So there ’twas…. another year and we’ve all bought into another over commercialized Christmas.  I simply can’t believe the stack of gifts that Angel ended up with this year.  After visiting with the in-laws this morning and him coming home with more new toys than any kid needs, I purposely went and removed some of the things that I was going to give him and will bring them out in a couple of months time when he’s bored.

On the actual day of Christmas my six year old son received…
one Batman Lego,
two boxes of Geomags
three kids DVDs
four Magic School Bus DVDs
five new books
some Starwars Lego
two Mosiac peg boards
one Cosmic Rocket Science Kit
a Cube World Party Cube
a toy Motorcycle,
two jigsaw puzzles
one Spiderman Lego
a funny monkey camp chair
a Crayola Explosion Pack
a Magic Kit
and the much coveted Tamagotchi!…..

……and probably other stuff I’ve forgotten off that list.  And what do you think the Small Child says as I put him to bed tonight after all the day’s excitement?  “Hey Mum, when’s my birthday, I want more presents!”  Yeah, I know… kid needs a little perspective.  😐   Anyway we’ve made it through the holidays safe and sound and all our family members are still on speaking terms with one another so…..  mission accomplished really.

Fun Christmas meme stolen from Avitable…. I hope everyone had a fun day and thanks for all the SMS messages throughout the day.

1) EGG NOG OR HOT CHOCOLATE?
On Christmas day in BrisVegas? Neither… make mine a Gin and Tonic please… extra ice.

2) DOES SANTA WRAP PRESENTS OR JUST SIT THEM UNDER THE TREE?
Santa leaves stuff in a sack unwrapped at the end of your bed. Presents from the parentals were always wrapped and under the tree..

3) COLORED LIGHTS ON ON TREE/HOUSE OR WHITE?
No lights in the garden, no lights on the house but coloured garden lights on my tree in the house …. go figure.

4) WHO DO YOU WISH YOU COULD SEE AT CHRISTMAS?
Edouardo, preferably without his psycho wife.  MD preferably not to horribly scarred from Pakistan.

5) WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY DISH (EXCLUDING DESSERT)?
Breakfast of plain muffins with cream cheese, smoked salmon, scrambled eggs and hollandaise sauce … It’s an English thing apparently…. yum. 🙂

6) WHEN DO YOU PUT YOUR CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS UP?
As late as Angel will let me get away with it… record this year they didn’t go up until December 18th, and knowing me they’ll be down again by December 26th.

7) FAVORITE HOLIDAY MEMORY AS A CHILD?
Waking up earlier than my sister and swapping the gifts that Santa left us… that and watermelon seed spitting competitions with my cousins down at Eltham.

8) WHEN AND HOW DID YOU LEARN THE TRUTH ABOUT SANTA?
I have no idea how old I was… but it was Heather from over the back who was a bit older than us who spilled the beans. She was also kind enough to tell us where babies come from when I was about 6 or 7 too.

9) DO YOU OPEN A GIFT ON CHRISTMAS EVE?
Not usually, we spend Christmas Eve driving Angel around to look at the Christmas lights that the local neighborhood looneys have spent so much money to hang all over their houses.

10) HOW DO YOU DECORATE YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE?
I have the anal retentive Chrismas tree from hell… all the ornaments are silver or blue or little mirror balls. Have been told it looks like a department store one. It also has Swarovski crystal snowflake ornaments on it, which cost a fortune, but I seem to keep buying them each year anyway.

11) SNOW….LOVE IT OR HATE IT?
Ambivalent really…. I’m from Brisbane, Australia and don’t have a sufficient acquaintance with snow to have either a love or a hate relationship with it.

12) CAN YOU ICE SKATE?
Don’t make me laugh… tried it once I think… in a moment of madness while dating a Canadian.

13) DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FAVORITE GIFT?
Don’t know about favorite gifts… but how about some memorable ones –
Snoopy Tennis from Santa when I was about 12
Quiet Riot cassette tape from my Mum when I was 14
An ID bracelet from my very first boyfriend, Cookie.
A ‘here’s $300 go buy yourself something nice’ from useless boyfriend in my 20’s.
This year – some great new speakers and a pair of gorgeous pearl earrings.

14) WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT THE HOLIDAYS FOR YOU?
Get together, see who can buy the strangest gift (still winning that one with the Windsor castle souvenir teapot I gave to BigSal a few years ago), eat lots of yummy food (easier now that we don’t have to deal with Grandma’s grey boiled-to-death beans) pick political and religious fights with the oldies and raise eyebrows at how much our siblings spend on their kids.

15) WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY DESSERT?
Everyone used to love my Grandmas boiled fruit pudding, but to be honest… not a fan. Personally I prefer Pecan Pie or maybe a bit of Sticky Date :P.

16) WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY TRADITION?
Buying a leg of ham that you end up eating for the next few weeks.  Big bowls full of scorched peanuts.  Spending the afternoon playing whatever board games people might have received.

17) WHAT TOPS YOUR TREE?
A whimsical looking angel that I’ve been meaning to replace cos I hate her complacent countenance mocking me for being so angsty at Christmas time.

18) WHICH DO YOU PREFER, GIVING OR RECEIVING?
I prefer to give. Could be that I’m just ridiculously fussy or excessively hard to buy for, but I’ve rarely received an unexpected gift (where the giver hadn’t solicited suggestions) and absolutely loved it.

19) WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS SONG?
Hate Christmas carols with a passion, and especially hate how they start in the stores in mid September these days. This isn’t my fav Christmas song, but kinda in tune with my usual Christmas demeanour.

20) WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST AT CHRISTMAS?
Edouardo…. I miss him every Christmas cos his psycho bitch of a wife wont let him talk to me anymore.  And this year MD… but at least he’s safely back from Pakistan.
.