Friday, December 14, 2007

a few of my favorite things...

j at jellyjules.com tagged for a meme about my 12 favorite things about christmas.  here goes nothing!

1. the smell of the fresh cut pine tree in the house.  i keep threatening to buy a pre-lit fake tree and avoid the hassle, but i would sorely miss that scent.

2. christmas carols.  i just love to sing along to the old standards like bing crosby's "white christmas."

3. rudolph, frosty, the grinch, and the peanuts christmas special.

4.  buying way too many of the fun things the kids want and having an excuse for it.

5.  watching the kids open those way too many gifts.

6.  christmas lights strung on houses.  i wish we lived in a neighborhood where the houses were more visible.  those 'hoods where each house is glittering in the night are wonderful.  as a kid we spent many christmases at my grandparents' trailer park in florida.  almost every place was decorated and we reveled in it.  here is a photo of me at maybe 8 years old in florida...


7.  i was feeling scroogey this year, but begrudgingly went to lowe's on december 1st, bought a damn tree, heaved it into the back of the minivan cursing at the dropped needles and heaved it back out into the garage at home.  swearing at the pine sap all over my hands, i sawed the end off with an angry vigor and dragged the thing through the house, all the while uttering oaths under my breath.  i screwed the damn thing into the damn stand, and that's all the christmas spirit i could take that day.  i told the kids we'd get out the decorations tomorrow.  not to be deterred, they spent the rest of their afternoon diligently cutting, pasting, stickering and sculpting their own homemade ornaments and hanging them eagerly on the tree.  i cried.  they brought the spirit back to me, and i got out the lights and tinsel.  here is an ornament made by s...

8. the pink tinsel tree in s's room that she chose when she was about 2.  it still suits her personality so perfectly, and i love getting it out each year and putting it in her room.

9.  those soft peppermint stick candies.  not regular candy canes but the kind that melt in your mouth, or that you can poke into an orange and suck the orange juice through.  does anybody know what i'm talking about?

10.  the angry throngs of pissy christmas shoppers packed like sardines into understaffed department stores.  just kidding!  at christmas, i LOVE being home with my family, just like the crabby hermit that i am.

11. the madame alexander christmas angel that t and i bought together for our first tree.  i have collected and loved madame alexander dolls since before i can remember, and having her on the top of our tree each year reminds me of all the christmases that we've been a family.


12.  remembering our first christmas with h.  he was a little over a month old, and he was the best christmas present we could ever imagine.  there was a freak ice storm that year, and we were without power for 3 days.  we mostly stayed at our friends' apartment for whom we were pet sitting, but on christmas morning we bundled up and went home to our frigid little house.  we snuggled with our bitty baby while we opened the few gifts we had, and it was really just the warmest christmas i can remember.

11 comments:

Family Adventure said...

I love that picture of you...very cute! I also like it when the houses are decorated...it brightens up the dark evenings, too.

Good meme!

Heidi :)

Heidi said...

I'm with you on 1,3,4,5 and 8. Our angel is not a Madame Alexander but just an old fashioned angel.
What a cutie you are in that picture!
And I want to buy one of the pink feather Xmas tree's I saw at Michaels, I think it would look perfect in my bedroom.

Unknown said...

What a wonderful meme. I was tagged with this one too, but haven't gotten around to doing it just yet. Soon, I hope! Well, hopefully before Christmas! LOL!

It's so apparent how much Christmas and your family mean to you. Happy Holidays! :)

J said...

You did a great job with the meme! Maya has a Madame Alexander doll...she's Isabella, queen of Spain, which Maya dressed up as once for Historical Halloween at her school.

The kids ornaments are AWESOME. :)

Victoria said...

Aw - that pic of you is soo cute!

What a nice glimpse into your holiday traditions. Lovely!

I love this time of the year too!

Andie D. said...

What a great list!

I love the smell of a pine tree too. Thanks for reminding me though why we bought our pre-lit one with select lights that twinkle ever so slightly. Easy peasy!

I have never heard of those mints. Is there a link for them? They sound cool!

Lainey-Paney said...

:)

...this is random about Madame Alexander dolls. Do you have a Tuesday Morning store near you?
I ask b/c---I see Madame Alexander dolls there all the time. It's hit or miss, but more often than not, I see them there.

When I was reading "Little Women", I just loved the book. My grandmother started buying me one Madame Alexander doll from the Little Women collection every year until I had them all.

Jay said...

Oh just love, what great memories. Sounds like you guys are always making more.

Tracy said...

Awww... now I'm feeling all mushy!

I love the ornaments your kids made that melted your heart. :)

I also love the story about your first Christmas with h.

xo,
Starshine

Susan in Italy said...

Aw! #12 is the best!

Karen MEG said...

Great meme! I love the photos, I caught Rudolph not once, but twice on TV this year, and my daughter LOVED it!
You were one cute 8 year old!
Happy holidays!