Psyched Out

I took up the Emergiblog challenge on this meme.

1. Hot Chocolate or Egg Nog? Hot chocolate all the way. And we're not talking instant either. Preferably with steamed milk and plenty of peppermint flavor and real whipped cream. I once bought a boyfriend an espresso maker for Christmas so I'd be able to steam my own milk.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Due to having twins, previous years are a little hazy, but this year Santa is wrapping in special Santa only wrapping paper.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? White lights are solemnly beautiful, colored lights are festive. Both.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? I already get all the kisses I want. :)

5. When do you put your decorations up? Usually a week or two past Thanksgiving. Thing 1 was the Decorations Dictator this year, Thing 2 played a video game most of the time.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Homemade sage stuffing. In the bird, even better. My father (Yes dad, I'm talking about you!) in his later years has developed a paranoid belief that stuffing from the bird is dangerous due to reports a few years back recommending that you take the stuffing out to store it. So I make a pan for him and enjoy mine despite dire warnings and shakings of the head.

7. Favorite Holiday memory? Singing Christmas carols, especially carolling in neighborhoods and nursing homes. I also love gathering with my husband's musical family and singing them in the living room until we run out of songs to sing.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I was in second grade, and I was pissed about being lied to all that time. I was the oldest, and my parents ensured my silence on the subject thusly: "Ever notice how the Santa presents are the BEST presents? Well, if the boys didn't believe in Santa, those presents might disappear every year. We're sure you'll make the right decision on whether to tell your brothers, dear."

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? No, but we bake cookies to give to Santa.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Colered lights and white lights. Break proof ornaments until the twins are a little older. Pine cones and wooden stars, gold angels and bright red mini gift boxes. A strand of gold beads and those floss covered ornaments in primary colors plus some beautiful purple ones that look glass but aren't. Candy canes hangind on branches. I grab one and eat it once in awhile, nobody else in the house likes them.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love snow, hate bitter cold.

12. Can you ice skate? *rolls on floor laughing* That would be a no.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Tobor - a little walking robot (and yes, you did just notice that Tobor is Robot spelled backwards) as I'm something of a technophile. My mom gave up on dolls and got me the robot that year. The previous year I had asked for a really-crawls doll to mom's delight. Unfortunately, it was soon evident that I wanted to open her up and find out how she crawled. Very disillusioning for mom, I'm sure.

14. What’s the most important thing? Celebrating the birth of Jesus. Being a birth junkie only adds to my enjoyment of this holiday. Also honoring my mom's memory as this is our first Christmas since she died.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Pumpkin pie with real whipped cream, tied with Spritz cookies.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Blueberry muffins on Christmas morning - but after the presents to be merciful to the children who woke up at 5 AM wanting to open them.

17. What tops your tree? The most vulgar, gaudy light up star with colored light in the center and white on the outside you can imagine. I love my dignified gold star, but there is nothing more gloriously beautiful to five year olds than our "church window" light up star.

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? Giving! These Santa years are fun and we tend to splurge on the kids and put our gifts on the back burner for now.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Longest duration - Oh Come All Ye Faithful. As a child I had a wind up angel that played it. Current favorite - A Virgin Most Pure. Favorite to sing to the kids - The Friendly Beasts. But I have at least twenty that I love pretty equally. I'm way into traditional Christmas music.

20. Candy canes, Yuck or Yum? Passion sums it up nicely. I still long for the inch diameter foot long ones I had as a preteen. I would feel silly buying one as an adult, although I gues I could pass it off as a parent thing. Hmmm...

Got this one from Fat Doctor, who tagged everyone reading her blog. My top five Christmas songs, in no particular order:

Wexford Carol
The First Noel
A Virgin Most Pure
O Come All Ye Faithful
Silent Night

I'm also fond of other non-standard Christmas carols such as Watts Cradle Song, Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day and the Cherry Tree Carol. It's hard to pick just five top ones, because I have a very steady affection for so many. Maybe I'll share more lyrics as the season continues.

Anyway, consider yourself tagged if you have a blog and haven't done this one yet.