Christmas Eve is also my favourite day of the year.
We usually have a slow paced morning - I will try to get the children to watch something with me - used to be CBeebies Panto but last year we watched Father Christmas the Raymond Briggs one which the youngest loved. So on the look out for something we can watch together this year. Then doing any last minute prep that we need to - usually that involves sorting the dining room table so it’s ready for hosting on Christmas Day and making sure the house is all tidy and ready for Santa Clause!
The past couple of years since I separated from the children’s dad, they’ve had an hour or so with him in the afternoon where they’ve gone to the park, that won’t happen this year so likely my parents will take them out.
I use the opportunity to move the presents from the various hiding places into the utility room and then lock the door ready for later that night.
We then dress up warm and walk across town to my aunties house where parents, aunties / uncles, cousins and their partners and cousins children all come together - this is usually madness and there’s 20 to 25 people all together for Christmas Eve buffet style tea, everyone usually brings something and my auntie who is a fabulous baker makes cakes and scones and lots of naughty treats! Couple of drinks and then a wander back home. If we drive rather than walk. No drinking, and I’ll drive the kids round afterwards to spot Christmas lights.
When we get home, their elf has left
, and he usually leaves a Christmas Eve box - this is something I was late to the trend of and went mad with a couple of years for it to get barely touched or used so now I use the things I would have put in the Christmas Eve box either on the 1st December with their advent calendars or the elf sometimes leaves small little treats ( a Malteser reindeer or a sticker book, that kind of thing). In the Christmas Eve box now we have Christmas PJs either for us all or just the children. I haven’t bought any for me yet this year just the children (Asda - I think they were £6 each and they have stamps on them with Christmas pictures on - navy blue and cream version of the same style for boy / girl) and then usually our night before Christmas book to read. Their reindeer food and a drink for us all to have - we have done hot chocolate for the children, glass bottles of Diet Coke for older daughter etc.
I will sometimes include a little treat for them to have - chocolate buttons or a giant Christmas chocolate coin. Slipper socks usually and possibly a small toy - we had wind up grinch toys one year which were a laugh!
After the excitement of opening this and usually some sadness because the elf has left we may watch something on TV or track Santa on NORAD to see where he is in the world.
Time for PJs on and then we sprinkle reindeer food outside, prep Santa plate with carrots and mince pie. Santa has a drink of whatever the children decide to leave him. We pop our Santa please stop here sign out into the garden and then hang stockings. We all climb into my bed and read our book before trying to settle the children down to sleep.
My parents will usually be here and they may prep for dinner the next day whilst I settle the children down. Once they’re asleep we’ve watched something festive on TV in the past and then sorted presents. They also go home and bring the presents from their house over (they always go mad!) and then we spend some time arranging gifts in the living room whilst panicking at every noise thinking the kids are awake
I feel all Christmassy now after typing that out… sorry it’s long! Xx
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), so I have been solo parenting our 8 week old and 2 year old all week. It all got a bit much today and I had a bit of a cry! Watched The Holiday this evening with some chocolate and it cheered me up a treat. 
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