how we do Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  I try not to leave too many things to the last minute so I don't need to be wrapping presents or preparing too much food.  Then we can finish our puzzle and spend some time watching Christmas shows and movies.   We have an early small supper, like a salad, and then go to the Christmas Eve service at our church.  We may take a slight detour on our way home to look at some Christmas lights, and then when we get home, we get the Santa Tracker on the TV, and then start setting out the spread of food - oysters, M and M meat appetizers, dips, fondue, etc.  Last year we played a few games and that was fun so we will do that again - drawing a Christmas scene on a paper plate held on the top of your head where you can't see it, Christmas charades, and a candy cane scavenger hunt.  The kids will set out a snack for Santa and scamper upstairs when the Santa Tracker says Toronto is the next stop (Q will actually probably be in bed already).  It is my very favourite part of the entire Christmas season at that point of the night, when the stockings have been set out, the lights are twinkling on the tree, and it is quiet. 

On Christmas morning, we are up early.  I usually make a breakfast casserole the day before so when I get up, I will pop it in the oven, turn on some music, make coffee, pop the champagne, and set out some fruit and cookies.  Everyone has to be in the living room ("Get up Papa!" Both of them are often the last ones to join us, but they don't make us wait too long)  before we can start opening our stockings.  Everyone gets one and the presents inside are wrapped in tissue paper.  The kids get to open their Santa presents, and then we may take a small break to refill some drinks, and clear some of the paper.  And then break later on to eat our actual breakfast.  We will then start passing out gifts from under the tree.  We try to make sure everyone has at least one in front of them, so we are constantly looking for the next one for each person.  I try to make a list of gifts we receive as we go, and try not to lose any gift cards or money.  (Last year Dave misplaced $100 in cash he got and we looked everywhere for it.  We sorted through two bags of wrapping, looked through every gift, under the couch, etc.  We figured it must be lost somewhere, and then Dave found it days later in the travel mug he got.  He had tucked it away for safekeeping, too safe!)

When the gifts are open and the paper is cleaned up, we will usually just have something on the TV, and then the moms start getting the turkey dinner ready.  Last year we cooked the turkey on convection roast and it was done in record time before the rest of the meal was ready.  So we scurried around to get it all done and we ate earlier than planned.  I liked that though because we were able to go for a walk after supper when it was still light out.  Maybe we will do that again this year.  

Check out my other How We posts from this year:

January - Do goals/resolutions 

February - Take care of ourselves

March - Mom fail

April - Spring clean/organize

May - Transition our wardrobe 

June - Plan our summer vacations

July - Motivate our kids

August - Pack lunches

September - We Fall!

October - Meal plan and share recipes 

November - Talk to our kids about adoption everything

Linking up with Shay and Erika.