do what makes YOUR family happy. if you're happiest sitting on the floor having a picnic lunch while your older children get excited over their presents, do it!

my DH is very much a "traditional" kind of Christmas day - up at 6am, first (and ONLY) morning Crownie while cooking breakfast or putting lunch on if Christmas is at our house. then breakfast, presents, let the kids (my brothers kids) play with their new stuff, lunch, chill for a while to let it settle, and up to a friends for dinner (he is like DH's bro)

if we're going out, then it's a bit different. up, shower, into the car to my bro's place. brekkie and presents with him and his kids. if lunch is there, we keep chilling, if it's at my folks, we head around there. after lunch, if we're at bro's we chill while the kids play - if at the parents, we go back to bro's for a while, then home, and out for dinner

our biggest tradition as husband and wife is the fact we always stay up past midnight (even if it's only a minute) to wish each other a merry christmas. even if it's just us home, presents go under the tree.

after all that waffle - all i can say is make it perfect for your family. realistically speaking, your kids won't care what they eat. Santa has been, he's left them presents - that's the main bit. just enjoy your day, take food pressure off yourself, and be a happy family...


ooh, i almost forgot. until they "died" my DH had a pair of blue and white striped shorts he ONLY wore on Christmas day - and a mrs claus hat with the plaits on it. as you can imagine, i was devastated when they were too sick to be worn again...