Christmas

Well, I actually have to start Christmas eve drama...but once again a lesson in flexibility (love to all my fellow DJMs!). Church was overrun with gypsies who thought they were at social hour, not Mass, so I was not in any mood 1/2 way thru to endure any more. I did hear the girls and heard Katherine's solo (which she did beautifully)...but after communion I took the kids not singing in the choir home. No sooner had I walked in the door did the phone ring. Paul, Kat, Megan and Becca were riding home with Aunt Julie when her car overheated on the highway...so I quickly thru our big feast into the oven, loaded the kids back into the van, and took off. Long story short, we didn't get a big sit down family feast, but everyone ate and was in bed by 10. For once I was VERY thankful that everything I had to really do was done and all we had to do was wait on kids to fall asleep so we could unload the closet and "set the scene."
Paul and I were in bed by 11. Kimberly woke me at 3am as usual and then the older three were up at 5 sorting gifts. In my sleepy stupor I yelled at them to go back to bed as they were ruining Christmas for those kids who were still sleeping...they deserve to see the tree fully loaded. Here is a photo of the scene we set for the kids before we went to bed. Everyone really woke up before 7:30 and I got to work on breakfast while they munched on stockings and opened the neighbor's gifts. After everything was in the oven I actually got to watch the kids go wild on their Christmas gifts. I was downing my second cup of coffee and feeling much more like scrooge than the warm Christmas feeling I usually have. Too tired I guess. I went back to bed after everyone was done and slept for another hour. Kids have been in and out all morning playing with neighbors and all their new games and toys...and once again we hear, "this is the best Christmas ever!"