Christmas Eve 2012

The is excitement in the air!  Santa is almost here!  The kids can't believe that after a long year of waiting, Christmas is tomorrow!!!  We started the day with a fun surprise.  I had to run over this morning to Jocelyn's house to bring over the cute place cards I made for tomorrow night's dinner as well as drop off some tables, table cloths, etc.  I noticed her to do list and asked if it would help if I brought Brennan and Gabe over to my house for a few hours.  With her approval, I put them in my car and brought them back to my house.

When they walked in the room, all of my kids went crazy!  They loved the surprise of it all!  The cousins hung out for a while and we ended the day with lunch at Pizza My Heart.  Because when I think of Christmas Eve day, I think of pizza!  

Once we finished with the cousins, we got the kids in their dressy clothes and headed up to Walnut Creek to have Christmas Eve dinner with Damien's family at Aunt Erin's house!  We went to mass beforehand at a beautiful church in town and then enjoyed a wonderful night with Damien's extended family!  

After the dinner, we drove the hour ride home and got the kids in their Christmas pajamas.  We then started to get the plate of cookies ready for Santa.  Let the Christmas arguing commence!  Who was going to pick the cookies for the plate?  Who was going to walk the plate out?  Who got to pick out the carrots and then who puts it on the plate?  Nonfat or 2% milk for Santa?  What glass?  Who brings it out?  I am serious that it was a difficult twenty minutes of me trying to keep my cool.  

And when I finally negotiated a solution, Emily dropped the chosen mint cookie off the plate and it broke in half.  Tears.  Lots of tears from three out of four kids.  "Santa won't want a broken cookie and that was the only cookie that we all agreed on!  Waaaaaaaaaaaa!"  Michael rolled his eyes and cooly said, "I would eat a broken cookie."  And that was that.  Michael convinced them that Santa would indeed eat the broken cookie!  Hooray!  

It is also important to note that Emily wanted to put string cheese on the plate in case the King Mouse was with Santa.  I mean, seriously. 

Before you knew it . . .

Twas the night before Christmas,

And all through the house.

Not a parent was resting,

Not even Emily's King Mouse.

The stockings were hung,

Above the much cursed cookie plate.

With the hopes that Santa didn't turn around,

After hearing my kids argue in haste.

All four kids were nestled,

all tucked into their beds,

With dried tears and visions of broken cookies,

dancing in their heads.  

With Dad eating cookies, 

and Mom stress eating ice cream,

Merry Christmas to all,

And to all some sweet dreams!