2015 Day 24 - Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve gong show wasn't as bad as normal...because Graeme started his moving of piles on Dec 21...so I was able to clean and vacuum on Dec 23 instead of 3pm on Christmas Eve.

This year we only had my parents and Jocelynne because my brother Dean had the flu and stayed home to sleep, Miriam had a family gathering to attend and Lee was unable to join us.

PJ came down to see what we were doing and to get us to watch his 2 favourite shows (Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune).  Then he wrote his note to Santa and decided to put numerous cookies out for Santa (he was excited to please Santa this year....yay).  As we were about to go upstairs for bedtime he stopped and said in a pleasant and appropriately volumned tone "Merry Christmas Everyone"...the 1st time ever (and another point for "warming the heart" a few posts ago)

LOTS of cookies this year!

2014 Day 24 - Christmas Eve

Today, like every other Christmas Eve - its a gong show!  I had to pick up baked goods and bananas - then home to crazy, crazy town!  GJA had been at home for 4 days and waited until today to finish his moving of crap!  SO...there I was, at 3 pm having to CLEAN all the flat surfaces and vacuum and get dinner and appetizers going for Christmas Eve!  It was all so stressful and unnecessary!!!

Managed to get it all done - plus setup more decorations (that I couldn't bring up until GJA's crap was gone).  We hosted dinner with my parents and brother, GJA's mom and my friend Jocelynne - it was a fun evening and a crazy long day!

Of course, we also had to get ready for Santa - so before PJ went to bed, we wrote a letter to Santa and left him cookies, milk and carrots for Rudolf.  PJ chose each cookie!

Christmas's Past - Day 24 - Christmas Eve 2010

On Christmas Eve, we had my parents, GJA's mom, my brother (Dean) and his girlfriend (Tanya) as well as Miriam (and her niece Leanne) and Jocelynne over for supper.

PJ, of course, was scared to come down stairs once he realized it was more than my parents that were over.

Here are some photos from the visitors before and after supper.

Dot and; Del

Dean and Tanya

Lee

Miriam, Dot and Del

GJA

Jocelynne

Miriam

After PJ went to sleep, we helped Santa with the stockings and putting gifts under the tree.  PJ can't keep away from wrapped parcels, so we had to keep them hidden until that night.

2013 Day 24 - Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is now my busiest day - its normally the day I get up and be at the grocery store at 8 am to get all my food that should last from now until Dec 28!  I try to purchase most of it on Dec 23 so all I really need is fruit, veggies and baked goods.  Then its the MAD PANIC RUSH to clean the entire house (even though I've been working on it for several days, the main floor, where most people will be, is always a disaster - due to Mr. Hoarder).

Every year I say - you have to move the stuff off of the island BEFORE Dec 24 because if you wait until 3 pm...I'm in the middle of prepping for dinner...I don't THEN have time to stop and CLEAN the island because its finally been cleaned (only happens 1x a year-sigh)...but I digress.

After cleaning is done, then its prepping for dinner.  I think I posted already about this on Day 3 and today will be no different.  Once the guests arrive then its time to let the oven do its job & DH to mix some drinks!

I help kiddo write his note to Santa, put out the milk, cookies and carrot and off we go for the reading of Twas the Night Before Christmas.  After that its time to haul out all the presents and put them under the tree - DH isn't much help with this its like he doesn't understand how to put gifts under the tree or into a stocking.  This (and last) year, I actually had everything wrapped by now...and its fantastic, because I used to be still wrapping gifts while everyone went to bed on Christmas Eve.

Since most of this year's journaling has been about looking back, I'm going to try to remember Christmas Eve when I was a kid.  To be honest, all I can remember is putting our stockings out and being really REALLY excited & giggling in my bedroom with my Granny.  We also wrote a note for Santa and left out milk, cookies and a carrot.  I guess I also remember that my brother and I would talk through the heat vents...lol!

Well - I best get AT it...its 8:45 am and I need to get cleaning!

Merry Merry!