Happy Wednesday! I am joining Joyce for a quick hodgepodge of questions. These five questions are going to be fun, so let’s get to it!
1. What does it mean to have the ‘holiday spirit’? On a scale of 1-10 how is yours this year? (10=off the charts, 1=still looking for it) I think the holiday spirit can mean a few things. It is someone who is sharing joy about Christmas. It is enjoying the fun and chores that go along with Christmas. I tend to get in the holiday spirit by leaning into traditions, decorating, listening to Christmas music, and planning fun Christmas things (big and small) for the next few weeks. I’d say I’m at an 8.5 now. I might hit a 10 this year! 🤩
2. What’s your favorite character from a (December) holiday-themed movie, book, or TV special? Tell us why. Clark Griswold! I love his Christmas spirit. I love his lights. I love how he is ready to celebrate no matter what comes his way. I love his love of traditions. I love how he doesn’t let his teenagers get him down. I love it all!
3. Do you like gingerbread? Are gingerbread houses part of your holiday tradition? Nope! I do not like it at all. Jack and Luke have made gingerbread houses with Jeff’s mom a few times. They always have fun with it! It’s definitely easier if the gingerbread house is preassembled either by the company or Karen, Jeff’s mom.
4. Much of our vocabulary is determined by where we live or where we grew up. What say you-sprinkles or jimmies? lightning bugs or fireflies? soda or pop? sneakers, trainers, or tennis shoes? sub, hoagie, grinder, or hero? freeway, highway, or motorway? frosting or icing? sauce or gravy? I say sprinkles, lightning bugs or fireflies, soda, sneakers or tennis shoes, sub, highway, frosting or icing, and sauce. I am born and raised in Maryland. I left for five years for college (Virginia) and teaching (North Carolina), but the rest of my 40 years have been right here in MD.
5. Share a favorite holiday memory from your childhood. Well, I’m not sure it was a favorite moment at the time, but it is now! My mom always gave us an ornament and new pajamas on Christmas Eve. She wraps them with the regular Christmas gifts and would put Eve in the from section on the gift tag. The year I was 13, she couldn’t find the pajamas. Mom figured that I was 13 so I’d be ok with it. Oh, was she wrong! I was most defintely not ok with it. I cried, I said “But it’s not the same”, and I was inconsolable. It was not funny then, but we laugh about it all the time now. Anytime one little thing is different, we say “But it’s not the same!!!!” and have a good laugh. Oh teenagers…. ❤️Sorry Mom!❤️
6. Insert your own random thought here. I have a few random thoughts for you. 🎄December always flies by and I can’t believe we are halfway through the first week already! SLOW DOWN DECEMBER!! 🎄I never participate in Purple Friday because I am not a Ravens fan, but I will be wearing purple this week. JMU is playing in the Sun Belt Conference championship on Friday night. GOO DUUUKKES!!! 🎄I feel like I have a good start to my Christmas shopping, but still a ways to go and there are a few people I am struggling for ideas. I hate that!
That was fun! I can’t wait to see what everyone else answered! Have a great day full of sunshine and Christmas books!
My mom and step father always bought us ornaments each year too and I loved it. It’s a tradition I carried on with my boys.
It is funny how we love our traditions and sometimes as a parent, I wonder what I would stop doing that my girls would want me to continue. Clark Griswold is a Christmas classic!
Love your answers. The pjs story is funny. I hope my kids look back on some of our traditions with fond memories. We have most of the same answers for sayings. Soda vs pop is a hot topic in Missouri because it seems to be half and half depending on where you live. I hope December takes its time because I have too much to do and I want to enjoy downtime 🙂
You summed up what holiday spirit is perfectly! I hope you hit a 10 this year!
I am not a fan of gingerbread either but my girls love it and used to make gingerbread houses.
Aww! That is a lovely tradition on Christmas eve about the pyjamas. I think I would have cried too.
Oh I would have cried too. Traditions are a big deal at Christmas. I would say having adult children and having to let go of how things ‘don’t look the same’ at the holidays is one of the biggest adjustments in the empty nest years. I’m there now but it was a process : ) I agree time is flying and I try not to count the days too much or I feel a little bit anxious about all I still need to do. We’re away one weekend which will be a lot of fun, but it is adding to the crunch here at home. Have a great day! I hope your Dukes win!
I said Clark Griswold too 🙂 Love that story of you as a 13 year old-too cute!
Your story is so cute. It’s these small things that make for memories in later years. Oh yes, the Griswold’s. This movie sure has brought a lot of laughter to many. Hope your day is filled with sweet Christmas Season Blessings.
I never realized you lived in MD – for some reason I thought you were a little further south. I lived in MD for 25 years and three of my kids are still there. Anyway. Yes, Clark and Christmas Vacation – so funny and over the top, but he’s also a really great dad and there are a lot of positive things about him and his family. 🙂 That’s a cute story from your childhood, especially that it’s become something to laugh about now even though it was hard for 13yo you. 🙂 Happy Holidays!!