What does your Christmas morning look like...

[jgenie]

For the past few years, DH & I have been on our own for Christmas (we live in a different state from both families). We used to travel for the holidays, but 3 years ago we took back our holiday and have been spending leisurely Christmas' on our own. We get up late have an unhurried breakfast, shower, change and open gifts sometime in the afternoon. Now that DS has arrived, we'll be doing things a bit differently. I'll be preparing breakfast Christmas Eve after we go to mass in the early evening. We'll just pop it in Christmas morning. What does your typical Christmas schedule look like? Gifts first? Breakfast first? Stockings then breakfast? Has it changed as your kids have gotten older?

[JTsMom]

DS hasn't started the waking up early thing yet, but we get up and do gifts/coffe/hot chocolate first. Stockings happen whenever. Usually it's a mass frenzy of unwrapping. We deal with food after that.

[g-mama]

Our kids are up around 6am (ugh) and are ready to start unwrapping right away. We drag ourselves out of bed and make coffee and then start exchanging gifts. We're typically done by 8 or so and then I make breakfast and we eat. The kids play with their toys while dh and I shower and get ready for Mass and we drive an hour away to MIL's house and go to Mass with the IL's and the cousins, etc. at noon.

The first scenario you described (pre-kids) sounds delightful! I forgot that Christmas used to be like that once upon a time! :)

[SnuggleBuggles]

I have had a rule of 8am on Christmas morning but unfortunately the boy cheats. :) Santa leaves gitfs unwrapped but I think that will change last year b/c I missed his initial excitement because he had already seen his big present.

After 8am we open stockings then our little family opens presents. Shortly after we are done with that my family arrives for brunch and more presents. Then, we get dressed and go over to my ILs for round 3 presents and dinner. I would love to spread this out more but no one is willing to go along with that yet.

I make my family come over now so we have a bit of time just to lounge in PJs. I prep brunch the night before and we go to church on Christmas eve so if it weren't for going to the ILs we would hang out at home all day.

Beth

[lizajane]

this is our first year EVER being at our own home for Christmas. and yes, i am disapointed, not pleased. we are usually at my parents house with my sister, BIL and brother. and as of last year, nephew. i am heartbroken to miss out on my nephew's first "aware" Christmas, as last year he was only 5 months old.

we will do the same thing here, i am sure:

kids wake us up.
we all go downstairs together. going down without mom and dad is strictly forbidden.
santa leaves gifts unwrapped in certain "spots" in the room for each kid. (we will use the anywhere chairs with their names on them.)
play with santa gifts...
eat something.
open stockings.
open gifts, in order from youngest to oldest one at a time.
clean up, rest, eat lunch, etc.

since my DH is in india for his brother's wedding, and he and his parents will be returning the same day, i will not be making a large meal for christmas eve or christmas. i may pick up a honeybaked ham and some rolls and a fruit tray or something easy.

[AngelaS]

Here, dh gets up early to mix up the cinnamon rolls and then blasts music to wake the rest of us up around 5 or 6. ROTFL!

We do stockings, bake the rolls, open gifts, play, eat the rolls along with some eggs, play, eat more rolls, take naps and eat more rolls.

(Can you tell I LOVE that dh makes my mom's cinnamon rolls for Christmas?? It's the only time all year he makes them so we're usually rather sick of them by afew days after Christmas when we finish them all!)

Christmas is also my oldest's birthday so after naps we have a surf and turf supper followed by birthday cake and presents. :)

[bubbaray]

Stockings first, then presents -- possibly not all of the presents, then breakfast then more presents if Mommy has been bad and gone overboard. LOL. At some point, I have to put the cook-from-frozen Butterball turkey in the oven and start the other Christmas feast items.

I did a nice breakfast last year, but it wasn't that much of a hit that I'm gonna do it again. Probably just our same-old same-old breakfast. DD#2 is allergic to eggs, so that means most CHristmas breakfast items are out anyway.

[hellokitty]

The kids will crash into our room and wake us up by bouncing around in our bed.

We'll all go downstairs (I'll probably send DH ahead with the camcorder to get the kids entering the room where the tree and presents are).

The kids will open gifts. DH and I will get frustrated with all the excessive packaging from the toys, this will mean me breaking out heavy tools to CUT those stupid twisty ties. DH will be ready with his screwdriver to install any batteries that may be needed. Also, we'll do the stockings too.

We'll have breakfast.

DH and I will zone out on the sofa while the kids play with their new toys.

[pinkmomagain]

The kids will crash into our room and wake us up by bouncing around in our bed.

We'll all go downstairs (I'll probably send DH ahead with the camcorder to get the kids entering the room where the tree and presents are).

The kids will open gifts. DH and I will get frustrated with all the excessive packaging from the toys, this will mean me breaking out heavy tools to CUT those stupid twisty ties. DH will be ready with his screwdriver to install any batteries that may be needed. Also, we'll do the stockings too.

We'll have breakfast.

DH and I will zone out on the sofa while the kids play with their new toys.

The kids are usually up BEFORE 6am, but I insist on no opening presents until 6am.

[mdb78]

Growing up it was stockings, presents, then breakfast. Looking back, if my parents tried to make my brother and I eat before all the presents were open, I don't think that would've been successful.

With dh and I (before dd), it was pretty much the same ritual.

Last year was dd's 1st Christmas. We ate breakfast, then did the stockings and presents. It will most likely be like that this year, and until dd starts getting excited about presents and Christmas morning.

[pastrygirl]

My in-laws are always here (including BILs), so we can't exactly do Christmas the way I'd like. I'm the only one who goes to Mass (at 10am), so we have to work around that. Our guests are late risers so we can't do anything early. I'm a TOTAL morning person and want to get started at 7am! As a kid, we opened our presents at 4am (without my parents). I absolutely LOVED that tradition and even continued it in college.

This year we're going to try doing the stockings early, whenever Toby wakes up (7:30 or 8am), and whoever is up can join us. Otherwise we're doing it without them. I already baked a few cranberry-apple breads for breakfast that I'll thaw on the counter the night before. We'll have breakfast, then Toby and I will go to Mass, and then we'll come back and open gifts. We'll get started on the big ham lunch, eat at around 1 or 2pm, eat the tens of thousands of cookies I've made, and then hopefully I'll get to snooze all afternoon. :D

ETA: I'm hoping to someday see a 7am Christmas in pajamas. I'm quickly losing hope that that will ever happen...

[KrisM]

We get up at a normal time, which is about 6 or 6:30, unfortunately. We all go down together. Santa has 1 unwrapped gift per kid and the rest of the Santa stuff is with that gift. We then sort the other gifts and take turns opening presents. The kids get more turns more often, of course.

At some point, we take a break and have something to eat or drink, but not breakfast. We get breakfast about 8am and after that we do stockings.

We have always gone to my parents after all this at about noon. DS1 says he wants to go this year, but it wouldn't surprise me if he changes his mind. They can bring a toy, but not everything. I am sure soon, he'll not want to go and that will be fine. We celebrate on Christmas Eve with my family, so Christmas Day is extra.

[LarsMal]

We alternate every other year with my fam or DH's. What we do depends on where we are. This year we will be at my house- my parents, brothers, and my older brother's girlfriend will be here.

Christmas Eve the kids will open their Christmas pillow case, which will have their Christmas PJs in it. We'll wake up whenever- probably around 8. Make our way downstairs where we'll open gifts first, then stockings. We'll probably have brunch around 10 or 11, then my bro and girlfriend will leave. My aunt/uncle/cousins/cousin-in-law are coming for a late lunch/early dinner. We won't exchange gifts with them. Just a relaxing dinner. Usually we would be going to my mom's sister's house for Christmas with the "big" family, but we put that off until Friday this year. I'm looking forward to a "relaxing" Christmas- just 15 of us for Christmas Dinner!

[jgenie]

Christmas Eve the kids will open their Christmas pillow case, which will have their Christmas PJs in it.

I saw this mentioned on another thread. Is it the same pillowcase every year or do they get a new pillowcase every year? Do you make them or buy them?

[fortato]

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g278/kristenkotrlik/008.jpg
This is what it LOOKS like...

We get up, or I just get out of bed, I am always too excited to sleep...
My mom makes breakfast (since my dad died, she spends Christmas with us)... or she starts breakfast- kielbasa, coffee, and whatever cookies are left over from the party the night before.

Then we sort the presents and start unwrapping.

Then, I fall asleep on the couch...

It's that night that is insane- we pack up to drive to Ohio on the 26th. Ugh.

[JTsMom]

Awww, cute pic! :)

[lizajane]

The kids will crash into our room and wake us up by bouncing around in our bed.

We'll all go downstairs (I'll probably send DH ahead with the camcorder to get the kids entering the room where the tree and presents are).

The kids will open gifts. DH and I will get frustrated with all the excessive packaging from the toys, this will mean me breaking out heavy tools to CUT those stupid twisty ties. DH will be ready with his screwdriver to install any batteries that may be needed. Also, we'll do the stockings too.

We'll have breakfast.

DH and I will zone out on the sofa while the kids play with their new toys.

thank you for the awesome reminder to have heavy duty scissors and batteries and screwdrivers ready to use!!!!!

[BeachBum]

We wake up at our usual time (6:30) and stay upstairs snuggling until 7am like usual. Any relatives that are in town (my parents live here for example) are welcome to come over at 7. We will not wait for them, or be hurt of they don't come (they always do),but if they want to see the Santa excitement then they are welcome on our terms. Our rule is that you can not shower and you must wear PJs. We kick you out when the gifts are opened. :)

Santa usually leaves the "big" and/ or any cumbersome presents unwrapped. But wraps all his other gifts in red and white striped paper. This year the santa gifts will be poking out of the PBK santa sack. http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/7032519/index.cfm?clg=14&bnrid=3580801&cm_ven=FRU&cm_cat=Shopping&cm_pla=Datafeed&cm_ite=All%20Products

Santa often keeps toys in the box for wrapping purposes, but often he has opened all the boxes first, and undone all the clasps and packaging, put batteries in and fully assembled anything he can.

We let DS dictate how/ what gifts get opened when. But we do it orderly. One gift at a time...fully opened, inspected, perhaps even played with a bit before moving on to the next one.

We always have a nice breakfast spread. Usually something sweet with coffee early, then a savory casserole later in the morning. We do not go to the table to eat. Just help yourself whenever you feel like it.

Mom and Dad wait to open their gifts to each other until all family gone.

[klwa]

I try to keep it similar to how it was growing up. When DS wakes up, he can open his stocking, but not presents. After the whole house is up, we do presents, then it's into the kitchen for me to fix pancakes & sausage for us & IL's if they want to come over for breakfast. The rest of the day is just kind of laying around. (Quite possibly not changing out of PJs the whole day.)

[AngelaS]

Santa often keeps toys in the box for wrapping purposes, but often he has opened all the boxes first, and undone all the clasps and packaging, put batteries in and fully assembled anything he can.




I started opening and prepping all our toys a few years ago this way and it's SO insanely helpful and worth the extra time!

[LarsMal]

I saw this mentioned on another thread. Is it the same pillowcase every year or do they get a new pillowcase every year? Do you make them or buy them?

Same pillow case every year. We grew up doing this, so my mom has all the cases- she definitely bought them. I have been trying to find some for my kids, but everything I've found is flannel, and I just want cotton. I think I've finally convinced my mom we (my siblings and I) have outgrown the tradition and it's time to pass the cases along!

[wolverine2]

Very similar to how I grew up. DS is allowed to open his stocking as soon as he gets up, but then we wait till everyone else gets here for gifts (this year it's my parents, MIL, brother and SIL... too big- I may set an 8am deadline for getting there or starting without you). We then open gifts one at a time, and maybe take a break for breakfast depending on how many gifts there are. Growing up we sometimes extended it all morning, and loved it that way. Breakfast is always cinnamon rolls and an egg casserole, and we light candles and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus, and read the nativity story. Then we all play with our toys...

[SnuggleBuggles]

Shoot. In years past I have prepped toys but forgot this year. I wonder if I should unwrap presents and do that or not. Thanks for the reminder. I'll prep the remaining presents!

Beth

[brittone2]

We assemble what we can in advance. DS is getting a little Playmobil gas station and we're relatively new to Playmobil. It took my DH quite a bit of time (and he's quite handy!) to assemble all of those tiny pieces with his big man hands LOL. I'm mostly caught up on wrapping (first time in a while with kids) so that will help on Christmas Eve.

DD is getting some big stuff that I am not bothering to wrap (although we generally wrap everything). Her doll high chair and cradle will just have a big old bow on them. I wrap everything in the same paper...no "Santa" paper mainly because I'm afraid I'll get caught if I try using separate papers ;) DH grew up with separate Santa paper, but I did not. I tell DS Santa just uses whatever the family has around the house.

My kids are kind of nightowls and late risers (they got up at 11am this morning!). When they get up will depend on whether DD napped the day before and when she went to bed the night before. My parents usually come over in the a.m. pretty early to see the kids open gifts. DH usually gets stuff ready downstairs (coffee on, tree lights on, breakfast casserole getting heated up, etc.) and the kids stay upstairs until we're ready. I often shower really quickly while the kids are waiting, mostly because if I don't do it then, I find it hard to fit it in!. For whatever reason, so far the kids don't mind, but in the future I might not get away with that LOL!! We sometimes do stockings first, sometimes last. I basically follow DS's lead on that. We open presents together. DS and DD will probably open their stuff at the same time...I don't imagine they'll be taking turns or anything (DD is newly 2). I may give DS a "treasure hunt" for one or two of his gifts...he's been enjoying doing that with our Advent calendar (he likes a "map" and then tries to find where we hid the item). He said something recently about doing it for Christmas too, so I might have to oblige. Mommy will consume several mimosas and some excellent coffee during breakfast and present-opening :)

Our original plan was appetizer type stuff all day long, but now my ILs are coming in from out of state later in the day (3-4pm). So now we're doing appetizers for their arrival and I'll be cooking dinner about the time they show up. I'm trying to plan out all of my prep for the 23rd and 24th so a lot of stuff will be pre-chopped, etc. and easier to pull together. I was kind of looking forward to a really relaxing Christmas day, but now it looks like it will be kind of chaotic. Oh well, we'll make it fun ;)