Christmas Eve!

'Tis the night before Christmas!  We are in Missouri spending the week with The Wife's family for the first time.  Here's the rundown of what has happened so far today:

• Had pancake breakfast with so many wee niece and nephew types!

• Watched fresh snow fall beautifully, and the kids excitedly get in their snowclothes and run out to play.

• Took a Walmart (etc.) run with the brother-in-law and his Santa hat-wearing 1.5-year-old daughter for some last-minute presents.  We had a great chat about society and iPods and modern parenting and running. 

• Had a delicious lunch of Reuben sandwiches.

• Wrapped Julie's presents and added them to the pile under the tree while talking to the sister-in-law (brother-in-law's wife) about our respective family traditions.

• Tried to make friends with some sassy household felines. (I'm getting there.)

• Played "Balter" with the kids (they had watched Balto earlier that day.  My part was Boris, the goose).

• Had an awesome, festive buffet dinner, which included ham, French onion soup, fruit and vegetables, a meat, cheese and cracker tray, clams and oysters, cranberry juice, and egg nog.

• Was dogpiled violently and mercilessly by three kids under the age of six.  I was laughing so hard.

• Watched and participated in the Christmas Eve program, which included musical numbers, a reading from The Friend, a viewing of Luke II, setting up the porcelain crèche, a live (brief) Nativity, a couple rounds of Telephone at William's insistence, trying not to fall asleep (still recovering from our late arrival last night) during a reading of the Christmas story from the New Testament (though the little ones made sure I didn't nod off), and playing Christmas songs on the piano while the kids put on their new pajamas and made ready for bed.  (I should mention here that Julie played a duet with me.  *sigh*)

• Had an impromptu photo shoot with Julie in front of the Christmas tree.  She was exceedingly fierce and really worked her angles.  I was similarly smoldering.

• Opened an early Christmas present from a six-year-old nephew (an envelope containing sixteen cents in change).

• Currently watching It's a Wonderful Life with the in-laws while Julie gets in some girl-talk time with her sister in the other room and people make final preparations for the morning, and getting ready to put on the pajamas Mom sent along with us.

I love Christmas Eve.

(Consider this my Annual Christmas Eve Journal Write, Melody.)