Karen sent this questionnaire to me in an e-mail and rather than fill it out and e-mail it on, I thought I would just blog it. Why? Because it just brings so many Christmas memories to mind that I wanted to have saved some place. Plus it gives me a chance to post this funny picture of Cooper with Santa from the Ward Christmas party (classic Cooper expression--or is that Bob??) What Mormon kid doesn’t have memories of a ward Christmas party with Santa coming to visit?? (Ward Christmas parties, that’s a whole other blog by itself!)Anyway, it’s a little long so if you don’t read it all I won’t hold it against you. (Although I did read all of Karen’s). So Karen, here is my response to your e-mail (I took a few out and added one of my own):
Wrapping paper or gift bag? I love wrapping and have since I was a little girl. I’m not very good with bags—I can never figure out to get the tissue in right. Spencer loves to wrap too (hardly suprising for those who know him).
Real or Artificial tree? Already covered in previous blog.
When do you put up the tree? We always go get the tree the first weekend after Thanksgiving weekend.
When do you take the tree down? Usually a day or two after Christmas. It always looks forlorn without the gifts under it.
Do you like Eggnog? I love eggnog and this year we accidentally discovered Pumpkin Eggnog which we like even more.
Favorite gift you received as a child? I really can’t remember a particular favorite. I CAN remember always having a really difficult time going to sleep in anticipation though.
Do you have a nativity scene? I have two. One is a little miniature mouse set that is really cute but a little worse for the wear since it has been around for about 10 years. The other is an old cardboard one that the Church produced sometime in the 50s that I found in the Ward Primary closet one time when I was tossing out really old stuff that hadn’t been used in years. It is exactly like the one we had when I was a kid and I always loved it. It has three parts to so it is kind of 3D and has beautiful soft tones and wonderful lighting. I think everyone in my family would know which on that is. I took it home because it hadn’t been used in years and years and probably never would. It reminds me of growing up.
Worst Christmas gift ever received? It was one that I totally wanted so much it was practically and ache. I had picked it out of the Sears Christmas catalog and really wanted this Barbie-like doll called Dollikin (something like that). I wanted it instead of a Barbie because the arms & legs moved—Barbie’s legs moved but not like this doll and Barbie’s arms were stiff. That seemed really cool—until I got my wish and found out that the arms and legs were jointed not smooth like Barbie’s. She couldn’t wear a bathing suit or sleeveless shirts or anything. It was the first lesson I think I ever learned about being careful what you wished for without really thinking (researching) first.
Christmas Cards ... Snail mail or E-mail? Snail mail but mine are probably going to be New Year’s cards this year!
Favorite Christmas Movie(s)? It’s a Wonderful Life which I had never seen until I moved to Seattle so I didn't know it was a Christmas classic.
What's your favorite Christmas show(s)? The Grinch (classic—not Jim Carey) and Charlie Brown Christmas
When do you Christmas Shop? Every year I have wonderful intentions of doing it before Thanksgiving (looking all year round) but I never do. I’m a shameful last minute shopper. (Hence mom & dad’s gift not arriving until January this year.)
Have you ever 'recycled' a Christmas present? Yes, I am a shameless regifter. Particularly when working in advertising. We always got these great gifts from vendors and it was easy to wrap them to give to the kid’s teachers (sorry Karen) or co-workers, or a white elephant thing.
Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Lisa’s Swedish Pancakes on Christmas Eve.
Favorite Christmas Song? I love O Holy Night AND any Jim Reeve’s Christmas song—which any offspring of Bob Vaden (at least the girls) would tell you is a must have part of Christmas. I was seriously excited when Karen sent us a Jim Reeves Christmas CD. I usually load the CD player with Christmas songs the day after Thanksgiving. I have two other favorite CDs (besides Jim Reeves). One is a Time Life 2-disc compilation of classics like Bing’s White Christmas, Carpenter’s Christmas Song, Perry Como, etc—it even has two Jim Reeve’s songs. My two favorite songs on it are by Roger Whitaker who as a lovely voice and sings Ding Dong Merrily on High and Rocking. I would highly recommend a Christmas album by him. The other is the 1st “A Very Special Christmas” album with songs by the Eurythmics, Stevie Nicks, & Bob Seger. We have one other Very Special Christmas album that is okay (love Lyle Lovett singing Jingle Bell rock) but not as good as the first one.
Travel at Christmas or Stay Home? We stay home. We did make a trip to Idaho one year and I was seriously excited because I thought after years in Seattle without it that there would finally be snow for Christmas. I was so bummed when there wasn’t any! That was before we had kids and after a scary trip to Idaho at Thanksgiving one year we decided that it was a trip best taken anytime other than the winter. The roads can be scary between here and there. We always spend Christmas Eve at Dan & Lisa’s with the whole Chandler clan (that’s where the Swedish pancakes come in) and usually have Oma & Opa with us Christmas day.
Open the Presents Christmas Eve or Morning? The kids have a gift exchange with their cousins (each kid draws a cousin to give to) and we have a white elephant exchange among the adults on Christmas Eve. Our family presents are always opened on Christmas day.
Does Santa wrap or not (I added this question)? When I was growing up, Santa never wrapped (he didn’t have time) so the gifts from Santa were always left under the tree unwrapped. In Dennis’ family he always wrapped. (I guess he had time because there were only 4 kids in Dennis’ family and there were 8 in mine.). So, when we got married we had to compromise. For years, Santa left the gifts for the boys unwrapped and Mrs. Santa wrapped the gifts in the stockings. A few years ago, Santa started wrapping again—mostly so the boys had to wait until we were ready to get out of bed and see what he brought. (They can unwrap Mrs. Santa’s gifts in the stocking while they are waiting.)
Do you decorate outside for Christmas or just inside (or at all?) Inside and outside. In fact, I have put up the outside lights for years because it is not Christmas without them to me. Even when I was 8 months pregnant with Cooper (okay basically 9 months) I put them up—climbing the ladder and everything. Got to have those outside lights!
Favorite Christmas cookie? Frosted sugar cookies—yum, yum. I usually make tons because I love frosting & decorating them and eating them. The kids are good for frosting about 5-8 and they are done—leaving oh, about 100 for me to frost.
Do you believe in Santa? Sheesh—who doesn’t??
If you could have a single Christmas Wish that was just for you and you alone...what would it be? The same as Karen’s “to see all my family at Christmas”—including some that are no longer with us.
Now, this has brought me a bit of the Christmas spirit. Thanks Karen.
6 comments:
Pumpkin egg nog?? That sounds divine! Santa never wrapped our presents either, which worked out nicely because we could keep ourselves entertained until mom woke up.
I loved reading that. Thanks. By the way, I haven't been on for awhile and I wanted to tell you how impressed I am you did a half-marathon. I trained one summer for a 5K and that was enough for me. I'm impressed. What an accomplishment. Side note: My Santa didn't wrap, Mike's did. The first year or two our Santa had half-wrapped, half-not, but ever since, he's wrapped it all. That way there is no four A.M peeking.
Once again enjoyed the blog. I had no idea there was even an issue of whether santa wrapped or not!
Jim Reeves is always a must, but I have to admit that though not a grinch, I am certainly apathetic/ambivalent toward christmas. Have never had a tree on my own, or the desire to buy/decorate one. No lights... nothing really.
Every year I am just relieved for the two week respite from academic stress. But little of my energy goes toward decoration. I AM on the other hand, a lover of making and/or giving gifts when I have the opportunity.
Perhaps I am 1/2 grinch?
There are always plenty of things to wrap without having to help Santa. Though Chuck has been known to do so at times over the years. I forgot to mention Raffi's Christmas album. "We Fish You a Hairy Kiss Moose" etc. If you have children and haven't introduced them to the wonders of Raffi I'm afraid I'm going to have to report you for child neglect.
PS. Miste, we still have 3 fish in the tank that the boys got the last time they were here- about quadrupled in size. You can see two of them in the pic I posted - silver with reddish fins. They would probably get bigger if they were in a larger tank. Too bad for them :0)
Hey, just got your Christmas letter and loved it. Very clever. I had to go back and check out Dennis doing the can-can. Awesome. Hey, you probably have your conference trip all planned, but if you need a place to stay let me know.
pumpkin egg nog does sound diving- I need to expand my horizons and go beyong the regular stuff. Actually this year we didn't even get any egg nog. Sad. This was a fun post.
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