Tis the Season

...for a survey on your holiday traditions. Thanksgiving is officially over, I had turkey with Bill's family at 6:30ish this evening and the kids are now tucked safely in bed. The livingroom has been cleaned and rearranged, ready to put up the tree. The navity is set out and the stockings are hung. So here goes, feel free to copy and paste and add it to your blog.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I like to wrap the packages and not label them to keep the kids (and Bill) guessing. I have a way to tell, but they don't know until Christmas day.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial, I'm allergic to pine
3. When do you put up the tree? Whenever we get around to it, but before Christmas Eve
4. When do you take the tree down? Whenever we get around to it, hopefully before Valentines Day
5. Do you like eggnog? About a 1/4 cup per year. Eggnog shakes on the other hand... yummy!
6. Favorite gift received as a child? A pom-pom making kit that I did while my grandpa drank coffee and the rest of my family slept.
7. Hardest person to buy for? My nephews as they grew up and had everything they could possibly need or want
8. Easiest person to buy for? Kyra
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yep
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? mail
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Starbucks coffee, from a student. (It's the thought that counts!)
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Miracle on 34th Street (I believe!), Charlie Brown is also good, and I like to watch When Harry Met Sally even though it's not really a Christmas show.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Black Friday, if I'm lucky
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Last year I found a car sponge that we had put in Bill's stocking the year before and he hadn't used it. We put it back in his stocking and he said, "didn't I get one of these last year?"
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Peppermint bark, but I'm off chocolate this year
16. Lights on the tree? of course: some twinkly, some solid, a bubble strand, and some gingerbread men (I try to pick up a funky strand at the after-Christmas sales)
17. Favorite Christmas song? Angels We Have Heard On High (I can almost sing the alto line without help!)
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Whatever it takes. Next year we'll be at Disneyworld!
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Probably, if there are 8. (plus Rudolph, and Olive)
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? An angel until Christmas Day, then the new star appears
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? One on Christmas Eve. Christmas morning Santa leaves a gift unwrapped for everyone and the stockings are fair game, then we open the rest together.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Bell ringers, they make me feel guilty
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? it varies from year to year
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Christmas Eve we have chili and tamales that I helped assemble
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Peace on earth, financial security, good health, a happy family, and good friends.