to you and yours

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? egg nog latte cut with milk

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? santa never wraps presents, he leaves them on the couch with the stockings

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? i like all white lights, looks less tacky and more wintery than all those colours.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? sara reminded me that we used to have this really ugly plastic mistletoe that played music, but i think real mistletoe is the way to go

5. When do you put your decorations up? i just received my first decorations of the season so maybe i will put them up tonight (thanks mom!)

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? brussel sprouts, hands down. who needs turkey when you have sprouts?

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? going to my grandma's on christmas eve

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? like sara says (again), santa only brings presents to those who believe in our house

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? the ones that says 'open me xmas eve' and surprise, surprise, it is always pyjamas which, according to tradition, you must put on immediately

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? once, with a ladder. but otherwise, with snowmen. lots of snowmen. and antique tinsel.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? loves it. but since when has calgary had a white christmas?! and me thinks that mombasa will have more sun and sand than snow.

12. Can you ice skate? indeed. many hours spent at the rink and i bet i can still do a toe loop or a salchow, perhaps a spread eagle or two.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? i am not sure, i remember more gifts that i have given than received. those neon light up phones might have been up there though. also, our hand-made dollhouse.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? the whole seasonal lead-up with winter activities, the christmas shopping, the music, the mood, the decorations, the egg nog, the lights, the parties, the scarves and mittens, the baking, the spirit.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? rum balls, sugar cookies with icing, and shortbread (now that i finally know the difference between the two)

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? christmas sundays at gramps', christmas eve with friends, family, and hors d'oeuvres and christmas morning brunch. pretty much, the eating and then more eating.

and the newest tradition introduced last year, waking up on christmas eve morn feeling like i am going to die, thinking 'i will never drink again' and then waking my sister up only to realise i am much further from death than she is and that i have to drive her car and pull over on 14th street so she can puke out the car door on the way to breakfast.

17. What tops your tree? an angel, of course

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? giving

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? last christmas (only sung by wham! though), oh holy night, song for a winter's night, and baby, it's cold outside

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? the sweet ones, yum. the peppermint ones, yuck. unless the curve is broken, then all yuck.