Santa stop here

Friday, December 3, 2010

Five Question Friday 12/03/10

I thought since it is now December and I don't ever want you to get bored visiting my blog on Five Question Friday, I'd woo you with my very own rendition of my favorite Christmas carol.  ::clearing throat::  Mi-mi-mi-mi. La-la-la-la.  Eh-hem.  That was just the warm up folks.  Here goes...What? You can't here what I'm singing?  Well, according to my cousin, maybe you're luckier for it. I will let you know that although I usually sing alto (or whatever the people next to me sing, really), I CAN hit that really high note at the end of  "O, Holy Night."
Anyway...moving right along to the real reason I'm sitting at my computer when dishes and dust are calling me by name: Five Question Friday blog hop hosted by Mama M over at My Little Life.  Please hop over to her blog to get the official rules and original questions to post on your very own blog. Don't forget to link up so others will know to check out your answers to this week's questions.

1. What's on the top of your holiday wish list and why?!
I try to encourage my family to write down on a wish list things that they want/need throughout the year.  This it to include mundane stuff like socks and underwear (obviously needs) and all of the extras.  It's like the ongoing grocery list stuck on the fridge, and everyone understands that these are suggestions only--some will be purchased some will not.  This way when birthdays, Mother's days, Father's days, etc. roll around or a little extra cash trickles in I have a clue as to what to get.  I started this tradition some years ago when my daughter fell hook, line and sinker for some "video now" electronic toy that she just had to have for Christmas.  She used it for about two weeks and you could no longer buy the little discs by the next time Christmas rolled around!  My idea doesn't work very well in my household b/c people take their lists off of the bulletin board in the kitchen to add something to them then they get lost in the mountain of bills, ads, mail and graded school papers that clutter my kitchen table never to be seen again!  Or, as is my husband's case, he just mentions things he wants at random times and expects me to remember 6 months later.  Anyway, I just put that idea out there for those of you organized folks that may benefit from such a system. Back to the original question, what's at the top of my holiday wish list?  I'd have to say as of a couple days ago, a food processor is at the top of my list.  Laura at "Home is where the heart is" posted a great recipe for Korean meatballs that involves chopping up chicken breasts in a food processor.  I've found so many recipes that require one.  I'm wondering how I've lived this long without one.  A new vacuum would be pretty close to the top, too.  My husband refuses to buy me "tools" as a gift.  I think it's just because he doesn't want to come off as a male chauvinist to his friends: "What'd you get your wife for Christmas?" "I got her a vacuum cleaner."  "Dude, you should have gone to Jared's!"
2. What is your favorite Christmas gift from the past?
I'd have to say a Christmas wedding was probably my greatest past Christmas gift.  I don't usually ask for much (you can never go wrong with a Target or craft store gift certificate IMO), but I love the Christmas season and we had an absolute blast getting married in December.
3. If you had life to do over, what would you be when you grow up?
I remember back in high school I considered going to medical school (ob/gyn).  I took 3 years of Latin for crying out loud!  In my not-so-infinite 18-year-old wisdom, I decided 8 more years of school was simply unreasonable.  I was also discouraged by malpractice insurance rates for ob/gyns and having to look "down there" when there wasn't a baby crowning (you know, the gynecology part of the business).  In other words, I completely talked myself out of becoming an ob/gyn. I still love all things labor and delivery, and would probably be a nurse-midwife when I grow up if I had to do it over again.  I've got the "nurse" part out of the way, so I may still be able to manage the "midwife" part.  I'll just have to change "when I grow up" to "when I grow old."
4. When do you put up your tree?
We don't have a set tradition for putting up the Christmas tree.  Now that the kids are 12 and 14 we should probably be better about stuff like this so they have a sense of tradition before the fly the coop!  It usually gets put up about 2 weeks before Christmas (and has been known to stay up past Spring Break--in my defense, I live in an older home when everything was built with walls and doors unlike today's homes where rooms blend together and are spacious and open.  The tree was in the dining room which has no dining room table or any other reason to go in there except to look at a Christmas tree, so it was kind of out of sight out of mind).  One year, I stopped by the grocery store the day before Christmas eve for a couple items and dragged home a real tree that was drastically reduced for obvious reasons.  You'll be glad to know we did not leave that one up until Spring Break!  Now, I feel a little guilty, so maybe we'll put up our tree this weekend.
5. What is your favorite Holiday?
Is this one of those questions where you ask several questions whose answer is "stop" and then you ask what do you do at a green light?  You asked about Christmas gifts and Christmas trees and then expect me to say "Christmas" for this question, right? Maybe not, but my favorite holiday is Christmas.  I love the lights and music and warm fuzzies derived from helping those in need, the giving spirit, the family time, the reunions with friends I haven't seen all year, the baking, etc.  I also love the Advent preparation (our hearts, our homes) that leads to Baby Jesus, the Word made flesh.  I love it all!

7 comments:

  1. GREAT answers!! We should probably start setting a date to get our tree up also. It's usually whenever it fits in the schedule around basketball, indoor soccer, etc., etc! I actually got a vacuum (early) for Christmas and I was soooo excited. My 5 year old woke up this morning and said, "Mom are you going to vacuum all day again today?" Haha!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love the list through out the year idea. I think Im gonna try that. Hope you have a great weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love the list idea! That would make life so much easier, as long as it doesn't get lost LOL!
    My husband doesn't want to get me "tools" either for Christmas LOL, one year I asked him for the Tiabo video(I think I spelled that wrong) and he got it for me, which I was happy about, but everyone else gave him such a hard time about it that he now won't ever buy that kind of stuff for Christmas.
    I hope you and the family have a wonderful weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Your tree story was so cute. Also you should talk your husband into getting you that 'tool'. Everyone wins if your having fun cooking and they get to enjoy it. Hope you have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  5. That list idea is brilliant. I definitely need to try this. Have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
  6. You definitely need a food processor, Eastlyn!!

    And I really believe that you will one day be a very fantastic midwife. x

    ReplyDelete
  7. Target and craft store gift cards--you are a girl after my own heart! Thanks for stopping by my blog.

    ReplyDelete