Christmas Eve

T. Bone serious to get the show on the road...I mean aisle.

Waiting for all the kids to get their costumes on.

Miss Bit angeled up...just a normal day.

After the blessing of the crib.

After a beautiful mass that my in laws joined us for, we headed home to celebrate with Uncle B. and Aunt A.

Uncle B. is a huge kid at heart. This year he was most excited to give a matching set of boxing gloves to both T. Bone and hubby. Thankfully he didn't wrap up a punching bag too. They had the gloves on and were sparring straight away.

Awwww!

The big kids like Christmas too!

T. Bone appreciates cold, hard cash.

Uncle B. and Aunt A. even brought gifts for the cats. Here is Tigger the Reindeer.

Ho! Ho! Ho! From Santa Peanut.

Tuckered out after the fun.

It was a memorable Christmas Eve. T. Bone and Miss Bit were astonishingly patient while the presents multiplied under the tree as the day progressed. I remember raiding closets when I was my son's age so believe me when I say that I am incredibly impressed by his self-control. Somehow Miss Bit managed to poke a hole in one of her packages, and remarkably the hole grew larger as the day went on.

I think the whole family was looking forward to church. I was so grateful to catch most of the Christmas Concert after getting my shepherd and my angel prepared for their long trek to Bethlehem. The choir was beautiful and the carol choices were introspective and joyous. It was just what I needed. Mass didn't disappoint either even though I was a tad bit disappointed that Father T. was not presiding. I literally feel lifted up when we sing Joy to the World
during the exit hymn every year. It put a much needed spring in my step for the rest of the eve.

We came home to see that Santa came to deliver the first gifts of Christmas while we were at church. We missed him. He left a note apologizing for the obvious miscommunication as to our whereabouts with his eyes and ears, our very own elf...Fred. The kids were almost as much in awe as when he comes to the door himself. We served up some hot toddies in honor of Nanny for the adults and kiddie cocktails for the kids, and indulged their burgeoning desires to open some presents. Of course, Miss Bit poo pooed the present with the hole because at this point it was so gaping that she knew it was a Barbie spa.

Dinner was our traditional Christmas Eve fare also in honor of Nanny and if I dare toot our own horns...we are carrying on the tradition most honorably! Hubby's tenderloin was like butta (that's butter)...we didn't really even need the steak knives on the table. The wine that B. and A. brought was true nectar of the Gods...I enjoyed every sip. The sides also didn't disappoint. We were all satisfied if not satiated. Well...except for T. Bone and Miss Bit who were still hungry for more presents.

So we unwrapped and unwrapped and unwrapped. We played with the new loot for a bit and then the kids (and big boys) were anxious to get to bed so Santa could come. We put out the cookies made specially for Mr. C. on our special plate, filled a mug with milk and tucked them in. We girls filled our wine glasses and visited into the wee hours.

After B. and A. left and hubby went to bed, I stayed up for a little longer. I sat in front of my tree and I had a little talk with my Mom...it is after all tradition. She used to have a Christmas conversation with her Dad after the rest of the house was asleep when we were kids every Christmas Eve. I'd been anticipating those precious moments all day long...they didn't disappoint.