It's Christmas time in the city ...

Subject: Christmas fill-in-the-blank

Date:
Saturday, November 8, 2008 1:25 PM


Christmas Edition ...

OK, so I got one of those copy/paste/forward e-mails. Thought I'd share my answers. Anyone up for responding?


1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Both. Fake tree in living room; real tree in
kitchen eat-in area.

3. When do you put up the tree? The day after Thanksgiving.

4. When do you take the tree down? Usually after New Year's Eve.

5. Do you like eggnog? Love it like a fat kid loves cake.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? My Chrissy doll.

7. Hardest person to buy for? My husband.

8. Easiest person to buy for? My children of course!

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Need to buy a new one this year.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. I love choosing Christmas cards,
writing special messages and then addressing and mailing them all. Seriously.

11.Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A Water-Pick tooth-cleansing system.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Christmas Story.

13. When do you start shopping? When the temperature drops to around
40-something. It has to be cold-ish for me to enjoy holiday shopping.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No way! I have, however,
received recycled Christmas gifts, which I'm OK with. The fun part of Christmas
shopping for me is finding the perfect gift for that special someone.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Assorted Italian cookies my students
usually present to me. Cookies, overall. Iced Christmas trees are the best,
especially if they have those little edible silver balls on them.

16. Lights on the tree? The more the better. 'Cept I HATE the flashing ones.
Migraine city!!

17. Favorite Christmas song? "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," sung by
Judy Garland only. Might have the title wrong.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Definitely home for Christmas Day. MUST BE
HOME FOR SANTA CLAUS!

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Definitely.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Can't remember. I'm more into ornaments.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? The children open their gifts to
each other Christmas Eve. Everything else is Christmas morning. Now that the
kids are older, I'm the first one up. Very 5 a.m.!!!!!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? All the build-up and then
BOOM, it's the day after Christmas and life is back to business as usual.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Silver and gold, just like the song.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? My husband's oyster stuffing.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A big honkin' gemstone ring. A
Graceland miniature village house to add to my miniature house collection. Estee
perfume. Big fuzzy socks. New slippers. Gift cards to Borders Bookstore. A Baby
Grand piana. World peace. Safety for our newly elected president BARACK
OBAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

26. Who is most likely to respond to this? Lisa.

27. Who is least likely to respond to this? Dunno.

Oh blessed day!

Victory.
God Bless Barack Obama.
Change, it is a-comin'!
I have never been so proud to be an American. Standing in line today, waiting to vote, observing those standing around me -- the nurse, the police officer, the mother holding a baby in a sling whilst two toddlers wrapped around her legs -- I was reminded of Walt Whitman's poem, "I Hear America Singing."
Sing on.
The music is going to be beautiful.

Babies!

Oh, frabjous day! I got to hold two ... count 'em ... TWO babies on Saturday. The first, a tiny baby boy named Easton, just two days old when I cradled him in my arms. Precious and adorable and perfect in every way. And then, a few hours later, a sweet and precious eight-week old little girl, chubby-cheeked and bright-eyed.
My goodness I do so love me some babies.
Easton is my colleague's newborn, born via C-section Thursday, Oct. 30. His wonderful mother taught seventh-graders all day long just one day before his birth. And now she has ten weeks with her cutie-pie. I'm going to miss her at school; I don't think she's going to miss school. Hmn ... let's see ... how to choose: Brand-new little one or 100-plus hormonal pre-teens?
***
Baby Number Two is my sis's niece. I'd gone for my niece's birthday (She's three! "Free" as she pronounces it!) and there! as a bonus treat for me was a little one to cuddle.
So of course my baby fever is back in full swing. Feeling the aging ovaries pining away for what was once an option. It's times like these I always ask myself What Were You Thinking, Having Only Three Children?
It's really what I do best in this world, mothering. Domesticity delights me.
Hopefully the grandma years aren't too far away ... .