Christmas Eve at Our House

When my children were little I found out early that I had to find a way to distract them from the upcomming Christmas festivities. How to keep everything in order, get all the last second things completed...I decided that one of the prerequesets would have to be that it was a family event, everyone participates. I hit on cookies, everyone loves to decorate cookies, (and if they don't, they better learn). So for years, we have gathered together on Christmas Eve to sing carols, sometimes have a reading of the Christmas story, and in the midst of mulit colored icings, colored sugar, and sprinkles, masterpieces are created. This is still the practice in my house, now my grandchildren are making cookies, we have even expanded the participants to friends of the family who would otherwise spend their Christmas Eve alone. Here are some of the results of this years gathering. Oh, yeah, after the cookie baking, all the kiddies open 2 gifts, these are always a new pair of jammies to wear to bed, and a stuffed animal to snuggle while they wait for Santa. Then they are all sent off til Christmas morning, when all return for the great gift exchange, all wearing their new Christmas jammies.