…I went to bed at midnight, exhausted. Right after posting. Oh, and after:

• Going to three stores to find gray leggings in extra small (no luck, hopefully the mediums will fit)
• Making salsa, fudge, make-ahead mashed potatoes, peppermint candy brownies, stuffed mushrooms and various other finger foods
• Appreciating my mother-in-law who washed every dish I dirtied alongside me as I cooked
• Visiting a few friends
• Enjoying a “Bethlehem Dinner” (aka., carpet picnic) with six adults and six kids
• Enjoying a “Nativity Play” (quotes intentional) with five kids and one reluctant almost-teenager
• Enjoying much, much food and fudge
• Enjoying going around the room and sharing our favorite Christmas memories (this will become a new tradition–thank you, dad)
• Enjoying watching the kids open just one gift
• Enjoying some good adult chitchat after the kids went to bed
• Not so much enjoying my ultra-last minute run to Walgreens when I realized I’d completely forgotten to buy my kids their traditional ornaments and our family Christmas book this year.  Luckily, Walgreens provided (only store open until Christmas Eve.  Good to know.)  The ornament/book tradition was something I started years ago and have preserved mightily.  This year, I simply forgot.  Both of them.  Totally and completely spaced it.  Until at nine o’clock tonight, when Megan looked at me and said, “What about our ornaments and the book?”  I looked back at her and said, “We’re not doing them yet.”  She replied, “Why not?  Because you forgot?”  “No,” I lied.  “Because our relatives don’t have that tradition, and we don’t want to make them feel bad.”  She looked at me like I was a puddle of pathetic and I knew that she knew I was lying.  But isn’t that what Christmas is all about:  lying to your kids?  She’ll get over it.
• Enjoyed writing this post and wrapping up (literally) Christmas Eve.