Christmas Eve Traditions

We had a fun Christmas season this year and carried on with some of our Christmas Eve traditions. We eat dinner around 5:30 and our meal changes from year-to-year. I'm not set on eating anything specific, just whatever sounds good to everyone that year! This year we had chili and cornbread. 

After dinner we sit in the family room and Ross will read the Christmas story via candlelight. I really like that we do this! The girls enjoy it, too, although next year I need to find a different way to do our candlelight! Hot wax dripped on both girls this year and that does not feel good at all! 

Some presents are also involved in our Christmas Eve festivities! When I was growing up on Christmas Eve we always got to open presents from our "Omaha family" (grandparents and aunts and uncles). We would save all the presents from our parents for Christmas morning. I have carried that on with my girls with the "Omaha family" except it's presents from great-grandparents and great-aunts and great-uncles. 

The last few years we've started singing Christmas carols around the piano with Lucy playing for us! This year Molly got to play a few songs for us and did a great job! I love that we do this!

Next comes getting ready for bed and putting out snacks for Santa and sprinkling reindeer food on the deck for the reindeer! We always have Christmas cookie cutter cookies to put out for Santa, but his drink varies each year. Last year it was orange juice and this year it was chocolate milk! 

Our night would not be complete without a picture of the girls in their Christmas jammies standing in front of the stockings with a finger up their noses! This traditional picture dates back 4-5 years now! I wonder if we will still do this in 10 years when they are 18 and 16?! 

Christmas Make-Up!

The girls both got make-up kits for Christmas and have been having fun using them. They have a few make-up items from Claire's and EVERYTIME we go in there they want to buy make-up. I've told them no more make-up from Claire's, because I just don't think it's the best quality for them to use. I found these make-up kits (Lucy's actually came in a Caboodle!) from Ulta, so at least it's good quality! It's fun to watch them put on their make-up and see the creations they come up with. ;) 

Windshield Washer Fluid

Each year when Santa comes to our house he leaves a gallon of windshield washer fluid for all the driving adults who have a stocking set out. This tradition dates back to when my sister and I were still at home and were drivers. Santa always left us a bottle of windshield washer fluid then and I'm so glad he's continued this tradition with me at my house as an adult! ;)  

Christmas Morning Waiting

When I was growing up my sister and I always had to wait outside of our rooms before going down the hallway to the family room to see what we got on Christmas mornings. We had to wait on my mom to get the lights turned on, get ready to take pictures, etc. I remember that this waiting time seemed to take f-o-r-e-v-e-r! 

And now as parents, that's exactly what Ross and I make Lucy and Molly do each Christmas morning!  We make them wait at the top of the stairs so we can turn on the Christmas tree lights and make sure to get into place to record their excitement when they see what Santa left. I think it's kind of just a right of passage as a kid! Below are pictures from Christmas morning waiting from 2021-2017 and you can watch them wait here from 2021! 

2021 Advent

We read through an Advent book this past Christmas season. You can read more about it here. I am so glad we did this! It was a great read and the girls really seemed to enjoy it. Each day had a short message to read along with some type of discussion questions. At least once a week there was a "parents ask kids" and "kids ask parents" section. The girls especially loved these sections and it was a great way to get discussions going. 

Lucy and Molly both took turns reading the lessons each day and were so proud to do so. I liked lighting our advent wreath! I look forward to doing this again next Christmas.