(ended) Countdown Contest: 2 Days Until Christmas

[tinad171972]

One of the kids will wake us up early, but not before 7 am. I will put on a pot of coffee and while I am doing that, they kids hit their stockings. Then its present time. We video tape and take pictures and we really let them go at it. After all the presents are open, I usually start the clean up from the night before since I have family over for Christmas Eve and really don't feel like cleaning up so late after everyone leaves. Then its off to my sisters around 12.

[jo93]

My girls started a tradition last year of writing a Christmas play about the real meaning of Christmas and acting out the play for us before opening presents. We will probably eat breakfast first. And then open the presents after the play.

[aknight373]

we always sleep in, we will get up around 8 am or 8 :30 ( yeap that's sleeping in for us) Then we will get up and load the car with all the presents... then we go to a local restaurant to eat breakfeast ( the best of this is we always tip the waitress like 20 or 25 dollars normally on a 10 dollar breakfeast) then head to his parents and have one crazy day.

Then we come home for awhile to let the dogs out then back for dinner around 6!!!!

[Sunni]

We get up and have coffee/hot chocolate with warm homemade cinnamon and pecan rolls while opening up our stockings. Then we open up our presents one person at a time so we can see everything. As the day goes on we nibble on appetizers and then have a large dinner later on.

[arob414]

We are getting up ultra early to open presents and then will be heading out to West Tn to stay a few days with my aunt and uncle, they are almost like grandparents to my girls. My mom will come along and my uncle will also be staying a few days. We want to get there in time for brunch, hence the ultra early rising. This is my yr off and I tried to talk the girls into opening presents on Christmas Eve so we could sleep longer. But, we did that, last yr so they wouldn't have to get up so early before I went to work. (They don't believe in Santa, anymore, so I thought we would have more flexibility) Apparently, they didn't like breaking with tradition. That's ok, I feel the same way. I will be looking forward to a nap between brunch and dinner.

[Blessing and Miracle]

For the first time in 28 years we are doing something a tad bit different. Traditionally, DH and I get up first, take a few more pictures of the Christmas tree and presents. Get the camera and camcorder ready so we can catch the kids initial reaction. I go and gather the kids, so they can all come in the family room togther. Everyone is overly excited as they see the gifts that Santa left (Santa doesn't wrap his presents). Once the little ones look at their toys we allow them to open the presents from mommy and daddy. Dad is filming while I'm taking tons of photos. Then he and I open our presents once the children are done. Soon after, it's rush, rush, rush, to get dressed and go to my parent's home where we have another feast of presents as we exchange gifts with my parents, siblings, their spouses and their children. Then, we eat dinner at my parents. It's 23 of us and we have a wonderful time. Then we are off to my inlaws where we eat again.

This year, however, I told DH that I want to enjoy more of home and the actual holiday as opposed to rushing and rushing and not getting home until way too late. So this year we plan on taking our time and enjoying most of the day at home before we go and visit our extended families.

[MdCaterer]

We let our son wake us up and wait for everyone to gather and see what Santa brought us. Then we turn on some Christmas music and open gifts. Then we eat a great breakfast of homemade quiche and breakfast pastries and Christmas cookies of course!!

[Weluvdisny]

When the boys wake up, we call my in-laws and while we wait for them to come over, we dig into our stockings. When they get here we make breakfast and then gather around the tree to open all the presents.

This year we are staying home for dinner and my son's girlfriend and her dad are coming over for ham dinner. Her mom has to work all day as a 911 dispatcher from 6am to 6pm.

[DarcyDog]

Ever since I was a little girl (50+ years ago), we get up at about 6:00 AM. When we were little and couldn't sleep on Christmas morning, my brothers and sister would be up pestering our parents from about 5:00 AM on to get up. We always had to wait for my grandfather, who lived next door to us, to get home from his shift on the railroad which was about 6:00 AM. To this day, we continue the tradition of getting up early, but now start the morning with a mimosa and a toast. In our family, it's not Christmas unless it's still dark outside when we start opening presents!

[missangie]

The winner is Post #23. . . tink1212.

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