Sjogren's Syndrome Support Group

I thought it might be fun to share some of our family traditions for the Christmas season.

At my house we: shop early in the day on Christmas Eve (people seem friendly by then), drink too much eggnog, open one present on Christmas Eve, buy presents for the pets, and visit as many family members as possible. Christmas day - we usually eat a big ham and all collapse in front of the tv watching movies.

How about the Christmas season at your house?

I am going to have to make new traditions this year because my hubby has a new job. He works really weird hours where he goes in at 6:00pm and works until 6:00am. I think he'll have to work both Christmas eve (night) and Christmas day (night). He'll get overtime for both days, I think, so it will be a heck of a pay check but it sure messes with celebrations.

So, I'll be doing Santa by myself which is no big deal, I've done that before. Then I'm going to have an early Christmas dinner so he can eat before he goes to work. I'm having my mom and oldest son and I'll invite my dad but he probably won't come. Then probably just crash around the tree with my kids.

We always go to my husbands family's house for christmas eve. They have a big feast, we play games and laugh. It's so much fun. On christmas morning we open gifts with our 2 kids then go next door to my parents house where the kids play with their toys and the adults make a huge breakfast with everything you could imagine. Then we all play with the toys and take naps. It's really fun. I kinda like christmas eve the best. I love my husband's family.

So, this is what I'm doing this Christmas. I don't know if it will be a new tradition or not but it is going to be a nice holiday.

My husband has to go to work at 6:00 on Christmas Eve so he'll miss out on some of it, a lot of it. My brother and his wife are having a get together Christmas Eve so my kids and I will go to their house and we'll eat way too much and exchange presents and have all kinds of fun. Except for my son who will be bored because there are no boys his age but he's starting to hang out with the men and watch football games or whatever sports they have on the widescreen tv.

Then the 3 of us will come home and open a present each. Hopefully they will go to sleep early...yeah, right...wishful thinking. I'm still going to play Santa even though no one believes in Santa because some of my presents are just unwrappable like sleds, a doll house and a skate board. I think they'll be thrilled. So, after they go to sleep I'll play Santa. I'll set my alarm for 2:00 just in case I fall asleep, too.

Then in the morning my husband will be home at 6:30 and that's probably about the time the kids will wake up. We'll open presents and play. I'm having an early dinner at 2:00 so my husband can eat before he goes to work at 6:00.

So, that's my Christmas this year. Some of it is tradition, some of it is new.

The last couple of years - now that the kids are grown - they start at their dad's and open presents - then they come to my house and we have our Christmas breakfast - Egg McMuffin's - then we open presents... although they do get their stockings before breakfast - and they MUST contain a Lifesavers Book and a Christmas ornament...

I loved your idea of pets even exchanging gifts. Since we have a couple new pets to our families, and we all drew names, I thought it would be fun if we borrowed your idea and had the pets draw names! My kids thought I was crazy, but they are going along with it. As a matter of fact, my dog drew my daughter's kitten...she put in a request for a new girlie-girl collar with a little bling-bling. I can tell this is going to be a hoot! I am thinking the grandkids are really going to get a kick out of this. Thanks for the idea, Bearlie!

Pets can be so much fun! It's nice to be able to relax with the family after too much Christmas food and look over at the pets contentedly chewing their new bone or loving their new bed and feel like all God's creatures get to participate. I hope you have a great Christmas!!

We did; I hope you did, also. Ahhh, a new bear! Love it.

I had a wonderful Christmas and I hope everyone else did. We have a 6 month old kitten who kept tearing up our tree and opening our presents. Then when we really did open our presents he had a ball tunnelling through all the paper. After a while he just "melted" from being so tired in the middle of all the mess and fell asleep. The kids were so happy with what they got I kept getting thank you's. I love giving. Who would have ever thought that I would love giving so much?