Grinch Christmas

Grinch Christmas is hands down one of my favorite traditions! We started it when the kids were little, aiming for a night with no gift expectations—just quality family time. And it’s a tradition that the kids insist on keeping every year. This year, though, with sports schedules, babysitting jobs, and show choir commitments, finding a night that worked was a challenge. So, we ended up doing it later in December than usual.

We stuck to our usual Grinch-inspired menu: roast beast, Who hash, a green veggie, pudding cups, and festive drinks. Emmy’s favorite part is always eating by candlelight—she’s basically got more Christmas spirit than the Grinch has grumpiness! She’s always the first to volunteer for anything related to Christmas, and this year she made adorable place cards for everyone and set the table with all the fun Grinch decorations.

Bree joined us again this year, and I swear, if she thinks we’re all crazy, she just goes along with it because she’s genuinely excited to be part of it. This year, though, the 5-year age gap between the boys and Emmy really became clear. The boys love to give her a hard time, like they would with their friends, but Emmy doesn’t let anything slide and gets offended by everything. Cue a few dramatic moments where we had to remind the boys they’re practically adults now and can’t make a 10-year-old miserable. On the flip side, we had to remind Emmy that, while she might feel like it, she can’t hit or physically beat the boys—because if they hit her, they’re the ones who get in trouble. Sibling rivalry at its finest!

No matter how old they get, I think sibling drama will always be a part of the mix. But despite the chaos, Grinch Christmas is always a night full of laughter, memories, and, of course, a little bit of drama.