Christmas survey? Sure, why not!

I found this over at my girl LP's blog, A Crafty Southern Chick, and decided to play along!

1. egg nog or hot chocolate? I'm not a fan of egg nog, what the heck is in it? Hot chocolate if I had to pick one. But I can't even really enjoy it, because with each sip, all I can think about is the calories I'm drinking. So if I have to have it, I want it obnoxious. Whipped cream, marshmallows, chocolate syrup drizzled on top, with a peppermint stick to stir it all up with.

2. does santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Wrapped, always. Lover and I even have wrapping paper and special Santa tags that we use, and Lover always writes on the tags with a different handwriting. When I was a kid, I realized that Santa used the same paper as my parents, and had my dad's handwriting.

3. colored lights on tree/house or white? White. We don't do lights on the house, but I might string some along the walkways next year, since the girls keep begging. When hubby was growing up, one of his neighbors got hurt while putting lights on his house, so now I refuse to let Jake wander around up on the roof. And white lights on the tree. We have an all blue and silver theme on our tree, and our tree came pre-light with white lights. So pretty!

4. do you hang mistletoe? Nope. Do people do that anymore?

5. when do you put your decorations up? The day after Thanksgiving.

6. what is your favorite holiday dish? Stuffing. I love me some carbs!

7. favorite holiday memory as a child? The one that comes to mind first is this one. I had a toy poodle growing up named Sparkle, and I would always make sure to get him a present and wrap it up. One year he found his present under the tree, and would always lay down by it with his paw on it. Smart dog.

8. when and how did you learn the truth about santa? See question 2 above. I think I was about 6 or 7. Thanks Dad.

9. do you open a gift on christmas eve? My girls do. It's always new pajamas that they get to wear to bed that night. We got Ava the cutest penguin footie pajamas this year.

10. how do you decorate your christmas tree? We have a really tall tree, I think 8 feet? But I have hubby fold down the top few branches, cause when you put the star on there, there is a huge gap from all the decorations and the star. White lights, blue and silver ornaments, but none of the ornaments are lower than 3 feet. The joys of living with a toddler.

11. snow! love it or dread it? Dread it. I live in Texas, when we get an inch of snow, schools close, people spaz out, they throw sand all over the highways. I used to be stationed in Japan, and we would get over 300 inches of snow in the winter. Seriously, you'd have to go out and figure out which snow mound was your car, and then unbury it. And they wouldn't cancel work, they'd just do a 2 hour delay so you'd have time to dig out your car.

12. can you ice skate? Yes, I'm not super at it or anything though. I'm happy to remain upright.

13. do you remember your favorite gift? I would have to say my iPod. It's definitely my most used gift.

14. what's the most important thing about the holidays for you? My family, and making sure my kids have a great time.

15. what is your favorite holiday dessert? pecan pie! But apparently I say it wrong. I always call it "pee-can" instead of "pee-con". Even my Korean mother says "Oh my gosh, aren't you American? You're saying it wrong!"

16. what is your favorite holiday tradition? I love the ones that we do with the girls. Opening their new pajamas on Christmas Eve, making a big breakfast on Christmas morning. I love seeing things through their eyes.

17. what tops your tree? a glittery silver snowflake thing.

18. which do you prefer: giving or receiving? giving. I love finding that perfect gift for someone, something they wouldn't buy for themselves.

19. candy canes: yuck or yum? Eh. Those rainbow ones if I'm having them.

20. favorite christmas show? A Christmas Story. Love love love it. There is a house in our neighborhood that decorates their whole yard with that theme. Even has the kid in the yard with his tongue stuck to the post, the leg lamp in the window, it's awesome.

21. saddest christmas song? I'll Be Home for Christmas. Being away from loved ones would be so hard.

22. what is your favorite christmas song? Carol of the Bells by Trans Siberian Orchestra. Holy. Crap. I want to see them in concert.