I've been tagged!

Yippeee...... I've been tagged by my daughter-in-love Laura!
You know what that means???? I get to answer questions and folks will read and anticipate my answers!
I LOVE to blog! ;-)

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Definitely HOT CHOCOLATE! I really do NOT like Egg Nog!
2. Does Santa wrap presents or leave them open? Santa doesn't actually stop at our house anymore. He now stops at the homes of our grandchildren. However, Nene and Poppy wrap gifts at our house - it's so much fun to watch little faces eye the gifts all evening long anticipating what is inside. When our boys were little - Santa left the gifts open under the tree. When Ryan was 6, Sean was 5 and Aaron was 3 - the boys and I were cleaning out the toy box to make room for the new toys that Santa would bring. I told them that we would clean up the old toys and make them like new and then give them to poor children that otherwise wouldn't get any toys. I thought that was reasonable. Well, we worked for awhile longer and Sean declared, "I don't like Santa Claus anymore!" What - why don't you like Santa anymore? He says, "because Santa doesn't bring presents to poor children!" Geez..... I never anticipated that!
3. Colored lights or white lights? I love both - growing up we always had colored lights on the tree at my house. Now... it depends on my mood when lights are going up as to what is used.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? Usually not - but I think we should. I do LOVE to smooch! Mistletoe would give me yet another opportunity to get even more smooches! I could "take" without asking.....
5. When do you put your decorations up? The day after Thanksgiving. This year it took me 2 full days to get them up. I turned on the Christmas music and put up decorations while John was at work. I have to admit that I doddled a bit more than usual while putting things out. I always enjoy my Christmas memories when decorating - I know - I'm a bit sappy.
6. What is your favorite Holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Hmmm... that is a tough question. Homemade yeast rolls - fresh from the oven. Now you are asking yourself - what is she talking about? There are NEVER homemade yeast rolls at Nene's! Well, I used to make them every year - long ago - and - growing up, my Mom made them every year (actually she made them every Sunday) - SO - they are still my favorite thing even though I don't serve them anymore.
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? I loved everything about Christmas as a child! My Mom always made it a magical time. We always had a real Christmas tree - we always went out as a family and chose the perfect one! We decorated it together - and always put lots of "care" into each beautiful ornament. The tree always had icicles! Those horrible silver stringy ones. I thought they were beautiful though. We always went to church on Christmas eve and lite candles and stuff. Christmas was all about family - and being together - baking cookies, decorating, singing, listening to stories, making cards for one another - it was all about making one-another know how special they were. Yep - I loved Christmas as a child.
8. When did you learn the truth about Santa? Oh - I remember that very well. 2nd grade - that fat little boy, David Robb, told me. I remember I called him a LIAR! He told the teacher! I got in trouble. However, my teacher did have compassion and didn't make me sit in the corner - she said that I should discuss it with my parents when I got home from school. I asked my mom as soon as I got home - she deferred me to my dad - so I had to wait for him to come home. I was waiting on the front porch for my dad - as soon as he drove up - I cornered him. He took his time, changed his clothes, we ate dinner and then he told me to come and sit with him. I could tell by the look on his face that this was going to be serious - I started crying before he said a word. I remember clearly he said, "baby-girl, I am not going to lie to you, Santa Claus is really your mother and me." I know this will surprise you (NOT), but even as a child, I was emotional and lived directly from my heart! I started screaming along with the crying and hitting my dad on the arm - I was sad but mostly PISSED-OFF!!!! He let me cry and scream and hit for awhile - then he said - "ENOUGH!" My tirade changed to crying and hugging and he assured me that he would always be Santa for me. And he was - right through his last Christmas on earth.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas eve? We open gifts with our children and grandchildren and my sweet mother-in-law on Christmas eve - John and I share our gifts with each other on Christmas morning.
10. How do you decorate your tree? Over the years, I have collected lots of colors and themes for the tree - so - decorating color depends on the mood of the year. This year, I have used different colors in different areas of the house. Hmmm...... I like it.
11. Snow! Love it or dread it? I have a love/hate relationship with snow. I love to watch it falling and I think it is beautiful. BUT - I only like snow if I can stay home with John and have a good book to read and lots of yummy food to eat!
12. Can you ice skate? That is a great big - "NO!" I have tried several times over the years, my ankles bend - I finally gave up trying somewhere in my 30's.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Growing up we didn't have lots of money. I didn't realize that until I was much older. Did I mention that my mom always made Christmas magical? I think I was in kindergarten the year that I wanted a Toodles doll. I asked Santa everytime I saw him - I told everyone that Santa was going to bring me a Toodles doll. However, there was no money for a Toodles doll. My parents never discouraged me from asking for the Toodles doll and never told me that there wasn't a chance in HECK that Santa was going to bring me one. The really cool thing about Toodles was that she came with LOTS of different clothes to change and her own diapers. I went to bed on Christmas eve declaring that in the morning - there would be a Toodles doll for me under the tree. In retrospect, that had to be a lot of pressure for my parents. Anyway - my mom took my old Tiny Tear's doll and cleaned it up - then she made about 20 beautiful changes of clothes for her, complete with matching shoes and diapers and blankets. The really special thing was that these little outfits matched many of my clothes. In other words, she made them out of scraps left over from clothes she had made me. I never said a word about not getting a Toodles doll because I was so in LOVE with my many doll clothes. I played all day - all year - dressing up my old babydoll. Did I mention that my mom made Christmas magical?
14. What is the most important thing about the Holidays? Hands down - being with the ones you love.
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? I LOVE sugar cookies, cut into cool shapes-the yummy homemade ones with frosting and decorations. Don't get them very often - but they are my FAVORITE! Maybe I should make some this year.
16. What is your favorite Christmas tradition? Hmm.... since the kids are all grown up, Christmas traditions have sort of fallen by the wayside. My favorite now is Christmas eve when everyone is "home" - home being our house. Christmas eve is our time to celebrate with our children and grandchildren - our family - at our house. I really need to get some memorable traditions going for that evening. I dream that someday all of my siblings can be together on Christmas eve again. We haven't all been together since the Christmas before my brother, Carl, was in Vietnam. That was 1965. I was the youngest of 5 children - late in life for my parents - the older kids starting leaving home when I was very young. Up through 1965, everyone was always able to make it home. After that - no. Ok - I need to stop for a minute and cry.
17. What tops your Christmas tree? An angel is on top of one and sparkly happy stuff on top of the other. Yep - 2 trees this year at Nene and Poppy's house. Better come and see.
18. Which do you prefer - giving or receiving? Definitely giving. It makes my heart happy!
19. What is your favorite Christmas song? It is a song that many may not know - it is an old old song that originated in the pre-civil war era. It was sung by the slaves as they gathered for their family Christmas. It's called "Jesus, Oh What a Wonderful Child." It is always sung without musical instruments and in 4-part harmony! It's beautiful!
Words:
Jesus.....Jesus....
Oh what a wonderful child.
Jesus...Jesus.....
So lowly, meek and mild.
New life!
New hope!
New joy He brings,
Won't you listen.... as the angels sing-
Glory! Glory! Glo---orr----eeee to the new born King!

I think my grandbabies need to learn that one this year!
20. Candy Canes - Yum or Yuck! That would be a BIG YUCK!!!
21. What do you want for Christmas??? That's easy - I want everyone in my family and each of my friends to be "Happy, healthy and completely WHOLE in every area of their life: body - soul - and spirit!"
22. Do you attend an annual Christmas party? Annual parties have changed over the years. Currently, the only for sure parties are Dirty Santa with some of my home-girls and the office party. I am trying to rekindle a Christmas cookie exchange party. I did them every year when we lived in Jonesboro. I'll let you know if it becomes a new "annual" or not.
23. Do you dress-up or wear PJ's on Christmas? I guess Poppy and I had better dress-up! We no longer own any PJ's! Sorry boys - but now that you're all on your own - well - heck - we even walk around in our underwear at home now!!!! ;-) It's probably best if you don't try to get a visual on this.
24. Do you own a Santa hat? No - but I think Poppy needs one! The whole Santa hat thing would mess up my "do!"
25. Who do you normally spend Christmas with? Christmas Eve with all of the kids and grandkids. Christmas day - usually just John and I - chillin, going to a movie, or helping feed the homeless someplace. Sometimes a combination of all 3!

That was fun! Thanks for inviting me to particpate Laura!

The 2 that I tag are Missy and Abby! You girls better not disppoint me.......

Merry Christmas!