Busy, But Festive!

This week is just not slowing down (I originally wrote “snowing”…heh!) AT ALL.  But I am feeling more and more festive about the holidays (ahem, maybe thanks to a teeny shot of Xanax the doc gave me yesterday?), so I wrote up this Christmas meme last night for ya’ll…

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
   Hot chocolate—with soy milk or peppermint schnapps.  Gross, right?  Sorry, I’m lactose intolerant and soy became my friend a long time ago.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
   Well…we’re past Santa here in my house, but when I was little he wrapped them and I will probably do the same when/if I have kids.  Unwrapping the surprise is one of the best parts of presents!
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
   You know, it depends.  I like both as long as they are not blinking/chasing/marquee style.  I think the tiny twinkling blue ones are the best.
4. Do you hang mistletoe?
   Anyone know where I can find it?
5. When do you put your decorations up?
   Varies from year to year based on my schedule.  This year I had to buy some more decorations because my apartment is so much bigger (!!) so they went up a couple weeks after Thanksgiving.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
   I love a big roast turkey or my mama’s sweet potatoes.
7. Favorite Christmas memory as a child?
   It’s shared by all my cousins too—Christmas at my Grandma’s house (mom’s side) and this fantastic shiny blue paper she used to wrap EVERYTHING!
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
   My cousin tried to tell me when I was in elementary school but I figured he was lying because he lied about stuff all the time.  He’s a lawyer now, by the way.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
   My immediate family (mom and dad) always open our gifts on Christmas Eve.  Christmas Day ends up too hectic because we visit both sides of the family at once.  
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
    Well, since it’s a little foil tree with fiber optic lights, there’s no decorating involved.   
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
    Love it until about late January/early February when it becomes black and slushy and gross.
12. Can you ice skate?
    I could when I was in college, though not like Michelle Kwan…hopefully I still can.  I have my own pair of ice skates!
13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
    When I got a tudor-style dollhouse from my Mom & Dad that I had been wanting for a very long time.  As soon as I have room for it, I’m going to bring it here and decorate it really nice (since I couldn’t afford much on my allowance in the way of dollhouse furniture)
14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
    Giving to others—literally and metaphorically.
15. What is your favorite holiday desert?
    Peppermint bark!!!   
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
    Hmmmmm…our holidays have been so different in the last few years with the little ones in the family and my grandparents getting so sickly that I’m not sure anymore.    
17. What tops your tree?
    Fiber optic wires.  Heh!
18. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
    Burl Ives’s “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas”.  That song just really puts me in a good mood!
19. Favorite Christmas Movie?
    A Charlie Brown Christmas—which I haven’t seen in far too long!  And I admit, I’m still a sucker for A Christmas Story, largely because so much of my family grew up around Cleveland.
20. What do you leave for Santa?
    Kitty poop?  When I was a kid we did cookies for Santa AND carrots for the reindeer.  I guess my dad needed a snack when he was assembling some of my monster-sized toys.