My family always celebrates Christmas a day early, with Christmas Eve on the 23rd and Christmas day being celebrated on the 24th. It has worked out really nicely in the past because it allows everyone to celebrate the holidays together. Being in Utah made it a little harder for the older kids to see Travis on Christmas. We had agreed to send the kids out to Fresno where Travis was living for Christmas and we would celebrate when they got home.
As Christmas got closer, the kids didn't want to spend Christmas away from home and I was missing my family. We decided a week before the kids were supposed to leave, that we would head out to California too and celebrate with my family a day early like usual, so we could all be together.
Jessica, being the most sentimental of the kids, had a really hard time with the idea of not being home for Christmas. She loves waking up to her own Christmas tree, with just our family, going through their stockings and opening presents together. All the kids agreed that it just wouldn't feel like Christmas at home and asked if we could celebrate Christmas early. School was out on Wednesday and we were supposed to leave early Thursday morning. There wasn't really any time to celebrate Christmas before we left. The kids had school and Jason had work. Trying to squeeze it in wouldn't feel like Christmas either.
They suggested we do it on Sunday. Church doesn't start until 1 PM so we wouldn't be rushed and being a Sunday it would feel like Christmas anyway. It was Thursday. The 13th of December. Guess how ready I was for Christmas? I had done some online shopping and had been out shopping a few times, but I wasn't ready for Christmas. The kids said they didn't care if they didn't get very many presents, they just wanted to be home for Christmas.
So, we kicked into full Elf mode! Most of the kids had already been out to buy presents for their siblings with their own money and were excited to see each other open them. I went out and did a little more shopping. The kids helped wrap presents and baked cookies for Santa (oatmeal raisin is Santa's favorite. Mrs Clause likes oatmeal chocolate chip, so we made some of both.).
Saturday night, there was a knock on the door. We asked Ashlyn and Lauren to get it for us. When they opened the door, there was a big Santa bag with Christmas pajamas inside and a note from the Elf of Christmas Eve saying that Santa knew we would be out of town for Christmas and had made special arrangements to visit them tonight!
I have to explain the Christmas Eve elf. Years ago, as I was getting ready for Christmas and wrapping presents, I wrote Christmas Eve on the labels of the kids Christmas pajamas so I wouldn't get them mixed up with the other presents. We always go to my parent's house on Christmas Eve and I knew we would be getting home late. I put the presents with the kids pajamas on their beds before we left for them to open when we got home. When they saw Christmas Eve written on the label, one of them, I don't remember who, was so excited to get a present from the Christmas Eve elf that we decided to just go with it! They have been finding wrapped pajamas on their beds from the Christmas Eve Elf every year since then.
Ashlyn and Paige were very excited about the Santa bag and the early visit from Santa. They opened their pajamas and asked if they could use the cookies Jessica had just made to put out for Santa. It was so fun to see her so excited and see the big kids play along. This was Lauren's first year of having to pretend. :(
They put out the cookies and Ashlyn made sure we didn't forget the milk! Everyone scampered off to bed.
I went up a few minutes later to check on the sleep progress and was surprised to find off the kids in Jessica's room with their blankets and pillows. I asked what was going on and they all looked at me like I was crazy. "It's tradition. All the girls sleep in my room on Christmas Eve. When Paige gets a little bigger she can sleep in here too." How did I miss this one? Then I remembered how it started.
Jessica and Lauren shared a room when they were little. When we moved Lauren into her own room downstairs, she would sleep upstairs in Jessica's room on Christmas Eve so all the kids could come down together Christmas morning. Ashlyn would always fall asleep faster if someone was with her. In an effort to "hurry and go to bed so Santa could come", Jessica had Ashlyn sleep with her. As Ashlyn got a little older, they were worried she would sneak out see the Christmas tree first because her room was right at the top of the stairs, so they all slept together. Now, their rooms are all right next to each other, but they had grown to love the tradition of all sleeping in the same room on Christmas Eve. I love that they love tradition!
We were done much earlier than in years past. There were very few bows on the packages and not as many presents under the tree, but we were home.
We took our traditional Christmas morning picture in their pajamas with their bed head.
They couldn't wait to find the presents they had bought for each other. Lauren bought Paige this cute shopping cart with play food.
Austin got an umbrella for Lauren.
Jessica gave Lauren an Orbies globe she had been wanting.
Lauren was excited to give Ashlyn a little girl Barbie and a Barbie outfit for her other dolls.
Jessica gave Paige a walking puppy so she would quit stealing Ashlyn's.
Lauren gave Jessica a couple of movies. She is taking after Grandpa and starting her own collection.
Austin got another skateboard dec. In true teenage form, he barely moved from this spot on the couch while we all opened presents.
I loved how everyone was so excited to help and watch Paige open presents and how nobody was concerned with what they got or didn't get. They were excited to give and happy to be together.
Victory!
