Christmas Tag!

I've been tagged by the one they call Melanie! And this looks like a fun one! Here it goes:

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Egg Nog! No, Hot Chocolate! No, Egg Nog! Oh I don't know!

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?A little bit of both. But, Santa puts the presents in "Santa circles" made out of the clothes we were wearing on Christmas Eve. I know, kind of weird but it's a tradition through my mom's family.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? We have white lights on our tree but I love both!

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No, but we should!
5. When do you put up your decorations?Isaac wouldn't let us put up the presents until his birthday on the thirteenth!

6. What is your favorite holiday dish?Cookies, cake and candy!

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child?My mom always made the holidays so much fun! It's hard for me to pick one favorite. One year she made gingerbread houses and some family friends came over to decorate them. She sang all sorts of Christmas songs with us. We'd act out the Nativity, I loved being Mary. We read the "Polar Express" on Christmas Eve. Lots of happy memories!

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

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We open two. Each of the kids get a new pair of pajamas and a new ornament every year.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Usually Robert assembles it, then he curses the lights, then the kids hang all of the ornaments and the star goes on last.

12. Can you ice skate? Not well!

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? When I was a little girl I got this cute little Barbie family. I loved it! When we were dating Robert gave me a promise ring. The first year we were married he gave me a diamond necklace. Last year he gave me a diamond and amethyst necklace. He's given me some beautiful gifts through the years. A couple years ago the kids gave me a Raggedy Ann doll just like I had when I was little.
14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?The magic of the season, experiencing Christmas through my children's eyes.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Diane's Christmas pies!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?Making gingerbread houses, pajamas on Christmas Eve, cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning.

17. What tops your tree? a star of course!

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Giving, especially seeing the joy in my children's faces when they open their presents!

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? The Sleigh Ride song. It's so fun! And What Child is This. I love most Christmas songs, except Grandma got Ran Over by a Reindeer, that one makes me want to throw things!

20. Do you feel Christmas is too commercialized? Oh yeah. Every time you turn around there is something screaming at you to buy this and get that! We try to do something every year to make the kids remember what Christmas is all about.

This year we went to Shop Ko and picked out three children off the Sub for Santa "Angel Tree". A 8 year old girl, a 7 year old boy and a 2 year old girl. My manager at Ross (my new work) told all the employees that we could get an additional 50% off anything we bought for the "Angel Tree".

Because of her generosity we were able to buy these kids lots of nice things including coats, hats, gloves and toys. It was a really great experience for us. I'd expected my kids to start with the "I want this! Gimme that!" routine. I was shocked when instead they started asking "Can we get this for them too?"

We took the gifts in to Sub for Santa. The kids wanted to put the bags in the box themselves. The lady volunteering there told my kids that they had helped Santa do his job and that those kids would be so happy on Christmas morning bc of them. Daisey looked at me and said,"That makes my heart feel so happy." Seeing the looks of pride on my children's faces seriously pulled on my heart strings.

It was such a good experience for my kids, especially in this season of wanting material things. I hope that it's something that we can continue to do every year.

I tag....Clarissa, Brynn, Kate and Augest! Have fun!