Holiday Fun

Welcome to the 2006 Holiday Edition of Getting to Know Your Friends!
1. Eggnog or Hot Cocoa? Eggnog, hot apple cider and Kir Royals.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? Santa leaves out one big Santa present for each kiddie and the smaller presents from Santa are wrapped by the elves. I just love rounding the corner in the morning and watching the expressions on the kiddies faces. A classic moment.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? White
4. Do you hang mistletoe? We have a fake mistletoe ball that says funny little phrases when you walk underneath it.
5. When do you put up your decorations? The weekend after Thanksgiving and then the tree goes up the following week. Decorating the tree is my favorite Christmas ritual.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Prime Rib and Yorkshire pudding on Christmas night, a family tradition. We have Albondigas (Mexican meatball soup) for Christmas Eve.
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: The family Christmas Eve party, which was usually held at my Aunt Pam and Uncle Bill's, also picking out the Christmas Tree at the San Gabriel Nursery Christmas Tree Farm.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? My Dad and Mom would assemble and set everything up when we came back from the family Christmas Party (unbeknownst to me), usually around 1:00 or 2:00am, when my brother and I were fast asleep. I think I was 10 and my brother was 2, my Dad was setting up the infamous fire truck and as parents we all know there is that one missing nut or bolt when assembling toys. My Dad was making a lot of noise and I came out to check what was going on and saw the whole thing. Oops!
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Growing up my Mom always selected the gift and it was Christmas Pj's or a Christmas Dress/outfit for the party. In our family the kiddies get their designated present, which are Christmas Pj's and John and I pick out one present too.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? This year Lexi and I decorated the tree, while John made fudge, Alexander was just hanging (literally in his swing) and Anika ran around and said, "Oh coot". Translated as "cute". We always listen to Christmas music, our favorite is Nat King Cole, Johnny Mathis and Jimmy Buffet/Christmas Island. The kiddies drank eggnog and we drank Kir Royals. Yummy!!
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? I love having Christmas with snow. It is the icing on the cake. Growing up in Southern California we didn't get any snow so having snow is a real treat for all of us. It hasn't snowed yet and it is unseasonably warm this year. It is getting colder so there is a chance we could have a white Christmas. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
12. Can you ice skate? I used to ice skate all the time in Pasadena at the indoor rink, is it still there? The last time I ice skated was in Austria a few years ago. Lets just say it is not like riding a bike and it didn't come back quickly. Lexi was 3 and she did really well.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? That is an easy one. John wrote a poem for me called Christmas Love and gave it to me for Christmas on our first Christmas together. I LOVED it. It made me cry and it brought tears to my Moms eyes.
14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Spending quality time with the family, celebrating our time together.
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? John's chocolate chip cookies or homemade fudge.
16. What is your favorite Holiday tradition? Decorating the Christmas tree and looking at all the special ornaments. I love the fond memories our ornaments bring back for us. Some ornaments were made by family and friends when they were little, like the Christmas ornament that John's Mom made when she was little and it is dated 1950 and says, "Sharon Lee". We love the very special needle pointed ornaments that my Aunt Diane makes for us each year and each place we visit we buy an ornament for the tree.
18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving presents? I love to give, but my favorite part is watching everyone open their presents from me. I try to save my presents for last, but John loves watching me open the presents from him and the kiddies.
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? I'll Be Home for Christmas, it makes me a little sad sometimes, okay so sometimes I cry, because I miss our families during the Holidays. It also makes me think about some of my friends whose husbands are deployed during the Holidays. On a lighter note, I love Jimmy Buffets, Christmas Island and his Run Rudolph Run. Any Christmas song by the Carpenter's.
20. Candy Canes Yuck or Yum? Not worth the calories, I would much rather have some of Johns' homemade fudge or chocolate chip cookies
21. Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas. Definately Merry Christmas. I am NOT taking the "Christ" out of Christmas:)