Friday, July 18, 2008

Free For All Friday: Christmas Conversations

Christmas cookies for friends and teachers of Matthew and Jack

In my house today is Christmas Eve.  It also happens to be my dad's birthday.  Dad, if you're reading this... Happy Birthday.  I love you.

Tonight the boys will have their cousins over for Christmas cookies, hot cocoa, and a white elephant (per artnme1556's suggestion) Christmas exchange.  After the cousins return home we'll read T'was the night before Christmas and then it's off to sleep.  No worries... the kids know Santa only makes one appearance a year, so there's no chance they'll be slipping down stairs wondering what Santa left.  They do know, however, that mommy and daddy will leave one treat in each of their stockings for the fun of it.

There are a lot of ways I could go today's free for all... favorite gifts you've ever received (as suggested by Heidi earlier in the week), Free for All Christmas trivia, favorite holiday recipes...  and the list goes on.  The good news is I still have the actual holiday season (Christmas is 159 days away) to hit any major topic of interest that I miss this time around.

So today I'll be selfish and make a personal request.  The topic...  Christmas Conversation Questions.  Richard and I typically host at least one "grown-up" dinner party around the holidays, each year.  I love setting the table with my formal china and topping it off small picture frame bearing a holiday related question.  I find the questions a great way to break the ice if guests don't already know one another, as well as generally helping people get in the holiday spirit. 
 
I'm tired of my same old, same old questions... "The best Christmas present I ever received is..."; "If Santa had a tenth reindeer what would his name be?"; "My favorite ornament on the tree is..."  I need new questions.  That's where all of you come in.  Believe it or not, I would love 100 questions from which I can pick and choose the best.  Now, we've had record turnout this week in terms of posting comments.  Don't fail me now.  Help me build a bank of Christmas questions better than my current list.  Naturally each question does not have to be a separate post.

A couple of important announcements:
  • Yesterday's contest: Notta one of you guessed where SNANta Claus would go.  Nope, notta one.  So, in honor of the THREE additional Random Acts of Kindness postcards I received in the mail yesterday (yes, they are still rolling in and it is still not too late for you to mail yours), I will draw a name from the RAK box to determine the lucky winner of Nan's luggage tags.  Hopefully this is motivating the last of you to finally get up and send me a postcard with your mailing address.  It is the only way to win some of our most fun prizes.  My mailing address: 4012 Harvestwood Court, Grapevine, Texas, 76051.  So, the lucky luggage tag winner is...
Julie from New York
  • Tomorrow:  If you have, know, or live near any kids, I hope you will find a way to involve them in tomorrow's blog entry.  I have a small box of Christmas in July treats to send the winning child, so don't miss out on this fun chance to test their creativity. 
Signing off until tomorrow...
Oh yeah... it was 
PORTLAND, OREGON
Thanks for playing, everyone!

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