abentley Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 We are in a BIG transition this year. My 2 older kids have grown and left the nest, one will still come by on Christmas, and the other too far away( unless I cave and buy airline tickets)!! I have decided to embrace the change instead of being sad, and shake it up a bit around here for the holidays. Instead of hanging stockings for the 2 that won't be here..we are buying new for us that are( they will still get the goodies in their packages). I need some fun new ideas to help my little ones make the adjustment with out missing them too much!! I think when they go to bed it will be the hardest, as they ALL would sleep in one bedroom Christmas eve. Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msdarkness Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 how old are your little ones? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abentley Posted September 14, 2008 Author Share Posted September 14, 2008 Our little ones aren't so little anymore!!! They are 10 & 11!!! And they still believe...or choose to! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msdarkness Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 we always do reindeer food on christmas eve (not sure if yours are too old or not but maybe if they make it they would enjoy it more its just oatmeal glitter sugar spread in the yard so the reindeer know where to land...there is a poem somewhere on the internet) hot cocoa and christmas movie you always could also take them shopping for christmas pj's and have them send them off to the older 2 for christmas eve wear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vsa3janes Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 Maybe start new traditions for them to remember. Perhaps earlier in the day you could go to a shelter and sever lunch. For the evening choose a special movie to watch that will be your "every year" movie. A movie you only watch on Christmas eve. Have a fun dinner that they help prepare. What about breakfast food for dinner? Before bedtime read a holiday book that will be your "every year" story. To help lessen the pain of missing their siblings maybe they could chat over a webcam before going to bed to wait for Santa. The first Christmas my daughter was married the house was so empty! It had been the 2 of us for 15 years. Now, I use that time to get ready for the next morning, fill stocking and relax with It's A Wonderful Life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kandy Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 Why not let them help you with the older kids gifts. Since you are getting new stockings for everyone that is there. Why not send the older kids their old stocking with gifts that your two younger children have picked out and wrapped themselfs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JollyGG Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 We are the family that can't make it home every Christmas. My brothers and their wives go to my parent's place every year but my family can't always make it. We all have web cameras and we join each other every year to open presents. That way we get to see everyone open the gifts we picked out and they get to watch us open ours. The listing of gifts is a tradition our family has always had. We would all rather watch the others open our gifts then get to work on our own. So we all open gifts then we go around in a circle and show off our gifts and say who it is from. So at the very least (if we are at the in laws with no high speed internet) we call each other and every person lists what they got under the tree and who it was from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tokanm Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 I always read The night before Christmas even though my baby is 19 yrs old and they rolltheir eyes but I know they love it!! We open 1 gift on Christmas Eve and I always makeMonkey Bread Christmas morning to eat. I like having these traditions.We also always go here to see the lights...it is beautiful and people come from all over tosee it www.lasalette-shrine.org click on Christmas to see how beautiful it is and always freezingCOLD!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shopping mom Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 Last year my DD made ornaments (craft kits at Michaels) for her older brothers and their wive's trees. We also made cookies and candy to give them. (They are close enough to come by but don't live with us plus other obligations) Maybe your older ones can send a special book or stuffed animal to the younger ones to "sleep with" since they won't be there. My DD also likes to watch all the old videos so she can see the older kids when they were little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BabyBear24kGold Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 well my kids are older now but we have always had a tradition they ope one gift on xmas eve and we do marshmellows and they still love it and my oldest is 20 lol so some things dont change Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turtle_elf Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 Mine are all kind of still in the nest persay. Our oldest goes away for school but is home for 2 weeks of December and 2 weeks of January. So Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are done the same as always. What we do on Christmas Eve is, after we have a nice dinner and do the dinner dishes, we all go in the family room for a glass of eggnog and Christmas music. We have a tradition of letting the kids open their Christmas Jammies (us too). Afterwards they go up to take their showers and baths and when they are all dressed in their new Christmas Jammies, we all gather around and I read them Twas The Night Before Christmas. Then we go and sprinkle reindeer food outside and they all(5 of them). Get to choose a home made cookie or home made piece of candy to put on the Santa plate. My husband poors a cup of eggnog for Santa in the Santa Mug and we tuck them into bed. You could maybe start some new traditions to take away some of the sadness of missing their older siblings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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