Two for Christmas

(swiped from Allison)

When do you start Christmas shopping? I used to be really good about shopping throughout the year, but I haven't done so well on that for a couple of years. Mostly, I shop the last couple of months of the year now.

Are you finished shopping? Nope.

How many people are you buying for? Four or five. Six. Eight. Ugh, see this is why I hate the holidays! I'm always adding people I missed at first.

What are you leaving out for Santa? Cookies and milk. And carrots for the reindeer.

Name 3 things you want for Christmas: WiiFit, smiles, good memories.

Are you traveling this year? Nope. Thank goodness!

If so, Where to? n/a

What kind of stockings are hung at your house? A red-with-white-stripes one for Beast, a white-with-white-snowflakes one for me, and a mostly-blue-with-colorful-appliques one for Sparky.

Do you have a fireplace / chimney? Yes. And that's where the stockings are hanging, too.

Favorite things to get in your stocking? I miss getting an orange and mixed nuts. On the other hand, Beast does an outstanding job with my stocking every year.

Any family traditions? Chinese on Christmas Eve, a drive around looking at lights, then late church. We open one gift on the Eve too, and at bedtime we leave out snacks for Santa--yes, still. Sparky goes to bed, and Beast and I run around like maniacs getting the stockings filled.

What foods does your family have every year at Christmas? I do NOT make a big whoop-te-do meal for Christmas! We snack and play with our new toys.

Who is the most fun to buy for? Sparky.

Who is the easiest to buy for? Sparky.

Who is the hardest to buy for? Beast.

Who gives the best gifts? Uh, pleading the Fifth on this one. ;-)

Any movies/specials you have to watch every year? Rudolph is the only one I care about, but we usually sit through a shitpile of them...till I can't take it anymore and find somewhere to be without a TV.

Who passes out the presents? Sparky.

Main stores you have shopped at this year: Bookstores, of course!

What kind of tree do you have? Six-foot fake tree on a stand that makes it look taller. We were too cheap to buy a new tree when we moved to this house with it's much higher ceilings!

What are your 3 favorite ornaments on your tree? The old one from my mom's childhood, the large multicolored glass oval, and the balsa hummingbird.

What adorns the top of your tree? A star.

Do you collect anything Christmasy? We have FAR too much shit, and we don't even put out all of it anymore. I told Beast as we packed up tonight that when we take everything down next month, I'm putting a lot of things aside to get rid of. It's crazy.

Whose kids are you buying for this year? Mine. All of 'em.

Can you name all 7 reindeer? Aren't there nine, counting Rudolph??

Ever watch Ernest Saves Christmas? NO! Yuck.

What's your favorite Christmas drink? Eggnog with Bacardi.

Do you like Eggnog? Yup.

What flavor candy canes do you like? ONLY peppermint.

When do you take your tree down? Normally on New Year's or the weekend following. It's gotten later and later over the past couple of years, though.

Is Christmas still magical for you? Parts of it are awesome. I really love Christmas Eve service at church.

What is your favorite thing about Christmas? Lights. Multicolored.

Do you donate at Christmas time? Hella yeah!

Do you make sure to remember the TRUE meaning of Christmas? YES!

How many nativity scenes do you have in your house? We have one main creche--in which Jesus doesn't show up till Christmas Eve--and a bunch of manger ornaments.

Have you been naughty or nice? Both. As is everyone.

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1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Nog.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa wraps almost everything, except odd-shaped stuff.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Multicolored. We're using white garland this year though.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? No, we've been married too long. heh
5. When do you put your decorations up? Depends. Usually soon after Thanksgiving. We're very late this year.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Anything someone else makes!
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child: Hanging out with everyone on Christmas morning--just the sheer excitement. And Dad being cranky about everything. He was not a grinch, but he didn't really 'get' the whole rigmarole at all!
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I don't remember, but I'm pretty sure I'd figured it out by the time I was 8 or so.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Not until I got married. We try to do at least one now.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Beast does the lights, and Sparky and I stay the hell outta his way! Then we put the ornaments on retelling some of the stories as we go. Finally, the garland. There's always at least one heated conversation about something or other, and a great deal of relief once it's all done. Did I mention the ridiculous amount of shit we have??
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? If I'm staying home for the forseeable future, I'm all about snow. If I have to shovel it, or drive in it, not so much.
12. Can you ice skate? Not at all.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? As a child: the Barbie Dream House and carry case. That was an awesome, AWESOME year!!
14. What is the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Joy.
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Seven-layer bars.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? I like them all.
17. What tops your tree? Still the same star.
18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? ...sigh. I like getting things. Sometimes I find the perfect gift for someone and that is always really fun.
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Silent Night.
20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? I can usually handle one or two, but I'm not in love with them or anything.
21. What do you want for Christmas? Happy children (yours, mine and ours).
22. Do you attend an annual Christmas Party? Beast's was cancelled due to lack of interest, I missed mine last night due to a conflict. We may be hosting one. I haven't gotten a final answer from Beast.
23. Do you dress up on Christmas or wear PJs? PJs and comfy clothes.
24. Do you own a santa hat? Yup.
25. Who do you normally spend Christmas with? We used to visit friends on Christmas Day, but not for the past couple of years. Generally, we just want to relax all day, so we do. This year, Beast's dad will come over and I'm hoping that's the extent of the 'excitement.'