This Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve 2008--here is what it looked like at our house: Most of the day the girls and I spent puttering about the house while my husband and brother-in-law braved the congested roads and crowded stores, at least I assume they were congested and crowded. I wasn't with them. My brother-in-law had flown in to town on Tuesday and had not had a chance to get his nieces a Christmas present yet, and today being the last opportunity, he and my husband headed out early to find something.

I spent the morning finishing up some last minute gift wrapping while Little Munchkin and Doodlebug waited eagerly outside the bedroom door, ready to take each gift downstairs and place it under the tree. Did you know that gifts have to be given a vigorous shaking before they can be placed under the Christmas tree? Little Munchkin and Doodlebug undoubtedly knew this and strictly observed this rule. What good little elves they are.

The girls watched a movie, wrapped and decorated presents for each other, took over the wrapping of their cousins gifts, abandoned the wrapping of their cousins gifts, and were playing in the bathtub when their dad and uncle returned from their foray into town. When the girls finished their bath, I got them started on a painting project to keep them busy while I wrapped the newly purchased gifts and finished up a couple of handmade gift projects I had been working on. Afterwards the girls watched the Barbie Nutcracker and ate Turkish Delight. Later, the girls and I cut out paper snowflakes which is the only way we will be able to enjoy a white Christmas here in the deep South. When I took the dog out around 9:30p.m. tonight, I noticed that it was quite muggy and not at all cold or even cool, yet it was in the 20's the other night (that's pretty cold for us). It just seems like it should at least be cold and blustery for Christmas if it can't be snowy. But then again, if I lived in Australia, it would be summer time now.

After taking pictures of the girls putting out cookies and milk for Santa (they love to pretend though they know he's not real), and posing in front of the tree, we settled into a comfortable snuggle on the sofa and read Christmas stories until bedtime. Of course I made sure to include a reading of the real Christmas story which I happen to have in a lovely picture book format accompanied by gorgeous artwork. The words are taken directly from the Bible which I like, and the beautiful illustrations really bring the story to life. Little Munchkin commented that she liked the pictures. Doodlebug, my budding artist, concurred. At one point I stopped reading and asked the girls why they thought Herod was "troubled" at the thought of Jesus' birth. Doodlebug gave a couple of vague answers then quickly gave up in frustration. She wasn't feeling well and didn't want to think about answers to questions. She just wanted to here the story. Then, Little Munchkin suddendly piped up, "Because he didn't want Jesus to be king!" Awesome! My baby was tuned in to the details of the story! Sure she's heard it before, but no one had explained this particular aspect of the story to her to my knowledge. Based on her own understanding, she put two and two together and figured it out. I love it when my kids do that.

All in all, it was quite a cozy Christmas Eve day as far as I was concerned which is one of the reasons I wanted to post about it--to help me remember that it doesn't take much to make a memory. A very satisfying day indeed.