The Christmas' of Years Passed.

I remember Christmas as a kid being a 2 day event. We all arrived to whomever's house on Christmas Eve and made cookies and treats. Once we even did a skit where I happily played Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and my cousins were the other reindeer (I think) and we arrived from the hallway and entered the living room. All with rediculous looking outfits. Santa would magically arrive in the early evening to ask the children what we wanted for Christmas and give a small gift. Once I was older I learned that it was really my Grandpa helping Santa out. There was a lot of eating, drinking and laughing and occasionally a friend would swing on by for a few minutes for a drink and the festivities just carried on and on. These days are a little different. My 2 oldest boys either arrive early in the morning on Christmas day from their Dads house or I am sending them to go away with their Dad. Christmas Eve is a lovely dinner with extended (non blood) family with a white elephant type gift exchange. Christmas morning is usually jammies with my Mother and Father in-law and off they go to take a ferry boat home before it gets too late. I do enjoy our Christmas festivities but feel that it's time to try to recreate what I had as a child. Maybe my kids will go along with it when I'm a grandma. Until then, I can try to make some small adjustments to fulfill my family gathering needs.