Tag teamed!

I've been tagged by Kristi and Cindy in the last week so I guess I'd better get on the ball, eh?  I also have to share that I made a yellow cake tonight so I could make Bakerella's cake balls tomorrow and the Worst Cat Ever, Louie, ATE the top of it.  Stupid cat.  Guess who's still going to make the cake balls?  I am also listening to that most jolly of holiday tunes, "Supersonic," by none other than JJ Fad.  It's a long story as to how that got downloaded and I'm not sure anyone is interested.  Let's move on.

If I tag you, copy the questions below and answer them on your blog. Then tag 5 others! (I am already nervous about this tagging thing.  I don't know how many people actually read my blog).  

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?

Hot chocolate.  Egg nog, bleah.  It doesn't even sound good to me.  The Signature hot chocolate from Starbucks is SO yummy.  I also like a good cup of coffee as well.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?

Santa is not going to wrap presents this year because he's bringing a fake Thomas the train set so it will be set up by the fireplace.  I estimate it will be intact for approximately 30 seconds before 1 year old Hurricane Nuria comes on the scene.

3. Colored light on house/tree or white?

Well, when we lived in our little house, we had those big Charlie Brown lights on the outside of the house.  Now that we live in a 2 story house, I wouldn't let David get on a ladder to hang any lights.  Too risky, in my opinion.  We have colored lights on the tree too.  I am game for either but David has very strong opinions about lighting at Christmas time.  We have white bulbs in the candles in our windows.  I am NOT a fan of red bulbs in window candles.  They look like the occupants might be celebrating a Satanic holiday rather than Christmas.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?

Nope, but have some good doorways where we could if we thought about it!

5. When do you put your decorations up?

Well, this year, we were going to put up the tree on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.  Then it rained the whole weekend.  We were going to put it up the next weekend, but we were too busy (or lazy).  So, we put it up this past weekend.  We've had Snow Village stuff up for a while though.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?

My mom has made standing rib roast for the past few years for Christmas dinner and OMG, it is soooo good.  She also makes Yorkshire pudding (or popovers.  Are those the same thing?) and YUM. 

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?

The year that I was in 3rd grade, I think, my cousins were in town from Oklahoma and our parents had planned a trip to Disney for all of us after Christmas.  We all got presents with letters in them and we had to work this puzzle to figure out what the letters spelled out.  It was SO much fun.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?

I don't really remember.  I think I put two and two together when the Tooth Fairy forgot to come one time and when I went crying to my mom, a dollar bill miraculously appeared under my pillow!

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?

Yes, we all open one present on the afternoon of Christmas Eve.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?

We have a bunch of ornaments:  a few that my mom gave me from when I was a kid, ornaments that I have gotten from students over the years,  ornaments we bought on our honeymoon or other vacations, ones that Maggie has made.

11. Snow. Love it or dread it?

I love snow, mainly because it doesn't happen very often around here, so when it does, it's a great treat.  I like to be able to stay home and be cozy when it snows.

12. Can you ice skate?

I think the last time I went ice skating was when I was in college and all I can say is NEVER AGAIN. I fell so much I almost broke my tailbone.  

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?

My Speak n Spell, Cabbage Patch kids, Swatch

14. What is the most important thing about the holidays for you?

Being together with family and making sure that Maggie has special memories to look back on, like I do.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?

Moravian spice cookies, sugar cookies, pecan turtles from south Georgia that my mom always gets.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?

We started a new one this year: walking around the  neighborhood at night to "look at the Christmas" (the lights), going to church on Christmas Eve, playing games with my family, making cookies with Maggie (that's a new one, too), listening to Christmas music the entire drive to my mom and dad's, doing Christmas with David's family, going to see the Fantasy in Lights at Callaway Gardens, eating snackies for supper on Christmas, after the big dinner. Gosh, I have a lot of favorites.

17. What tops your Christmas tree?

An angel that the mom of one of David's students made.  He taught that kid his first year of teaching and then I taught him the next year!

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?

I absolutely love giving gifts.  It's one of my favorite things to do.  I like to receive, of course, but I really love to buy stuff for people.


19. What is your favorite Christmas song?

Oh, I have a BUNCH!  "Let there be Light," "O Little Town" and "When Love Came Down" by Point of Grace, "Grown Up Christmas List," "Breath of Heaven," and "Tender Tennessee Christmas" by Amy Grant, "Blue Christmas" by Elvis, that song about counting your blessing by Ray Conniff, "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" by Andy Williams, and my classical favorites are "In the Bleak Midwinter," "Once in Royal David's City" and "O Come All Ye Faithful."

20. Candy Canes. Yum or Yuck?

I think they're okay.  I like candy cane Lifesavers better.  They're just enough peppermint.

21. What do you want for Christmas?

Honestly, I don't really know.  I have everything I could ever want.

22. Do you attend an annual Christmas party?

There is a work party at my school every year but this year it's not until January.  Kind of weird, but whatever.  At the church we used to attend, the choir always had a Christmas party at someone's house with GOOD food and singing!  

23. Do you dress up for Christmas Eve or wear PJ's?

Dress up for church.  If we were at our home, PJ's all the way.  My mom prefers more "formal" dress, shall we say.  :)

24. Do you own a Santa hat?

I do not.

25. Who do you normally spend Christmas with?

We go to my mom and dad's house in GA.  My grandmother also comes as well as my brother and his family.  We always do Christmas with David's family before we go to my parents' house.

So, now you know way too much about me.  I also want to say that I so wish I knew the Kristi and Cindy in real life.  They both have daughters from Maggie's SWI and I think we (and the kids) would all get along so well! Also, Kristi used to LIVE HERE and we never got together! ::cries::

I think I will tag, uh.....

Meredith.  Her blog is PW protected but I think most of my readers read her blog.  Also, we have been friends for 28 years?  Is that right?  Wowsers!

Glenna.  I've known her since gosh, elementary school?  She has a super cute daughter and we have recently reconnected.

Kimberly.  Her blog is always a bit more encouraging than mine is and I heart her daughter.

Hillary.  She is Kimberly's sister and she writes so beautifully about her daughters.

Emily.  Her little sister, AnnaClaire, and Maggie are buddies and now they have a new girlie, Kate, at home!