And to all a good night

It's after 10 p.m. on Christmas Eve, and it's all I can do to keep from nodding off as I sit down to write this. I haven't sat down for hours -- but for reasons I truly love: cooking and baking for my family, wrapping gifts, touching up the paint job on the little stool I'm giving my youngest grandchild tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

If all goes well, the small person in our home won't be up before the sun. And that means a pretty decent night's sleep if we can manage to finish setting up his gifts before midnight. We have learned our Christmas Eve lessons well: Do not, under any circumstances, wait until late that evening to set up a train set under the tree. Not if you want to get some sleep before the wee ones wake up.

And remember to stock up on batteries.

Oh, yes: Keep it simple. You'll all have more fun if you do.

Merry Christmas.