Outline your Christmas day

[WipsGlitter]

There's me DH and two DSs. Kids get up early for Santa then play for a bit while we go back to bed. Get up, breakfast and then it sort of feels like we're hanging about until it's time to go to my sisters - around12.

We're there for an hour then back for lunch. The rest of the day is fine TV, wine, snooze etc.

It's just that early morning but that seems a bit flat. We don't go to church and wouldn't have the neighbours in for drinks or anything like that (I'd love to do that but am too scared no one would come!)

We could maybe go for a walk if it was nice weather. Or go to my sisters earlier.

Any ideas?!

Pj day here

Stocking at 7am or earlier if dd2 refuses to go back to bed.
Breakfast at 8ish
Tree presents 8.30 ish
Kids then play whilst I pick up rubbish, help unbox/build/put batteries in things.
Lunch at 1ish
Pop to my mums for an hour at 3ish
Come home, pj’s back on and watch rubbish tv and eat chocolate.

How do people with families fit in a walk on Christmas day? Do you eat very early? By the time we have finished eating it is dark. Before eating is taken up with breakfast, present opening, coffee, cooking.

We go early after opening presents and bacon sandwiches if it’s just us and the kids, we have lots of green spaces near us so doesn’t take long to get somewhere. Last year we had people for dinner - we ate at 2 and managed to take the kids to a local green for an hour to play with new Remote Control Car. Came back in dark ready for pudding!

We usually have something every year that is an outside thing to get us out - skateboard or scooter, car last year, it will be a new football this year probably.

We eat early evening so time for a walk before the feast - I would prefer to walk afterwards (to avoid that bloated feeling) but it is too dark.

Up at 5am DC 8 & 10 open stockings in our room.
Breakfast/chocolate for the kids, coffee for me.
Leave for work at 6:30.
Kids/DH collect me from work at 3.
Home, PJs, wine, cheeses and biccies oh, and the kids get to open their presents finally.

We start with stockings on our bed, then downstairs for a few presents. We usually take a break for breakfast, then back to open more presents. The children alternate between playing and opening gifts, which sort of continues on until 11ish. We then tend to dress and play all together, before sitting down to lunch.

In the afternoon we’ll usually play, maybe go for a walk etc, then the kids will have a light tea and we’ll play Christmas pass-the-parcel. When they’re tired, we’ll do the usual bedtime routine, before settling down for an evening of board games.

Me and my brother normally get up at half 8 my dad comes round to see us then when he leaves my mam and nana get up we open presents around 9am then dinner at 12pm and the rest of the day is just on the couch with a tub of sweets and the telly. THEN it's the same on boxing day

Wake up do stockings downstairs for cup of tea/ milk and a bit of Nutella Xmas tree

Let kids play with stocking fillers whilst we shower etc.

Breakfast - this year salmon and scrambled eggs with buck fizz

Under tree presents- we do this slowly, boys play as they go

Face time relatives

Put lunch on (cook meal for two with a few added veg feeds the 4 of us)

More presents

Lunch around 1530

Some Xmas TV

We relax boys play

They can have a snack before bed if they want we send boys to bed around 7.30-8 then we slob and eat cheese and nibbles

Kids bring their stockings through to our bed when they wake up.

My parents usually stay over so we then wake them and stick the kettle on.

Present opening once teas and coffees are made.

They rest of the day the kids play with all the grandparents. Mil and her do arrive and join in the fun.

Dh and I slope off to the kitchen with our spreadsheet and become boozy chefs.

Boardgames, phonecalls from my siblings, working out new tech, etc.

I can't bloody wait.

Up at whatever time DS (3) wakes up at, probably around 7.30.

Downstairs for Santa present opening for DS, then DH and I will open our gifts from each other.

Quick brekkie of cereal/toast/scrambled egg/juice and then up to get washed/dressed and put on our Christmas jumpers.

DSD (19) will pop in around 10.30 and open her gifts, Mil/Fil/Sil/Bil/nephew will call in around same time and exchange more gifts.

They all leave around noon and we start to prep veg (turkey done overnight),quick tidy before my parents, dbro and his fiancée arrive for Christmas lunch.

More gift exchanging and then we all sit down for the traditional lunch.

After that, everyone sits down to recover before making their way home around 4.30/5pm.

Probably give DS some dinner, bath and bed routine then DH and I slouch in front of the tv until bedtime!

Boxing Day is totally chilled, just the three of us!

DC 11 & 13 awake around 7-8 come into our room for stocking opening

Follow jelly bean trail downstairs to Santa’s gift

Open that to oohs and aahs

Laze in bed a bit, stick the oven on, get up & dressed. Toast some panettone for breakfast, make some nice coffee.

Eat breakfast together at table around 9.30-10

Children chill out for a bit, I potter in kitchen prepping lunch

My parents arrive around 11

Smoked salmon nibbles and fizz around 12.30-1

Lunch around 2.30-3. Crackers and Pass The Penguin

DH and my parents wash up

Then open presents. DC sort them from under tree into areas for people to open them. Take it in turns lots of oohs and aahs takes forever love it

Watch some telly, play a game - have Dobble and Obama Llama this year

Put food out for supper - just to graze if people want it mince pies etc

Me and DH.

I get up, make Christmas breakfast - treacle-cured bacon rolls. Take presents up to bed and open presents. DH makes mokka coffee. Phone parents.

Get up when feel like it and put on oven. Watch old films all day while roasting duck + veg. Christmas pudding on in corner.

When ready reheat stuff made day before - red cabbage, bread sauce, cranberry etc and serve. Drink lots of wine. Muck about.

Collapse for a bit. DH does dishes.

Eventually feel like having pudding. Attempt to turn out of basin, probably fail. Ceremonial lighting of pudding. Serve with brandy butter, cream + more drinks.

Watch TV, bed.

Normally we get up at about 9am (DC are 11 and 13) and open presents (I get up slightly earlier to stick the turkey in and go back to bed), have a small breakfast then get showered and dressed and have a quick tidy up before family arrive, spend hours drinking prosecco while sweating in the kitchen, eat about 1 then everyone buggers off at around 6 and we spend the evening relaxing.

This year we're in New York so we'll get up when we wake up, open presents then go and find somewhere to have a small breakfast, after that we're going to Rockfeller Centre to look at the view from the Top of The Rock, lunch is at a lovely Italian restaurant, will have a wander after that (maybe the park) then we have a bus tour in the early evening and we'll find somewhere for a small dinner. I can't bloody wait!