Writers Workshop - Its all about Christmas

This weeks prompts should be easy enough, but I am struggling

1 A letter to Santa
2 Describe a favorite winter memory
3 You're snowed in with your family, what do you do all day
4 The best gift you have ever be given or gave
5 A Christmas tradition you have started with your own family

We only have to pick one, but its tough.
1 My letter to Santa would probably make me sound shallow because, while I am all about peace, love, and happiness, somewhere in there would be a request for a Coach Madeline Tote Purse. Then there would be me asking you to put Florida and Ohio a little closer, an afternoon with my mom, and oh yeah, a matching wallet for the purse.
You get the point
If you want some great letters, check out this post I did a while ago. Go here if you want to see them

2 Can a winter memory be from like three days ago. Here is what I remember, I was carrying about ten boxes into the post office to ship and I wasn't freezing, I didn't have on a hat, scarf, or gloves, and in fact was wearing flip flops. In other words 30 years of Ohio winter makes this winter cozy, just without the frostbite. Oh, the joys of Florida life. Did I mention I am wearing flip flops?

3 Jim and I are kind of boring. We would get up, have a yummy homemade breakfast (waffles or pancakes or a dutch baby), go back to bed, take a nap, watch a movie, I would sew or finally re-learn how to knit, he would play a video game. I should strike boring, because its fun and relaxing for us

4 That's a tough one. Really. I am very blessed and I know it. I can't name a best gift ever.

5 OK, I am kind of cheating on 5. It's just Jim and I. We long for the day when its "Us and the baby, or Us and the kids", but that is another story for another day. And I get that we are a family, but I guess I just always think of kids when I think of a family. The point is, I am trying to justify the fact that Jim and I don't really have our very own Christmas tradition. Are we horrible? We are making gingerbread houses together on Christmas Eve this year. Maybe that will start a tradition. Who knows? I do know this....My house is going to totally kicks his houses butt!
Our families do have traditions though, and I am going to share them (that's the cheating part)

My side of our family: My dad wears a Santa hat and passes out presents. Nothing too unusual there. However, before you receive each and every gift you have to say HO!~HO!~HO!
There are usually about 20 of us at the house and it's funny to watch as each person gets their gift. If you forget a HO!~HO!~HO! the present is snatched back from you. The little ones aren't even able to speak and can't say Mom or Dad, but they say HO!~HO!~HO!. I think Alyssa once snatched her sweet great-grandmas present back from her for not saying HO!~HO!~HO!
I don't know when or how it started, but it's fun!

Jims Mom: I could be wrong, but I think this one is thanks to my sister in laws husband Jon. Its the holiday cracker
These are so much fun. You pull them open and there is usually a joke or fortune, a toy, and a festive paper hat. They are now a must at every holiday gathering. As you can see here:
The holiday dinner with friends in 2006. Ummm...where are Jeff and Allison?
And a dinner I hosted with the family around the holidays, also in 2006.
The cracker king is the guy in the middle on the left
These also lead to an interesting encounter at World Market last week. We are having a few of our friends over for Brunch on Christmas Day ( I swear I am keeping it simple). Well, I can't have a holiday gathering without these, and I can usually count on World Market for them.
So I headed over to pick them up. I couldn't find them and started to panic. Finally I decide to just ask, and since I assumed everyone MUST know what holiday crackers were the conversation went like this:
ME(M): Hi, where are your Holiday Crackers
EMPLOYEE named Erin(E): Weeelll, we don't have a like special holiday cracker section, but there are all kinds of crackers back in the market section
M: No, I'm sorry, I mean Holiday Crackers that you break (demonstrating how they open)
and they have fun stuff in them
E: (puzzled look) What do you mean? What stuff in them, like a filling
M: Well, they kind of remind me of dynamite sticks and you pop them open and they have
toys and a paper hat in them. I should have been more clear. They aren't edible. Not like food crackers
E: They explode?
M: You know, I am probably not doing a good job explaining what they are (again, I am
demonstrating the pulling them apart action as if it is going to help at all). Is there someone
else we can ask, or maybe I can just keep looking.
E: Hey Lisa, do we have Holiday Crackers (I am STILL demonstrating as she yells over to
Lisa, don't ask me why)
Lisa: Sure do, behind you and to the left.

And there, not more than a few feet away is the display of Holiday Crackers. I am so excited and tell Erin that my brunch would not have been the same without them and try to show them to her. She is so over it and says simply "Can I take these to the counter for you while you shop"
Poor Erin.

Jon also brought Jaffa Cakes to the family and I am eternally grateful. I am a proud member of the Secret Order of the Smashing Orangey Bit. Actually, thats not true...I can't get the jaffa cake launch. And I spent a LOT of time on it. Trust me.

Jims Dad:
My special cd. I like country music. My secret is out. Every year Jims Dad makes me a cd with the top 20 country songs of that week (or weeks around Christmas). I love it, it's just for me and its personal. I was worried I wouldn't get one this year since we are staying in Florida. I should have know better. I got it. And I love it!!!!

Those are a few of our family traditions. I am sure Jim and I will start our own, but I will always look forward to these. And this year, I will dearly miss them.