[Barksum]

Involve the kids in a cooking project. (decorating cookies, making rolls, etc. Wilton makes cookie icing in a container like glue comes in and it is easier to make decorative lines on cookies and then put sprinkles on it while it is still wet. Rolls don't have to be made from scratch, but you can do the Pillsbury kind from the tube.) Have them whip butter with honey or herbs for the rolls.

Get special glasses for the dinner. We use stemware for the adults and some pretty double shot glasses for the little kids. (Easier to hold and they get excited about them.) We serve sparkling cider/cranberry or grape juice for those whole don't drink alcoholic beverages.

Have a bound journal ready in a central location for each person to jot down the years' big events. Keep it from year to year and read aloud what was written in years past.

Have each person verbally share their happiest memory from 2008.

Buy Christmas crackers. (Those things you pull apart.) My kids love those, and since you have to pull them with the person sitting next to you at the table it gets everyone involved. Then you get to wear the party hat that comes in them for the whole meal.

We like to ask Grandpa and Grandpa about all those stories that everyone knows already. You know, "Tell the one about when you had the flat tire in the desert, Grandpa!" Stuff like that.

We do hors devours before the meal and that's when we do alot of talking and stuff. After the meal we clean up a bit and then sit around and do games like King Elephant (don't know how to give the instructions for THAT game!!) and charades, or answer trivia questions. Then we have dessert and coffee.

Part of the tradition in our family is to have friends over, or those people we might happen to meet who don't have family locally or are truly without any family, etc. This often is a bunch of college kids who can't travel for the holidays, etc. Makes for LOTS of people, chaos, and tons of fun.