what do you do on christmas eve?

[cherrymonster]

my dad always used to take us kids (me, db and dsis) for a long walk up the local hill to keep us out of the way so mm could get stuff done. i would love to be able to do this with my kids, but i am a single parent, and my brother is disabled and couldnt cope on a long walk with all four kids. looking for ideas that will keep the kids either occupied upstairs, or out of the house so i can get things done.

Shopping. I love shopping on Christmas Eve.

Meet DP for a drink in Cheltenham.

Do all the prep for the christmas dinner. Par boil spuds, cut up carrots, prep and par boils sprouts, make red cabbage, make mashed swede, make stuffing, make pigs in blankets, make gravy, make mince pies, boil a ham.

All while I am doing this a saucepan of mulled wine is on the go and I drink that interspersed with amaretto.

DD now helps me with the cooking as she has got the cooking bug - last year she made a yule log (we got in each other's way but still).

DP probably is snoozing on the sofa at this point.

In the evening watch a film, then send DD to bed and I wrap all the presents and arrange them under the tree.

i'm getting all excited thinking about it now. i think i prefer xmas eve to the big day itself.

Me too, me too!

During the day I usually get shouted out by irate parents because how dare I not have the toy in stock that they want to buy their precious child and I have ruined their Christmas. Also get chatted up by drunken uncles/godfathers/brothers/fathers, that have stumbled out of the pub late in the afternoon to buy presents.
Then once I finally get home I snuggle in front of the TV with DS, drink baileys, and once DS and DD are in bed I do last minute wrapping and set the presents out.

I never venture out shopping on Christmas Eve. If I haven't got it yet I can live without it. I make meringues and tiramisu for Christmas dessert as nobody really appreciates trifle. We go to children's Mass which is usually around 6, come home and have a big meal, usually something easy in the Italian line, then open gifts from family, grandparents, etc., during the evening. We leave out a little something for Santa to imbibe, and reindeer sparkles outside for the reindeer.

When they've finally gone to bed I get the 'Santa' stuff out from where I have it stashed, do any assembly required (this can sometimes take more time than I expected ) and arrange it under the tree (I don't wrap Santa gifts; I'm no good for anything after two glasses of wine), fill the stockings, and fall into bed until about 5 am.

Meet my sister and her 2 DCs, go take flowers to Mums grave, find cafe to have lunch, then do last bits of shopping before going home to get shloshed with DH.

Ooooh i love christmas eve!

DH works on christmas eve so it is just me and DD, and DD2 now too :)
I start buying presents in september so it doesn't take me as long (ive done 6 people up to now out of the 16 i have to buy for) and wrap them all early december. I do the food shop early dec too so this means DD's and i can spend christmas day in the house together :) Obv send DH out for fresh bits xmas week sometime. (i don't do well in crowds which is another reason i start early!)

On chistmas eve I always light some of those mulled wine smelling candles so the house smells lovely and christmassy. Heating on full as it is usually cold :) Really cosy. DD and I spend the day baking biscuits or cakes and decorating them, making paper chains and other decs, watching christmassy films and playing board games. Then i usually potter around making the house all tidy and clean, checking over and over my 100's of lists of what i should be doing, to make sure ive done it and generally just sitting around with DD getting excited about the big day!

For tea DD will have pizza (her fave) and have a nice bath with bubbles. We get into our new PJ's and wait for DH to get home. Then we sit and watch a film together with hot choc and sweeties :)

DD goes to bed at 7 as normal and then DH and i order a takeway and open the baileys :) We watch some tv and then head to bed around 11ish.

Oh how i love christmas!!!! I can't wait.
I guess it may be a bit different this year as we will have DD2 who will be almost 1yo..so maybe should add in some "pull DD2 away from the tree AGAIN" in there somewhere

I hope you have managed to get some good ideas from this thread OP, whatever you do, have fun! :)