It's Christmas Day, the presents are opened, now what?

[kkmcan]

Thats how we do Christmas as well- nice and slow. Kids wake us up but it has to be at least 6:30. No super early risers. NO one is to go downstairs by themselves. I HAVE to see the looks on their faces with the tree piled up with presents and the stockings full!

Kids are allowed to open their stockings and go thru them while I get the coffee going. We slowly start by passing out one gift to each person. We try to open one at a time but that doesn't always happen. So dh and I hold onto ours while the kids open so we can pay attention to their reactions. We do a round or two of gifts and then we stop so I can get breakfast going. Usually eggs, pancakes, hashbrowns and bacon. Sometimes I will just do cinnamon rolls. We eat, watch some tv. Clean up and then start the next round of gifts. Opening presents usually takes all morning. Then we play with whatever new board games, video games etc until its time to shower and head to the inlaws house. We are over there pretty much all afternoon and then get home around 5ish and everyone is so eager to start playing with new items again.

Sometimes its hard to tear ourselves away from our fun! We love this relaxing family fun morning. Whenever we have a lazy morning with everyone present the kids will say- Hey, it feels like Christmas! With a dh thats a firefighter it doesn't happen often that we are all together on a Sat or Sun morning.

I love the going to the movies idea there just isn't enough time with visiting family. Usually by 5 we are done and just ready to go home. So movies never happen. We do like to pop in a dvd though at home.

 

[Zhoen]

Hi there,

If your kids are older, what about geocaching? It's free (except you'll need a GPS, but most people have one in their car, and most smart-phones can do it now too...)

It's a treasure hunt. www.geocaching.org is the website, you just put in your address and it will tell you where everything is hidden nearby. You may need to create an account (that's free too), and ALWAYS read the comments from the folks that came before you, because the caches get swiped a lot, and you don't want your first attempt to find the treasure to be a bust because someone stole the cache a week before... The hints are helpful, too.

I have a teenage nephew who likes nothing except video games, food, and being somewhere other than home... but I took him geocaching, and not only was he REALLY good at finding the caches, he totally "fell in love" with caching.

Take along a back of trinkets (look in the bottom of drawers) to swap. The "rule" is that if you take something from a cache, you should leave something... but nothing says you have to take anything, you just sign the log.

There are these NIFTY things called Travel-bugs... they are small objects with a code on them. You plug the code into the website and you can see where the bug has been, and where it wants to go/what it wants to do. The most common mission is either "see the world/50 states" or "race back to (location here)". The races are awesome... two or more people (frequently siblings) release their bugs and they track them as they "come home." The owners get an email every time their bug gets "logged" by a new user, so it's pretty fun for everyone. The site has a good "getting started" section, if you think you'd like to try it... my family all loves it, I love the scenery and the lack of TV...

Alternately, what about a "how to host a murder" game? I can think of lots of Christmases where by 2pm I wanted family members dead... I'm not sure how the format for them is these days... they used to have tapes, but DH told me he still sees them in the game stores, so maybe they use CD's now?

so I guess what I"m saying is, find a game that requires interaction.

 

[gillenkl]

This year will be different for us because Christmas is on Sunday. The kids will get to open their stockings and 1-2 other gifts before we eat breakfast and head out to church. We'll have a quick lunch and then open the rest of the presents. Christmas dinner later that night. We usually watch the Disney Parade on TV too.

 

[MarineVet]

We also go to the movies in our family. We are a couple with a grown daughter and a son already gone, with no family in the area. We have gone to a movie on Christmas as a tradition for many years. By going to one of the earliest showings, we avoid the crowds. Then, if its not raining, we go to the beach and walk around.

 

[gracie1]

We get up and go to breakfast then normally come home, open the gifts and then do nothing all day. Like you OP, i hate to say it but I am bored!!

I love the idea that some of you open a gift every half hour. I may try doing that this year, if I can get everyone else on board

 

[rentayenta]

OP, we go to an afternoon movie and then to our best friends' for dinner. Going to the movies on Christmas Day is the best. Any tradition is special.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

One year we opened a few presents, then "found" a letter under the tree from Santa sending them on a scavenger hunt for their big gift (a Wii and games for it). That was really fun.

Our mornings still move pretty fast, even with 5 kids. They look through their stockings while I make cinnamon rolls. Then we all sit down while the youngest one passes out everyone's gifts. Then we take turns opening them one at a time. Later in the day we watch the Disney parade (I DVR it). That's about it.

 

[mikkiwikki]

I second the volunteering route, call the local soup kitchens and see if they will be open on Christmas day, and yes they will appropriate the help even from the younger ones.

Another thought see if any of the local nursing homes would let you come in and visit with folks, many are lonely and just love to sit and talk and share their life stories with people. Bring a pastry / food dish for the staff they are working on Christmas day have to be away from their families...

This has been a really interesting thread. For many years I have felt this disconnect at Christmas....we are so fortunate...and after the presents are opened, you feel something missing....I love the idea of giving back.
I feel like as a society ...families are spread so far and wide...we have lost touch with what christmas is all about... I love the idea of visiting a nursing home with kids. Many seniors are very depressed on christmas day, and get no visitors. GReat idea!


I am a girl scout leader and we often carol on Christmas eve and the seniors are lining up to see the scouts sing.
I'm sure Christmas day would be even more appreciated.

 

[MinnieForMe]

Hi:
How about calling a local nursing home and asking the activities director if there are patients without family that you could visit???? It doesn't take more than a few minutes per person to make their day, their week, their year! I don't know how old your children are but we always tease when we visit nursing homes that the elders are attracted to the younger children. They just want to touch their hair or hold their hands. It must be the smell of youth. LOL. Seriously, though, we always have to prepare our youngest that it's okay to hug these grandmas/grandpas if she wants too and sometimes they may look a little different (no teeth) and occasionally there can be unpleasant smells but overall it's the most wonderful experience I've done with my kids!

You could even ask your kids to make Christmas cards and give them out. Be prepared to fall in love. There is always one patient that steals your heart.

 

[mikkiwikki]

Hi:
How about calling a local nursing home and asking the activities director if there are patients without family that you could visit???? It doesn't take more than a few minutes per person to make their day, their week, their year! I don't know how old your children are but we always tease when we visit nursing homes that the elders are attracted to the younger children. They just want to touch their hair or hold their hands. It must be the smell of youth. LOL. Seriously, though, we always have to prepare our youngest that it's okay to hug these grandmas/grandpas if she wants too and sometimes they may look a little different (no teeth) and occasionally there can be unpleasant smells but overall it's the most wonderful experience I've done with my kids!

You could even ask your kids to make Christmas cards and give them out. Be prepared to fall in love. There is always one patient that steals your heart.

Agree and so many seniors are just in love with the kids when they see them. We make a batch of cookies and hand them out when we carol. or hand out flowers. Their joy is apparent after chatting with the scouts. And you know what after you leave...that person will feel the love of christmas..and isn't THAT what it should be all about?

 

[Mickey1Fan]

Don't forget the Disney Christmas Day parade.

For us Christmas is about the birth of Jesus, no movies for our family. We get up and open stockings, have breakfast and then open gifts one at a time. Then we start our Christmas dinner for later in the day.

We spend time checking out our gifts again and then it is usually board games - Monoply - for the rest of the day.

We have also delivered gifts to seniors in a home that have no family to visit them. That is heart breaking although my Mom and I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when one year the residents were all watching the fake fire on the local TV station while the TV was sitting beside the real fire place with no fire in it!!!

This year because Sunday is Christmas Day we are having dinner at our church in the afternoon. We also feed the homeless so it is going to be an interesting afternoon.

What ever you do, remember Jesus is the Reason for the Season!

 

[Kitzka]

We only have 1 DD. After we open gifts we actually host a lunch for our fiends who dont have family nearby or who don't normally celebrate Christmas. The kids hang out, wwe have some company and we spread some holiday cheer.

Lara

 

[MinnieForMe]

Sorry I just posted but I wanted to share what our non-profit, Irish Step Company does year round! Maybe, someone else's dance class can share joy too! We adopt 4-6 nursing homes and we schedule a 1 hour performance in their dining hall or activity center. I can't even explain the joy we see on the patient's faces. Of course, our youngest dancers steal the show and it doesn't matter if they miss a step or even forget to dance, the patients just clap all the louder. Plus,most nursing homes don't have big activity budgets so having a dance group or singers come in gives them a free activity.

The girls do wear their costumes or a nice dress if they are new students but there are no worries about makeup and hair. It's just girls and one boy sharing their love of dance with others! Of course, we try to plan a little extra time for those students who want to interact with the patients. My niece is much more friendly than my little one and she can always be found hugging this one particular 92 year old lady. It's so sweet!

 

[malibuconlee]

What I wouldn't give to open our presents Christmas morning and laze about!

We are up, running around to different houses and far from home while visiting family.

The last two years Santa came during nap time or on a Friday night before we left for the holidays. My daughter is only 3, so up til now she's not known the difference. Probably still won't this year.

 

[mommaU4]

This has been a really interesting thread. For many years I have felt this disconnect at Christmas....we are so fortunate...and after the presents are opened, you feel something missing....I love the idea of giving back.
I feel like as a society ...families are spread so far and wide...we have lost touch with what christmas is all about... I love the idea of visiting a nursing home with kids. Many seniors are very depressed on christmas day, and get no visitors. GReat idea!

I love that idea, too!! It was a great one. I think I'm going to make a few calls and see what retirement or nursing homes are close to us.

You could even ask your kids to make Christmas cards and give them out. Be prepared to fall in love. There is always one patient that steals your heart.

Awwww, that's so great. I know my kids would love to make cards.







I am loving all the ideas and getting excited at the thought of actually doing "something" instead of just passing the day away.

 

[englishteacha]

We opened stockings when we got up, then had a big breakfast and then got ready for the day. Then we took turns opening one present at a time, and we all ooohed and ahhhhed over each person's gift. Present opening took most of the day, then we'd have Christmas dinner. It's just DH and me, and baby-on-the-way, but we do the same thing: stockings, breakfast, presents. We'll do the same when baby gets here. In the afternoon/evening we watch a movie or play games, or play with our new presents. Last year we tried to go see a movie but it was PACKED. We couldn't even find a parking space. So we came home, ate leftovers, and watched a DVD.

 

[zoemurr]

I love that idea, too!! It was a great one. I think I'm going to make a few calls and see what retirement or nursing homes are close to us.





Awwww, that's so great. I know my kids would love to make cards.







I am loving all the ideas and getting excited at the thought of actually doing "something" instead of just passing the day away.

and have been going to an elderly home (although it's an assisted living one) since the kids were 1 and 3. They are 10/12 now. We go during thier meal time. Just call a few days before and find out how many people there will be. We have made cute gifts like candy cane reindeer or cards, or we just put chocolates in a nice basket. Sometimes the kids bring one of thier gifts to share. That way all the residents are there. If you go later you may find a few in a common room though. We dress up and walk from table to table giving candy and saying, "Merry Christmas". My DD gives hugs (DS not so much) and talk a bit about what they got from Santa. People always have tears in their eyes and tell me how amazing it is that we come out. (Usually it's about 30min out of our day.)

It's at noon and we are always rushing to get there. We make monkey bread about 8, open stockings, eat bread, have gifts around 10 (open one at time) and then get ready to go. I'd be really sad if we stormed the tree at 6:30 and Christmas was over at 6:45.

Have fun!

 

[disneyofcourse]

We go looking for the best lights, visit the parks that are done up, we check out all the Holiday decor downtown and visit the sites.

 

[diznee25]

Oh my goodness, all this talk about seeing a movie on Christmas Day reminded me....On Christmas Day back in 97', me, my siblings, and a handful of cousins saw Titanic that day! (I was 18 and had the job of driving half the group in my car.) (All us girls left the theater crying...the boys rolled their eyes. Wow, I even still have the movie stub.


diznee25

 

[goofyredraider]

We typically get up early - do stockings first, then presents (which I hand out). After presents are opened, we have breakfast- I usually cook a good breakfast of some kind - usually eggs/omelets, cheesy hashbrowns, grits, bacon. We unpackaged toys, watch the parade during this time.
After we have breakfast and the parade is over, we watch one of many of the movies we opened that morning...while playing with our new things. We stay in our jammies most of the day. We don't go anywhere...but enjoy the day together as a family.