Christmas Hoopla

Beth has tagged me for Christmas Hoopla. Now that I’m finally in the Christmas spirit (see #12) I am taking a few minutes to actually do this.

Here are the golden rules:

1. List 12 random things about yourself that have to do with Christmas.

2. Please refer to it as a ‘hoopla’ and not the dreaded ‘m’-word…

3. You have to tag specific people when you’re done. No “if you’re reading this, consider yourself tagged” stuff is allowed…then nobody ends up actually doing it. The number of people who you tag is really up to you — but the more, the merrier to get this ‘hoopla’ circulating through the blogosphere.

4. Please try and do it as quickly as possible. The Christmas season will be over before we know it! Let’s involve as many people as possible!

5. Please give Andrea some link-love as the “Hoopla-Creator!

My 12 Facts of Christmas

1. I LOVE fruitcake!!! So does Don. Our kids think we are out of our minds. Go figure.

2. Snow at Christmas would be nice but I haven’t had a white Christmas in longer than I can remember so I guess it really doesn’t matter. In fact, having snow might be a bit disconcerting.

3. Christmas cards start early and get out late. I love getting cards after Christmas. They are like little smile making surprises.

4. It took forever to get a picture of Krista with Santa Claus. She did not like that furry faced fellow at all. Finally, when she was six, she sat with Santa but insisted that Quanah go with her. I treasure that picture.

5. Funny how I don’t remember when I realized that Santa didn’t really come down chimneys to visit us (and by extention, that he actually existed). I sometimes wish he WAS a reality.

6. Quanah was born nine days before Christmas. Shortly after we brought him home from the hospital, Don disappeared for several hours. When he got home, he arrived with a tree, ornaments and a manger, all things that we did not have. He went to the mall’s Hallmark store and bought them out. When the manager of the store saw what was going on, he dropped what he was doing and helped Don personally. Don spent $150 that afternoon on the manger and ornaments. Mind you, that is in 1979 dollars.

7. Five years later when Krista was born (a month before Christmas), Don went out and did the same thing, buying all the 1984 Baby’s First Christmas ornaments he could find.

8. Don does all the decorating. And I do mean all. The smartest thing I can do is get out of the way. Krista doesn’t let him get away with it though and she always manages to get into it too.

9. Don puts up Christmas lights, too. Even when Quanah was growing up, it was a dad thing.

10. We LOVE watching all of the movies, old and new that come around on TV every year.

11. I always say Merry Christmas. I object to generalized holiday greetings. And I especially object to merchants continuing their raid on our wallets and then call Christmas trees holiday trees (Hello Borders. Are you listening?) We would not be celebrating as we do, other traditions not withstanding, if we were not celebrating the birth of Christ.

12. It always takes me a while to get into the spirit of Christmas. Not really sure why but once I’m off work, which is usually 5-6 before Christmas, I suddenly start feeling a lessening of the weight of work and the space I need to enjoy Christmas opens wide.

Now I get to tag some others. I am going to tag- LeeAnne, Robyn, and Annie. I hope you will joy in the fun.