How do you do YOUR Christmas?

[OceanPrincess]

Oh and forgot to add for presents with the ILs and cousins we are doing a Russian Kris Kringle, which means we buy one present, to the value of $20 I think we are going. Can be anything, wine, choccies, something naughty, something practical, vouchers... Whatever!

Then we draw straws to start... And the first person pulls a present at random. They choose a person to go second... And the second person picks a present and then gets the option to swap with #1. If #2 wants to swap, #1 has to swap! No choice!

Then #3 can swap with either 2 or 1, but only once. And so on! So the last person gets the pick of everything!!!

Negotiation always encouraged

[ladybird11]

Wow - you're all so lucky to have so many family and rellies to spend Xmas and Boxing day with. I'll be by myself with my kids on Xmas and Boxing Day as DH will be working.

I just want to make the day a special day for the kids.

[toomanyshoes]

I've always loved Christmas.

As a kid it was always breakfast with my Auntie who hated everyone else, then lunch at my nan and pops (mum parents) with everyone (15ish adults, 10 kids) and then I went to dads to have dinner with him and his mum. Such a busy busy day but I loved every minute of it.

Now we have the kids, we use to spend it with DH's family but after xmas '08 we will never ever again (one of the most awful days of my life and they unforgivably hurt my children).

Last year mum came to our place and this year we're going to hers (unless I convince her to come here, which is what we're hoping for)

As for traditions, always spend the day before cooking treats for santa with the kids and we always dress up even if we're staying at home.

This year I bought one of my friends 2 children, my mum and her partner, DH, the kids and myself, thats it. Might send something to my eldest Auntie.

My best ever Christmas was '03, I wanted to go home and spend it with my family but we couldn't afford it. So mum and dad paid for DH, DS and I to go home as our present. Mum and her partner couldn't make it back but we spent the day with all of mums side of the family plus my dad and his mum. I've never seen my father happier, we were at my Aunties place in the country and it was a magical beautiful day. Our DS was the only little kid at the time, first grand/great grandchild for both families and he had a wonderful day. 3 months later I lost my dad, I'm truly forever thankful we got to spend Christmas at home with him.

I'm not religious at all but just because I don't believe in a god doesn't mean I can't be thankful for what I have and celebrate life and everything worth living for at Christmas, for me it's about our children and seeing them believe in something and have a truly magical day that helps them to believe anything is possible.

[Jaycee]

Wow - you're all so lucky to have so many family and rellies to spend Xmas and Boxing day with. I'll be by myself with my kids on Xmas and Boxing Day as DH will be working.

I just want to make the day a special day for the kids.

That really sucks hun. Will you be seeing your dad and brother? I hope you can make it really special for the munchkins

As for me, DH's family all live interstate so we're not able to see them for xmas.

Last xmas eve we took DS up to the Lobethal lights, it's a little village in the hills and the majority of houses do their houses up in lights, it's really beautiful. I'd like to do that again this year, or at least look at some more local lights as it makes for quite a late night on xmas eve. I also love watching the carols on the tv at home with my family.

We start the day at home opening our presents, just DH, DS and myself. I usually cook bacon and eggs for brekky. Then we head over to mum's for xmas lunch, which is the whole big roast dinner, it's so delicious. Then we either go home for a bit of an afternoon snooze or snooze at mum's for the afternoon lol. At dinner time we usually go up to DH's step father's house which is a good 1.5 hours away and catch up with them.

So a very busy day, but very enjoyable too! Next year our house will be finished and I'll be hosting our first xmas!

[briggsy's girl]

i have an ideal Christmas, and what we actually have lol

Ideal Christmas - decorate the house (starting soon) - lights, huge tree, deco's everywhere. Santa photo for DD if we can manage it.
depending on DD's fascination with the lights, we'll go and look at some of the places here in town (some people go all out with yards you're encouraged to go into, fake snow etc)
Christmas Eve we will be here at home. Sopdet is coming over late, Santa will visit, we may have some stuff to assemble out in the yard, so we'll chill once DD goes to bed
Get up Christmas morning and let DD have some of her presents - not sure if she'll get all of them at once
Lunch with my family at my brothers house. (mum, dad, aunt, us, bro's family) - everyone happy and sharing the work
we do a family KK for the adults - the kids are open slather for people to buy for
after lunch, we'll likely head to the town we've just moved from to catch up with DH's bestie for a few drinks and let DD run wild in their back yard to burn off some energy

Actual Christmas - all that - except for the "everyone happy and sharing the work" - my bro has become a selfish twit lately. last Christmas was our turn to host Christmas so we decided rather than put all expense/work on one family (we had a 7 month old!) we'd divide the work, and just heat and eat kinda thing. my bro paid for stuff, but did bugger all - he turned up at nearly 1 (lunch was being timed for 1) with COLD food and we had to microwave it rather than cooking in the oven as it should have been. he then took the bulk of the leftovers (WE were the ones with zero income at the time) because "we're going away with friends, we can feed everyone". i think for so long they were the only one with kidsthey gott used to everything revolving around them and hate it that DD is here now and pedople expect them to pull their heads out of their butts and be a bit fairer!

[SugarDust]

My family does Christmas twice.

We do Christmas with mums side the weekend before Christmas. This involves my Nan & Pop, Aunty D & Uncle M, Aunty S & Aunty J, Uncle G & Aunty V, Mum & Dad, Aunty A & Uncle G, Uncle L & Aunty G, Cousin C & Cousin K, Cousin S & Cousin K, Cousin R, Cousin E, Cousin M & Cousin B, Cousin G, Cousin H, Cousin K, Cousin D, Cousin J, My sis & partner, My bro and fiance, DF, Master J, Master M, Master L, Cousin J and partner and myself!!! So 38+ people for lunch. We buy presents for all that are under 18 which is 7 this year. The adults do

A Russian Kris Kringle, which means we buy one present, to the value of $20. Can be anything, wine, choccies, something naughty, something practical... Whatever!

Then we draw a number out of a bowl to see who goes 1st... And the first person pulls a present at random. Then #2 goes ... And the second person picks a present and then gets the option to swap with #1 or keep it. If #2 wants to swap, #1 has to swap! No choice!

Then #3 can swap with either 2 or 1, and so on and so on! So the last person gets the pick of everything!!!

We also drink lots! w always have a punch bowl made up and drink until it's tim e to go except for the designated driver!!!

At 1st we were all against this type of KK but it is so fun seeing what people get even if they don't want/need it!

On Christmas day we have my side over! we do the big lunch with left overs for dinner and drink heaps while the kids run riot and play with all there toys!

We won't be doing anything with DFs side this year because they have pretty much disowned him!