Another Aside: Christmas Tag

Trish tagged, me! Yes, I've been off my TS subject a lot lately. But that's a good thing. It means there isn't much to report on Liam's TS. Which means it's still very mild. So while we have this little break, here is everything you never wanted to know about me and Christmas:

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Now who would be cruel enough to make me choose only one? I mean, is someone standing there with a gun forcing me to choose? I'll take both please.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
The big stuff is assembled and left near the fireplace. Usually with a big-ass bow on it. If it's small enough, it's wrapped under the tree. This was the fireplace last year...

3. Coloured lights on tree/house or white? Classic white. The ornaments add the color. I loved colored lights as a kid but just don't like them now. It's too much. Here's a shot from last year's tree.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No. I'm not into obligatory kissing.

5. When do you put your decorations up? I'm not anal enough about it to have a deadline. That's for people who stress out over holidays. I put them up when I find the time and the spirit (or my kids) move me. In other words, they ain't up yet.

6. What is your favourite holiday dish? "Dish" makes me think main meal stuff. I love it all. And it doesn't have to be the Norman Rockwell turkey dinner. I love my friend's traditional lasagna. I love the turkey/stuffing/gravy/cranberry sauce thing, too. But my absolute favorite (and yes, I spelled it American) is my chocolate chess pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

7. Favourite holiday memory as a child? One year doesn't stand out above the rest. I have a generic memory of me and my sister & brothers all running in to grab our stocking's (each labeled with our names by my mom or Muzzy), emptying them out and freaking out over the loot. Also, mom making home-made cinnamon rolls. Or - going WAY back - when my dad would make his cinnamon toast in the oven. I mean, it was a huge deal and oh-so-special.

8. When did you learn the truth about Santa? I don't know. I just know my brother Middle Bro took great pleasure in telling both Big Sis and me the truth. Not sure what I thought. I don't recall much trauma over the revelation. I'll have to ask my mom.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yup. Growing up, we opened our Muzzy gift (from my mom's mom, aka - Muzzy). But lately, we open our ornaments. Everyone gets one each Christmas. Which reminds me, we're gonna need a bigger tree...

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Well, this year, the first thing we'll do is check our fake (yes FAKE - get over it) tree for brown recluse spiders. If I find one, I will promptly scream and possibly curse. Then I'll spray the whole tree with any deadly chemical I can get my hands on. Bug spray, hair spray, that perfume some lady was wearing at the Dixie Chicks concert last night. Whatever works. Then we'll put the ornaments on with the help of my two boys (6 & 3). And then I'll reposition everything the boys did. Yah...that's about it.

11. Snow! Love it or dread it? Loved it when I rented and our landlord was responsible for snow removal. Loved it with much griping once I rented and had to split shoveling duty with our upstairs neighbors (the ones who conveniently waited for ME to shovel it). REALLY love it now that I don't have it (sniff).

12. Can you ice skate? Hmmm...once upon a time I was actually very good at it. I'm trying to remember the last time I was on any kind of skates. What decade is this? Yah, I'm thinking it might not be so pretty these days.

13. Do you remember your favourite gift? Cai's arrival on Dec. 22, 2003. (Plus, I got the spa treatement in Boston's Beth Israel for the next 5 days. Mellow stress-free Christmas in post-partum, being waited on hand & foot by an entire nursing staff? Can I go back please?)

14. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you? Being with family (that I like). Hands down.



15. What is your favourite holiday dessert? Refer up to #6. Chocolate Chess Pie - YAH BABY!!!

16. What is your favourite holiday tradition? Watching It's A Wonderful Life, White Christmas and Scrooge (black & white version with Alastair Sim - it's the only one!).

17. What tops your tree? Last year, we had a star that was pretty but a bit too heavy. I want to find something special that will become a tradition for my family but haven't yet.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Trish will think I'm wimping out here but I'm actually being honest. Giving is WAY more fun. I want to win a huge lottery just so I can find all the people from my life that I remember fondly just to hand them envelopes with various sums of money inside. That would just be the BOMB! But selfishly? When I give, I just LOVE watching people react (usually it's when they react in a positive manner that I like).

19. What is your favourite Christmas song? Well, I love the drama of the "Oh Holy Night" but hate when people have to totally over do it. But I love so many of them it would be hard to pick just one.

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? Not a fan.

There it is. More than you ever wanted to know.

I'm tagging Kendra, Monica & Donny. Mostly because they're the only other bloggers I know!