So here is the "tacky tree". It's coming down today, you better believe it. It will be the first time in my life that I've actually WANTED to take a tree down before New Years Eve.
I did get to the recipes I promised, but the homeschool posts will have to wait. We are going back to Texas for the weekend upon request by family, and are trying to get finished with school so we can get our bags packed for the long trip. Dollop of Sour Cream tagged me before Christmas, and I'm just getting around to my answers... Although a little late, I thought it would be better to do this now, rather than wait until next year!
CHRISTMAS QUESTIONS:
1. Hot Chocolate or apple cider?Hot chocolate, or a Grande Decaf Hazelnut Frappuccino or Latte if that is available instead.
2. Turkey or Ham?
Turkey – with lots of dressing and cranberry sauce. The real question is: “Canned or Whole Cranberries?”
3. Do you get a fake or real-you-cut-it-yourself Christmas tree?Fake. I almost died from an allergic reaction to the resin from the real tree we had in 1998. I’m not only allergic to the resin from the tree, which hangs around in your house long after the tree is gone, but I’m allergic to the mold that grows in the stand. Even the dust from the fake tree and ornaments bother me. To avoid allergy issues, we stick to fake, and try and seal our Christmas things up pretty tight.
4. Decorations on the outside of your house?We usually have a hand-painted manger scene that my father-in-law cut for me out of a flat piece of wood and attached steaks to. I painted it. It is very large, though… so we left it in storage this year. We usually go easy on the lights (maybe just one or two strands and a star above the baby Jesus) because my husband is allergic to the work involved putting up outside decorations and lights… and I’m not about to climb on the roof. This year, I would have put lights on the balcony at the apartments, but we didn’t have any lights or money to buy them!
5. Snowball fights or sleddin'?
No snow. From Texas. I love snow, though… as long as it doesn’t turn to sludge and ice.
6. Do you enjoy going downtown shopping?
No shopping this year. I do enjoy doing it when we have the money, though.
7. Favorite Christmas song?”Christmastime”, and “Welcome to Our World” - both by Michael W. Smith on his Christmastime Album
Here are the lyrics to "Welcome to Our World" - they are so awesome:
Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God
You’ve been promised, we’ve been waiting
Welcome Holy Child
Welcome Holy Child
Hope that you don’t mind manger
How I wish we would have known
But long awaited Holy Stranger
Make yourself at home
Please make yourself at home
Bring your peace into our violence
Bid our hungry souls be filled
World now breaking Heaven’s silence
Welcome to our world
Welcome to our world
Fragile finger sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born
Unto us is born
So wrap our injured flesh around You
Breathe out air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy
Prefect Son of God
Perfect Son of God
Welcome to our world
Links to some great Christmas music you may not have heard yet:
CHRISTMAS QUESTIONS:
1. Hot Chocolate or apple cider?Hot chocolate, or a Grande Decaf Hazelnut Frappuccino or Latte if that is available instead.
2. Turkey or Ham?
Turkey – with lots of dressing and cranberry sauce. The real question is: “Canned or Whole Cranberries?”
3. Do you get a fake or real-you-cut-it-yourself Christmas tree?Fake. I almost died from an allergic reaction to the resin from the real tree we had in 1998. I’m not only allergic to the resin from the tree, which hangs around in your house long after the tree is gone, but I’m allergic to the mold that grows in the stand. Even the dust from the fake tree and ornaments bother me. To avoid allergy issues, we stick to fake, and try and seal our Christmas things up pretty tight.
4. Decorations on the outside of your house?We usually have a hand-painted manger scene that my father-in-law cut for me out of a flat piece of wood and attached steaks to. I painted it. It is very large, though… so we left it in storage this year. We usually go easy on the lights (maybe just one or two strands and a star above the baby Jesus) because my husband is allergic to the work involved putting up outside decorations and lights… and I’m not about to climb on the roof. This year, I would have put lights on the balcony at the apartments, but we didn’t have any lights or money to buy them!
5. Snowball fights or sleddin'?
No snow. From Texas. I love snow, though… as long as it doesn’t turn to sludge and ice.
6. Do you enjoy going downtown shopping?
No shopping this year. I do enjoy doing it when we have the money, though.
7. Favorite Christmas song?”Christmastime”, and “Welcome to Our World” - both by Michael W. Smith on his Christmastime Album
Here are the lyrics to "Welcome to Our World" - they are so awesome:
Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God
You’ve been promised, we’ve been waiting
Welcome Holy Child
Welcome Holy Child
Hope that you don’t mind manger
How I wish we would have known
But long awaited Holy Stranger
Make yourself at home
Please make yourself at home
Bring your peace into our violence
Bid our hungry souls be filled
World now breaking Heaven’s silence
Welcome to our world
Welcome to our world
Fragile finger sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born
Unto us is born
So wrap our injured flesh around You
Breathe out air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy
Prefect Son of God
Perfect Son of God
Welcome to our world
Links to some great Christmas music you may not have heard yet:
There are three other albums which I enjoy each year that you probably can’t buy… they are a Nutcracker and Symphony CD that AT&T sent out in 1997 or 1998 to their customers, and two various artist Christmas CDs from Starbucks. I found another old various artist CD at half-price books two years ago, also, but I don’t even know the name of it. As you can see, I really love Christmas music. The more the merrier!
8. How do you feel about Christmas movies?I like them, but I really don’t watch that much TV. I never know when they are on. I may go months without watching any TV at all… besides news clips on the internet or DVDs that the kids play at home (or an occasional movie with the family/with Kevin for date night).
9. When is it too early to start listening to Christmas music?
Never… but by the end of the first week of January, I start getting tired of it. Although, this year, it has made me more sad than happy… being away from home.
10. Stockings before or after presents?We always did stockings first as a kid. We don't have stockings right now though. I haven’t done them since we gave up Santa (when my son was a baby). I am considering bringing back the stockings, though… if we hand make some. I miss those little tiny gifts like glitter chapstick and such. They were always neat to dig into.
11. Carolers, do you or do you not watch and listen to them?
I’ve never had someone come caroling at my house, although if we had stayed in Texas, our church family there did caroling this year. I really wish I could have gone with them. They rode on a hay ride rig and went through the town we lived in. I love to sing.
12. Go to someone else's house or they come to you?We usually do the Christmas shuffle – and since Texas is so big, and we have family ALL over it, that meant hitting all the big cities within a week or two and a lot of time on the road. It was kind of nice this year not to have to drive, but I would rather drive to see family than be alone. We went to a friend’s house for Christmas lunch/dinner this year. It was nice to share the cooking and company since we were out of state. I have always hoped that one day, my kids would all come home for the holidays at my house.
13. Do you read the Christmas Story? If so when?
We have before, although this year, we didn’t. I really should have, though. My kids are very familiar with the story, but that’s no excuse. I just really was NOT in the Christmas mood this year. No presents, no shopping, no money, no decorations (other than the fake table top tree with no lights)… Bahumbug. Of course, that’s not what Christmas is about… and I could have gotten off my "pity pot" to make it better, but didn’t. We did go see a free light show, visit my dad, and eat lunch with friends. The grandparents were kind enough to send our kids some things to open in the mail this year, also.
14. What do you do after presents and dinner?Usually, DRIVE. Kevin’s parents and mine were divorced when we were little, so our kids have the blessing of four sets of grandparents.
15. What is your favorite holiday smell?
Pecans baking on the top of a pie or sweet potato casserole, gingerbread or cookies baking, fir or pine needles (even though I am deathly allergic), and just the entire meal (same smells as Thanksgiving). There's a pumpkin bath and body works lotion that I absolutely love, which they don't make anymore, also...
16. Ice skating or walking around the mall?My father is the ice skater. I did NOT inherit this gene, even though as a very young child, my idol was Dorothy Hammel and I wanted to be in the Icecapades. Malls are bad for your wallet. I try and avoid them if I can. If I had a little money to spare, I might enjoy it. When my husband and I were kids, we loved going together to the mall. We got married when I was barely 20, and he was barely 22.
17. Do you open a present or presents on Christmas Eve, or wait until Christmas day?Depends on which set of presents (we have four or five families to celebrate with). Traditionally, we go to a Christmas Eve Lutheran service with my husband’s family, and we eat a nice dinner together (his family is huge – as his mom was one of FIVE, and they always get together for every occasion), and then we open gifts with his mom’s side on Christmas Eve. It’s usually a drawing that decides who buys who’s gifts. Parents get to exchange kids names also. Then, we drive around and do Christmas on whatever day the other grandparents can do Christmas with the rest of our family.
18. Favorite Christmas memory?
The first Christmas I was with my husband. We were dating, but engaged. It was like magic being with someone I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. It truly gave Christmas a new meaning.
19. Favorite Part about winter?
Christmas and Cold (I love winter clothes and lots of blankets and hot drinks)
20. Ever been kissed under mistletoe?I’m sure I have. But it may have been staged. I can get you mistletoe if you need some. Just send me an email. Texas is covered with it in the winter. I like the challenge of getting it out of the tree more than the kissing thing. I am blessed to have a wonderful man to kiss every day.
21. Tagging...
Since it's after Christmas, the buck stops here. But, if you would like to answer these, go right on ahead! Happy New Year!
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