Christmas Eve

I'm telling you, this has been the best pre-Christmas season I've known and the kids have made it that way.  Particularly London and Emmy.  It was London who was pushing me to put the Christmas decorations up the day after Thanksgiving.  And London who pestered me about getting the Christmas tree.  And London and Emmy who were chomping at the bit to start the advent calendar.  They've been talking about Santa and reindeer and presents and Christmas things for weeks now - and now it's here!  At least Christmas Eve is here.

Unfortunately Stevie is on call this Christmas Eve, which left me at home with 3 very excited, very expectant kids.  I passed the day the best I could - we walked lunch down to Stevie at the hospital, they did coloring pages, we made fudge, and I even did a mid-day movie to help move time along.  Finally, at 5:00 we went over to our neighbors, Suzy and Spencer, for dinner and then a talent show and re-enactment of the nativity.  Suzy grew up with this tradition and we were fortunate to share it with them.

The talent show was quite funny:  Emmy sang "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" in Japanese, Sydney sang songs, London showed off his Nerf talents, Cannon played piano, Krimp did the "worm" (which Cannon thought was a good impression of a dying fish), Dima played piano, Suzy and Spencer did a combo piano piece and I read a book that I wrote for the kids.

The kids and I made Christmas hats.  Emmy=reindeer, Me=Christmas tree, Cannon=Grinch, London=Elf

After the talent show we sang a few Christmas carols and then we had a nativity re-enactment with baby Shawn (Suzy and Spencer's baby) as baby Jesus.

Putting Jesus in the manger.

Not quite what I pictured the manger scene to look like...

When we got home I hurriedly got the kids bathed so that we could prepare for Santa.  Emmy and London scattered our lawn (and all the other neighbors') with Reindeer Food.

They put out their very beautifully decorated cookies.

London's note asks Santa what his favorite cookie is.  He has deliberated what question to ask him for many days.

And then we settled in for a reading of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "Twas the Night Before Christmas".  Stevie, who had joined us for some of the talent show and dinner had unfortunately returned to the hospital by this time so he joined us via Skype.  Thank goodness for Skype!

Good night all, NORAD Santa Tracker tells me Santa is in Micronesia and has already visited Iwo Jima so I better get to bed!