My inner elf has to play...

My sister-in-law posted this list of Christmas-related questions on her blog.

If you know me well (my favorite song right now is "Everybody Loves Christmas" by Eddie Money- you know, from the end of The Santa Clause 2 when Mrs. Claus dances???), then you know my inner elf said...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Paper. Hands-down. Who wants to pull a gift out of a bag???

2. Real tree or artificial? Real. You should be ashamed of yourself for putting up a fake one.

3. When do you put up the tree? The Saturday after Thanksgiving.

4. When do you take the tree down? Usually a day or two after Christmas. When it's over, it's over. No since in making yourself depressed just looking at.

5. Do you like eggnog? Ugh.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? I specifically remember the year we wanted an Atari, and we were not expecting one. Then on Christmas morning, E.T. was on the TV screen...it took us all of about 10 seconds to figure it out!!! We were so excited- and we even had to take turns with mom, who loved Asteroids.

7. Have a nativity scene? Yes.

8. Hardest person to buy for? People who either have everything or have more money than me, so anything they want they could have already bought for themselves and I can't afford.

9. Easiest person to buy for? Kids. They always want SOMEthing.

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I honestly can't think of anything too awful. I have received tons of *trinkets* from students- mugs, candy, mugs, ornaments, mugs, candy, lotion, ornaments. But that isn't *bad* because they are so sweet and so excited when they give it to you.

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Real photo card. Link to the blog for the *letter*. (Since I did cut down a real tree, I figured I'd do my part and save some paper).

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Yikes. Well- I have to choose two. "A Year Without a Santa Claus" because I LOVELOVELOVE Heat Miser's and Snow Miser's songs! (Larry and I almost went as them to a Halloween party one year.) And "Charlie Brown's Christmas". It says Christmas all over it- a classic. I know just about all the words because I watch it several times each Christmas.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? The day after Thanksgiving. Yes, I'm out there with all those crazy people!

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not that I remember.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Sweet treats we only make at Christmas...mainly Angie's Peanut Butter Balls!

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Once again I have two (all good elves can't like just one). Everybody Loves Christmas by Eddie Money; and I also like the Trans Siberian Orchestra's Christmas Pachelbel Canon. It would be beautiful for a Christmas wedding.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Dumb question.

20. Angel on top of the tree or star? An angel. It was hand-tatted by a very old lady at a church I went to years ago. I won it in the gift exchange. It was the present I opened, and then I got to choose to "steal" ANYone's gift and trade. But I kept mine- I loved it! They thought I was being nice, but I really loved it!

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Because we have a ton of family and I am a Christmas elf, we start around the 21st/22nd, ending with our family of five on Christmas morning. It's nice for the kiddos to have it spread out a bit.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? How they repeat the SAME Christmas songs over and over on the radio (they never play my favorites). And the traffic near major shopping areas.

23. What I love most about Christmas? The decorations, the shopping, the food, the gift-giving, the hanging-out with family, the time off from school, the music, the sights and smells, the everybody's having fun stuff!