A Christmas Meme

I got this from Ruth (who got it from Rachel, who got it from...somewhere.) If you want to play, copy this into a new post and change the answers. What could be easier?


1. Wrapping Paper or Gift Bags?
What, you want them wrapped?!

2. Real tree or artificial?
Real. We have an artificial tree. It's on a shelf in the garage. We used it for three years, until the kids were old enough to realize it was a fake, and it's been real all the way since then.

3. When do you put up the tree?
The Saturday after Thanksgiving, or the first Saturday in December, whichever comes first.

4. When do you take down the tree?
January 1st. All the decorations come down the morning of the first. By then, I can't stand the clutter and the needles and the tree in front of the window for one more minute. The family just stays out of the way.

5. Do you like Egg Nog?
I like Eggnog lattes. Does that count?

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
My mom is the world's worst gift-giver. We almost never got toys--always socks and underwear. One year, I got a Walkman knock-off. It weighed about three pounds and had this plastic strap to hang around your neck. I think that would have to be the best thing I ever got.

7. Do you have a nativity scene?
No. But we have a tree and a menorah. My mother's family is Christian, my father's is Muslim, and my husband's is Jewish. We strive for peaceful coexistence.

8. Hardest person to buy for?
Everyone. Although I'm not as cheap as she is, I seem to have inherited my mother's lack of talent with gifts.

9. Easiest person to buy for?
Myself. I never have any trouble finding stuff I want when I'm shopping for other people. Other than that? My kids. I was done shopping for them in November.

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
That would be the time I accidentally opened the underwear my mother got for my brother.

11. Mail or email Christmas Cards?
What, you want cards, too?!

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the original). He was so misunderstood.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
When my anxiety over not having bought anything exceeds my anxiety over having to go shopping.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
Yep. Why not? If I can't use it and someone else can, I think that's fair. Only if it's new, though. I wouldn't use a gift and then re-gift it.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
I don't have one favorite, but my husband's is Snowman Mix. It's this stuff my mom makes--like Chex mix, only with M&Ms and covered in white chocolate. She stores it in a large snowman-shaped jar, hence the name. One year, my husband felt she had not made enough, as it ran out well before Christmas, so he kidnapped the snowman jar and left its hat on her doorstep with a ransom note. The ransom? Five pounds of Snowman Mix--or Frosty gets it.

16. Clear lights or coloured?
I like the clear ones, and we have them all over outside, and on the banister inside, but I have been consistently outvoted on the tree. It gets colored lights every year.

17. Favorite Christmas Song?
The Little Drummer Boy. Those ba-rum-bum-bum-bums get me every time.

18. Travel or stay home at Christmas?
Home. Home. Home. Have you ever seen the airport lines at Christmas?

19. Can you name all of Santa’s Reindeer?
Of course. I can recite "Twas the Night Before Christmas" too. I have many useless skills.

20. Angel or Star on the top of the tree?
Angel.

21. Open Christmas Eve or Morning?
Christmas morning. Christmas Eve always seemed like cheating to me. And we have to take turns opening. The only exception is that the kids are allowed to plunder their stockings as soon as they wake up. I always make sure there's something in there that will keep them busy for a few extra minutes of precious sleep.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?
The commercials. Can anyone else sing the entire Garmin song? How about "Oh, it took two minutes, two whole minutes, two minutes shopping for your gift..."? How many times have your kids said, "Mom! Mom! I want that!" in the past two weeks?

23. What’s the corniest family tradition you do or miss doing?
When I was a kid, all my siblings and I would carefully save our coins for months so we could buy each other and our parents presents. My kids don't give presents to each other or us. It's kind of sad to me.

24. What’s the worst thing you’ve seen related to Christmas?
Ouch. Something my brother said about a present I gave him when I was eight. He was thirteen. Even after all these years, I try not to think about it.

25. Which looks best, theme trees or homey trees?
I love perfectly decorated theme trees, but I will never have one. I am perfectly content to let my kids hang their homemade ornaments from years past on the tree every year, and let visitors wonder what the heck they are.

26. Gingerbread or Sugar Cookies?
Yes.

27. Do you like fruitcake?
I love it. I think I am the only person in the world who actually eats it.