If you, like me, are planning a low-key night with young kids, I have a few ideas I’ve stolen from stories I’ve read in the past few years. (I would give proper attribution, but I can’t remember where I read these ideas!)
1) Plan a night with friends where the kids get to play their new video games with their counterparts. Bring pajamas just in case they get sleepy. Kids have fun while the adults can visit. And bring blankets in the car for the ride home.
2) I don’t expect to make it to midnight - but since New York is there before we are, we’ll do our “countdown” with New York City!
3) TACO BAR! My son asked last night for tacos. So, I’m hoping to set up a taco bar tonight. It’s easy and everyone in attendance can make their own.
4) I’ve also heard of movie night. Pick a favorite from the past year that’s now out on video (for us, it’s “Kung Fu Panda,” the film we saw on my son’s sixth birthday). For pick a theme (We’ve done “Star Wars,” “Indiana Jones” and “Tomb Raider” in the past.)
5) Memory tracker: I’m going to break out paper, pens and a few photos from this year and have the kids help me write down their favorite memories of 2008. Heck, if I can pull it off I’ll even put it in the album tonight!
Several Web sites also have ideas if you haven’t put anything together yet: Fondue night, sundae bar, burger bar or even pasta bar are a few that would be easy to pull off and you may even have the ingredients at home.

What are you doing tonight?

Have fun. Be safe. And Happy New Year!

Photospin

I’m writing a story on how churches prepare for Christmas Eve services. Tomorrow night my sister-in-law and mother-in-law have offered to take my kids to 4 p.m. church so they can hear their cousins sing in the choir. I’m hoping to join them, but have no idea when I’ll get out of the office. I didn’t think it a problem until I remembered last year’s visit to their church on Christmas Eve.

We all entered the church, found our spot and my kids - then 2 and 5 - started looking around for their cousins. Then the service started and they would hardly sit still. Then the children’s group gave a presentation of the Christmas story and afterward my two kids - in loud booming voices - were yelling, “Where’s Baby Jesus?” I suppose it’s better than the year before when they ran - rather than walked - down the aisle for the children’s message. In recent weeks my kids have been going to Sunday school classes rather than coming in the big service with me for church and it’s not something they’re used to. But I’m hoping - and praying - it’s an uneventful service. Well, if not, I guess I’ll just have more to scrapbook about!

I didn’t get a chance to update my attempt to add a little holiday magic to each day. Without fail, it’s working. And I don’t feel nearly as stressed as usual nor do I feel like the holiday is slipping by.

So what have we done this week?

Sunday: Truffles!

Monday: Mailed packages and got cards ready to mail

Tonight: Finish Truffles — get them ready to deliver to neighbors

Wednesday: Muppet Christmas special on TV; deliver gifts to neighbors!

Thursday: Both kids have holiday parties at school.

Friday: My son has another holiday event at school, but I think we’re going to break out “The Santa Clause 2″ at home that night.

Saturday: Grandma and Grandpa bake cookies with kids while Mr. and Mrs. Claus (aka my husband and I) wrap presents!

This weekend while the kids slept, Mr. Reese took the holiday decoration boxes from the garage. While the kids and I rested, he put up the tree. When they awoke, both jumped at the chance to unwrap (perhaps too quickly) the ornaments. Ok, so one got broken. Not bad considering how many we own.

But after the tree was decorated, I scoured through the nine boxes (yikes, nine!). I’m paring back on what I actually put up this year (as I’ve heard others are doing as well since it’s only nine - yikes, nine! - days until Christmas). Finally in the next to last box, I found them: Our Christmas books. These are my joy - and I share my kids’ enthusiasm at the titles: “The Snowbelly Family of Chillyville Inn,” “Bear Stays up for Christmas,” ”What Snowmen do at Night” and, of course, “The Polar Express.” I received two new ones last week, but there’s just something comforting about the titles we read last year, and the year before that.

So Saturday night the reading began. The kids each picked out one title. I wanted to read two last Sunday night as well, but they fell asleep. So I read one to myself. Now if only my vocal cords will keep up my enthusiasm.