Christmas eve

 In the morning: Haircuts, cookie-baking, crepes with nutella for lunch, 
egg nog, sparkling cider,
kids making up songs about baby Jesus and Rudolph.
100% chance of snow in the weather forecast. Yep, 100.

Also? We sent the kids outside to clean up dead leaves before the snows came, and I'm thinking yardwork was a genius idea. It worked them, mellowed them out just enough so the rest of the day they were pleasantly, calmly excited. We totally avoided the "we're too excited to even be fun to be around" phenomenon. 
Going to have to remember that next year and have a big project to work them before the partying starts.

 Ellie renamed her bunny "Baby Jesus" and had me wrap him in "swaddling clothes."

Afternoon: Last minute gift-wrapping, listening to the Osmonds Christmas and Frank Sinatra, and making cookies for Santa, of course!

 With a little tasting here and there.

Evening: a candlelight dinner of chicken and broccoli alfredo, with plenty of martinellis. Then, picture taking (with two over-excited and over-wiggly kids,) pajamas, one present to open each, nativity reading, and setting out Santa's treats with some carrots for Rudolph.

 I made each of them a new blanket. 
Ellie gave me about twelve hugs and told me she just "loved it SO much." Nicholas declared that he's never going to use another blanket ever again.

 This is actually the best shot I got of them with the Santa cookies. WAY excited.

Amazingly, they were in bed and asleep by 7:45. Kent, recovering from a nasty cold, and I, almost 30 weeks pregnant, 

were more than happy to tuck ourselves in early after Santa visited.