I am set in my ways. I don’t like change unless I initiate it. It really should be no surprise that Christmas Eve in the Jacobson household mirrors that of my childhood night before Christmases.
My father thinks this is hysterical and is forever telling me to start some of our own traditions — because I’m a grown up now and because I own my home, yadda yadda yadda. I don’t see why I must make new traditions when there’s nothing wrong with the ones that I currently know.
There’s a reason they are traditions. I just chose to carry them on with my children. That being said, we do have a few that have been implemented since birthing my children.
Now, first, let me tell you that the moment our feet hit the floor on Christmas Eve, we track Santa. The kids love it. We leave the computer up all day long and check in every hour to see where he is. Not only to we check to see where he is, but we feel the need to call everyone we know to tell him. Sadly, I am the one who awakes and bolts to the computer and then call to the children about where he is. As the day goes on, they start to get a little more excited.
My mother, loves to play along, and if we miss our hourly check in, she will call me and ask where is he (she could easily look this up on her own computer, but it’s more fun to call us.) Then, when we give her the report, she turns around and calls her father to update him on the journey of the fat man in a red suit.
This year, we’ll be traveling home from Mom’s on Christmas Eve, so we’re going to be relying on her to call us and update us while we make the trek home.
Since there is no immediate family in the area, and never was growing up, Christmas Eve is pretty quiet. Typically, we hit up the church, and I prefer the latest service I can find. There’s just something magical the carols in a dark, chilly church. Perhaps it’s because, minus the carols, it’s what Mary and Joseph had… cold and dark. I don’t know…
The other reason I like the late service? Because as soon as we walk in the door, I can get the kids ready for bed, ASAP. For the past few years, if we went to church at all we would go to the 4 or 6pm service. After 9 with these two and they are like banshees and I fear that they’ll be swinging from a chandelier because they can’t contain their excitement. When the idea of Santa is gone from their heads, I’ll probably resume finding the latest service that I can.
Once we get home from church, the kids normally scurry into one of their rooms and wrap their presents so that they can put them under the tree. Because we are a family of snoopers, unless someone mails us a package, we never put presents under the tree before Christmas Eve. (Might I also add, that people who do mail us presents typically wait until the last possible minute… and not because they are procrastinators but because we snoop… and there’s a better chance of it still being unopened Christmas morning if they wait.) Well, that and there’s a chance that the dog could get into them. She never has, but she might… you never know.
We start our traditions around 8. I have this timed perfectly. Santa is typically in New York City by 10 and that’s the latest they can be up. They freak if they see that dot in the Big Apple and they are still up. They are just so afraid that they’ll get passed over. Thank God for Norad… how did you guys to get your kids in the bed before that came along??????
We read ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas from a popup book that I received Christmas of 1977, yes the year I was born… 30 years ago. The popups don’t work anymore, but the story is still the same. Over the last few years, the kids have started reading it to me, or taking turns. Then we read the story in the Bible. If we are with my parents Christmas Eve, I make my dad read it. And I’ll always do that no matter how old I am.
When that’s done, it’s time to write a letter to Santa. The kids include any last minute wishes for him and leave him instructions on where his milk and cookies are and where the reindeer food is. They then place the milk and cookies out and head back to the tree and look for one gift that they are allowed to open.
When that’s done, we check NORAD and see where he is. As I stated, the last possible minute they feel they have to get in bed is when Santa’s in NYC, but typically it’s as he rounding Iceland that they jump in the sack.
Once they are in bed, I commence to whatever it is that’s left to do. Most of the time it’s wrap, so I wait until they drift off or lock myself in my room with a good movie and wrap, but this year? I don’t plan on having anything to do Christmas Eve because it will all be done before I head to my moms. I plan on sitting there. Then I plan on putting my Breakfast Casserole in the crockpot, putting all of the presents under the tree, and going to bed….
Because even at 30, I’m excited for Christmas Morning… where there are even more traditions to be had…
and that’s another post for another day… 
Until next time…
Heather
PS. For those of you who would like the recipe for the casserole, it’s as follows - please note… there are no onions, peppers, or dry mustard in mine — and only because my kids don’t eat peppers or onions and I don’t know where the dry mustard is in the store…and i use shredded cheese and regular hash browns, not the southern style. I know I could’ve just typed out what I do, but I know others might like all the extras!
1 bag (32 oz.) of frozen southern style hashbrown potatoes
1 pound of bacon cut into pieces, fried and drained.
1 pound sausage, crumbled, browned and drained
1/2 cup diced onions
1 green pepper diced
3/4 pound cheddar cheese diced
1 dozen eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
salt & pepper
Layer the frozen potatoes, bacon, onions, green pepper and cheese in the crockpot in two or three layers. Finish up with cheese. Beat the eggs, milk and mustard, salt & pepper together. Pour over the whole mixture. Cook on low for ten to twelve hours.
Breakfast is ready as soon as you get up!
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You can totally read your excitement! I get that way too. We’ve never checked for Santa on the computer before - I bet Max would love that. I can’t wait for Christmas Eve!