Okay, I don’t like memes. I avoid them, ignore them and pretend they don’t exist. The last time I did one was something like April 2005 but, since you asked very nice and you’re one of my favorite people, here goes the Christmas meme:

1.Wrapping paper or gift bags? I use wrapping paper for children and gift bags for adults even though I was not a “tear into it” person when I was little.

2.Real tree or artificial? Doug and I bought an artificial tree our first Christmas together and I honestly wonder why I was opposed to them for so long. No needles on the floor is wonderful.

3.When do you put up the tree? The weekend after Thanksgiving. Nothing Christmas comes out before Thanksgiving. I don’t like merging holidays.

4.When do you take the tree down? The first weekend after New Year’s Eve.

5.Do you like eggnog? I think it’s yummy and I like to have a tiny glass with something extra when I finally settle into bed at night. Unfortunately, my children all like eggnog, so I don’t actually get to have any very often.

6.Favorite gift you received as a child? Umm, I really can’t remember. I remember family and food and wrapping paper all over the floor, but not any specific gifts.

7.Do you have a nativity scene? A sturdy wood one that the children play with every year.

8.Hardest person to buy for? My husband’s little sister.

9.Easiest person to buy for? That would be me, because I like everything, but I love shopping for my children. It’s a special treat to give them things they want instead of things they need.

10.Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. I love Christmas cards.

11.Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Either the year my ex gave me a briefcase because he needed one or the year after that when I was pregnant and he gave me a halter top as an incentive to “lose all that weight”.

12.Favorite Christmas movie? Home for the Holidays

13.When do you start shopping? After Thanksgiving.

14.Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No.

15.Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Desserts! No, ham. No, the snacks. Okay, I like it all.

16.Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear. Zillions of clear and an eclectic hodgepodge of ornaments made by the children and received as gifts.

17.Favorite Christmas song? I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

18.Travel at Christmas or stay home? Home. My children will always spend Christmas morning in their own home and when my children have families of their own, I will encourage them to do the same.

19.Can you name all of Santa’s Reindeer? I can sing them.

20.Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel.

21.Open the presents on Christmas Eve or morning? Always on Christmas morning.

22.Most annoying thing about this time of year? Not having enough money to just have fun.

23.Do you have Jesus in your heart this Christmas? I just try to stay calm and not worry about disappointing anyone or visitors who make me neurotic.

24.What would you like for Christmas? My children and husband to be happy.

Things that weren’t on the list: I love to drive around and look at Christmas light displays. I always end up getting no sleep on Christmas eve because I’m wrapping and building and fretting about the children waking up too early. We have stockings for each person in the family that are opened while we wait for everyone to wake up, get dressed (if company is coming) and arrive. No company means jammies all day for everyone. It makes the day completely relaxed and full of silliness.

I won’t tag anyone, but if you decide to play along, leave me a link so I can read yours.