Christmas Meme (updated)

I was tagged by Esther for this meme, which I was really hoping I'd be tagged for! Hubby tells people that I'm like the Michael Jordan of wives, but that during Advent/Christmas, I'm like MJ during the Playoffs - just that much better. I absolutely love this season, and just as soon as I'm unpacked from vacation, I'll be baking up a storm!!!

UPDATE: I left off two questions somehow, so I added them. Scroll down to the bottom for them.

UPDATE #2: Hubby did his meme, too.

Anyway, here's the meme:

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate, unless there is Kahluah in the egg nog. (mmmm...)

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

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? We have two trees right now. Upstairs is prelit, all white, downstairs is strung by me each year, all colored.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Sort of. We have a fake cluster of it with a bell. It hangs on the back of the front door, and the girls love to stand under it demanding kisses from Mommy and Daddy.

5. When do you put your decorations up? We, too, used to do it Thanksgiving weekend, but have decided to be a bit more somber during Advent. We'll do it all (except for the wreath on the front door) the third weekend of Advent. I'm not sure we'll wait until Sunday because that is the day we'll go to see The Nutcracker with the girls. We might do it Saturday instead.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? No doubt: Dad's stuffing, which I have learned to make just as well as he does. In fact, my penance on the Friday after Thanksgiving (because we ate leftover turkey that day) was to skip the stuffing. And it was HARD to do!

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child. Probably Midnight Mass. I loved when we got there early and listened to the choir beforehand, and then we'd drive around after Mass and look at everyone's lights. I think that was Dad's way of calming us down after all that excitement. But it remains one of the best things about Christmas as a child. I wonder if Dad knows just how much I loved to drive and look at the lights that night.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? What? I don't understand. Did something happen to Santa?
.
.
.
.
.
Okay, seriously, it was Missy Sprague in the second grade. First day back to school, we are sitting at lunch. I looked across the table at my best friend and asked her what Santa brought her for Christmas. I was SO excited about whatever it was he brought me, and she looked at me and said, "What are you, a baby? There is no Santa." She proceeded to tell me, much to my dismay and utter disbelief, that our parents bought all the presents. Her parents, she said, never treated her like a baby and never told her there was such a thing as Santa. I managed to hold it in until I got home and asked my mother (without Baby Sister around) the Big Question About Santa. I was in tears over it. So Missy Sprague, if you are reading this, it was you. But don't feel badly, because you didn't know better. Your parents should have told you not to ruin it for other kids (just like friends of mine have done with their kids - they don't do Santa, but are careful about it). So I forgive you, Missy.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Nope. We wait until Christmas morning.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? With ornaments from Hubby's and my childhood, as well as "special" ornaments we've collected and given to the children over our years as a married couple. Every year, the children each get one ornament that is special for them, and we get one more for ourselves. Plus, we have ornaments that we've made, too.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love it!!! Of course, I don't really have to drive in it, which I hear makes a difference, but, come on! It's so beautiful when it falls! Christmas always seemed wrong when I was living in Florida. Warm weather does not go with Christmas, you know.

12. Can you ice skate? I can if by "ice skating" you mean holding on to a wall as you cautiously shuffle your way around a rink, fearing every moment that you'll fall down and someone will skate over your hand and cut off your fingers. If that isn't what you mean, then the answer is, um...no, not really.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Not really. So many wonderful gifts over the year. This year is up there, though. I got mine early - a crucifix (mine broke). It's a corpus on a Celtic cross. I'd never seen anything like it! So pretty! (Thank you, Hubby!)

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Celebrating Baby Jesus' birth, naturally!

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Chocolate chip cookies. Nestle's recipe: doubled up with triple the chips. Keep in the fridge and eat ice cold with a BIG glass of milk. mmmmm.....

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Driving around with our girls to look at Christmas lights. (We do it often, though, not just on Christmas Eve.)

17. What tops your tree? Upstairs: nothing. The ceiling is too low. Downstairs: a tiny angel that a friend gave to me while I was her teaching assistant.

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? Giving - the old adage is true, you know.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Silent Night, followed very closely by O, Holy Night

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? Well, I like the ones that taste like chocolate mint, and I like to melt the traditional ones in a cup of hot chocolate. I'm not big on mint by itself.

21. Favorite Christmas movie? It's a Wonderful Life, which is also my favorite movie of all time. Followed very closely by Miracle on 34th Street - original only, black and white only.

22. What do you leave for Santa? Hot chocolate, milk, and a few of each kind of cookie we make, especially those Toll House cookies. Santa says he really loves the extra chips.

Who should I tag??? Let's see...

How about Baby Sister, Hubby, and SFO Mom (if she hasn't already done it). If you feel inspired and no one has tagged you, consider yourself tagged by me. Leave a link in the combox when you are done.