Christmas Quiz

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper

2. Real tree or artificial? Fake

3. When do you put up the tree? After Thanksgiving - I used to wait longer than I do now just because it's so dang much work but with the kiddoes around, I want the sparkle going early.

4. When do you take the tree down? New Year's Day or thereabouts. If I'm sick of it, it might be the next day or two after Christmas. This year I have foot surgery scheduled for Dec. 28 so who knows when it will happen?

5. Do you like eggnog? In Tib's words, ack, no!!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? I remember a Chatty Cathy doll that I loved and I think I've even seen her on a Geico TV commercial this year. Go figure.

7. Do you have a Nativity scene? I have the Willow Tree one that I love

8. Hardest person to buy for? Mark and our parents. He's so satisfied with what he has and never really wants anything, and our parents don't need or want anything to add to what they already have.

9. Easiest person to buy for? The kiddoes. Everything I see I want to pick up for one of them.

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Maybe it was the year that I got luggage. I saw the wisdom of it later on but it sure seemed like a dumb present to me then.

11. Mail or e-mail Christmas cards? I like them any way I can get them but I do like to revisit them after Christmas so maybe the regular old mailed cards.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Nora's Christmas Gift - I have loved that movie for years and the message is wonderful. If you haven't seen it, do it. I make everyone watch it every year.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Late September/Early October in sort of a random way.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Probably, although I can't pull up a specific example

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Fudge and home made caramels that I don't do any other time of year.

16 Clear lights or colored on the tree? Our tree has clear ones on it but honestly, I just love Christmas lights so it doesn't matter much to me.

17. Favorite Christmas song? There's a song on the Carpenters Christmas album that I love -- I think it's called 'Christ is Born' and I love it. But anything on that album and John Denver and the Muppets could be called a favorite.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home although I'd like a trip during the Christmas season to see the lights at Temple Square. It's been years and I want to go back. But to travel somewhere for Christmas? No.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? I sure can -- including Rudolph! hee hee!

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

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? One traditional present on Christmas Eve which is always new PJs and then the rest in the a.m. The pj tradition started when I saw our Christmas morning pics one year and the kids looked awful so we got new pjs every year, opened them the night before and the next morning they looked good in the pictures!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Crowds and traffic. Amen, sister.

23. Favorite Christmas tradition? The Mason Family Pajama Race. We get new PJ's on Christmas Eve every year, followed by a race to change into your jammies. And no matter what Natalie says, I never win. No matter what I do. Mark and I have tried cheating, wearing the pjs under our clothes but we got caught doing that. I have even considered sewing other people's pj legs together -- but so far, even if I just strip down where I am, Math and Chris C. seem to win. Sigh.

24. Up early or sleeping in? I keep thinking we will be sleeping in the older we get but I'm sensing that it will never happen. Up early and we love it that way.

25. Who hands out the gifts? Always Natalie. The boys harrass her every year and threaten to take over the Santa duties, but mostly that's just them blowing smoke to make her mad. I'm thinking it will always be that way, and that too, we like.

26. Does Santa wrap your gifts? No. Gifts from the family are wrapped and under the tree, but Santa doesn't wrap his gifts. We started by not wrapping any of the Santa gifts, but then the kids asked us how come we didn't give them any presents. So we do one big Santa gift and the stockings and the rest is from family, under the tree, wrapped.

27. Do you tell the Christmas story? Yes, on Christmas Eve. Mark reads it from Luke, we sing some Christmas songs and I like Natie's idea about acting it out now that we have someone who could be Joseph and Mary besides us old people. We did that some when the kids were little and now we could do it again.

28 Do you leave cookies for Santa? We did when our kids were younger. Maybe if I did it again now, I'd get more presents. Aha!

This was fun!! I want to see your answers on your blogs. Do it. Tag. You're it!