Christmas Hoopla!

Wade tagged me, so here I am finally updating with 12 random things about Christmas (and me). Yes, the timestamp on this blog entry is correct. I took a 3+ hour nap this afternoon and thus threw off my sleep schedule for yet another week. I figure if I'm awake, I should try to be productive. Oh yeah, I have been productive -- I finished making all my Christmas presents for the math department...
1. I love to decorate for Christmas. In fact I started the day before Thanksgiving this year! I have TWO Christmas trees and both sparkle a lot.

2. Christmas is one of my favorite holidays. Sometimes I wonder if it's partially because of my love of glitter. EVERYTHING sparkles during the Christmas season... and everyone thinks that's ok. :-)

3. I believed in Santa (should this have a spoiler alert?) until at least 4th grade when Katie Jameson disdainfully asked me in during a chorus rehearsal if I "really still believed?" I said no but was lying.

4. I'll never forget the follow up to Katie ruining Christmas when I went to my mom and proudly proclaimed, "I know Santa's NOT real!" She calmly told me how sad that was because if I didn't believe, there would be no presents because those all came from Santa. Apparently a lot of time and energy was put into not spoiling Santa for the baby of the Crawford family. :-) I love that!

5. I have taken Sprinkles to see Santa. I did so with my head held high as if it was the most normal thing to do in the world. I mean, come on, don't all of you take your pets to the mall to see Santa?! I think the highlight of the trip was watching the Boxer puppy (huge puppy) ahead of us knock Santa's hat and glasses across the mall! ( I also have a Santa hat and elf costume for Sprinkles. So funny to see him in. I'll try to post pictures soon. If you live in my home, you must be in the Christmas spirit!)

6. A family tradition used to be that we'd all open our gifts from Michigan (Mom's family lives in Michigan) on Christmas Eve. One year Mom told everyone LaRae and I needed socks...that was about all we got that year. Looking back at the pictures you can tell we're "sooo happy" about the million pairs of socks!

7. I have an uncanny ability to tell what is behind the wrapping of ANY present. Let me feel it, and I can tell you what it is. This used to irritate my mother so badly because I'd tell them what the present was before I opened it (down to the movie or CD title). I still am not allowed to touch presents before Christmas morning...or even see them wrapped! There have been a couple of stumpers over the years like the Harry Potter print LaRae and Randy gave me. 4th grade I kept saying a present for LaRae and I was a TV...no idea why I thought we'd get one, but I was right. :-) (Thus it began!)

8. I love getting my Christmas shopping done by Thanksgiving every year. It's a being organized pride thing. I mostly have done so this year.

9. Every other year I decide to make gifts for friends or co-workers. After all of the work, the gifts are always cool, but the next year I always get lazy and just purchase something. :-) This year is one of those years. I made pens for the math department this year with school colored flowers on them. I'm baking for most everyone else. Ask me what a great idea this was 10 dozen pizzelle cookies later! Reminds me of a couple years ago when I helped LaRae bake for all her friends. The cookie press didn't work, and everything took way longer than planned... we laughed a lot. :-)

10. I'd tell you about the best present I've gotten, but there have been so many great things, so I'll tell you about the best gift giver - hands down it's LaRae. Mom and Dad usually get me cool stuff (the old school Nintendo 64 last year was a surprise and rocked), but LaRae typically stays away from my list and gets me something she'll know I'll love like a huge framed print of the cover of a Harry Potter book or a baker's rack. It's got to be something about our freaky sister-sense. She just knows me better than anyone.

11. The best gift I've given (and I think I've given some cool ones over the years) -- I'm gonna go with the dress up kit I gave Katelyn last year. I didn't want to buy one, so I painted an old hard-sided suitcase. Then I filled it with fun clothing I found at Goodwill plus some dress up clothing I had as a child. I've been adding to it some, and when Grandma passed away Mom brought Katelyn some gloves and a purse that were Grandma's to add to the kit. I think it's something that will change more and more as she grows, but it's heartfelt and something you can't buy in a store.

12. This is my first Christmas without my parents. The break is too short, and I am too broke to travel, so I'm staying in Texas to relax. I'll be with LaRae, Randy, and the kids for Christmas Day, but I fear the difference I'll feel that day.

Alright. I'm going to tag Laura, Paul, and LaRae. :-) You all read my blog (eventually), so I'll let you find that you've been tagged naturally. (Mostly bc I don't want to go comment on all of your blogs bc I'm lazy right now...)

Here are the rules:
1. List 12 random things about yourself that have to do with Christmas.
2. Please refer to it as a 'hoopla' and not the dreaded 'm'-word.
3. You have to specifically tag people when you're done. None of this "if you're reading this, consider yourself tagged" stuff is allowed...then nobody ends up actually doing it. The number of people who you tag is really up to you -- but the more, the merrier to get this 'hoopla' circulating through the blogosphere.
4. Please try and do it as quickly as possible. The Christmas season will be over before we know it and I'd like to get as many people involved as possible. (Was this quick enough, Wade? ha ha!)