Thursday, December 20, 2007

Christmas rules and regulations.

From Wicked Good Cookies on PicasaNB: I will be checking this list twice.
  1. The tree: must be live, with delicate lights and non-generic ornaments. See details.

  2. The outdoor decorations: must be composed of white lights and natural materials only. Nothing that requires a motor.

  3. The cards: must show at least some small effort beyond stuffing, licking, and stamping.


  4. The wish list: must contain ideas and suggestions, but not be so specific as to stifle all creativity on the part of the gift-giver.

  5. The cookies: Must include thumbprints with frosting. Never jelly.

  6. The schedule: Gifts must be opened on Christmas morning. Not Christmas Eve. Except one or two just to take the edge off.

  7. The stockings: Must contain an orange. What can I say? It's a rule.

  8. The gift-opening: Must occur in sequence from youngest opener to oldest, one gift at a time so all can be properly displayed and admired.

  9. The traveling: Must be of the grandparents to the grandchildren, and not the other way around.
    a. Exception 1: presence of great-grandparents over the age of 85.
    b. Exception 2: Hawaii.

  10. The menu: Must not include turkey. What do you think this is, Thanksgiving or something?

  11. The clothing: Must not be thematic, unless worn by a small child.

  12. The songs: Must be sung loudly and with gusto, preferably while seated alongside Harry Connick, Jr., at the piano.

  13. The weather: Must be white. Sparkly, even.

15 comments:

Patois42 said...

I sure could play by your rules. Except we're not likely to have a white one. Unless you count the frozen dew in the early a.m.

Lara said...

wow, i break a lot of your rules. jitta and i don't have a tree at all, no outdoor decorations, no cookies, and definitely no snow. i made a christmas card on the comp which is actually really darn good if you ask me, and which i'll be posting on christmas. no wish list from me this year either. i will be traveling to vegas, though there are neither grandparents nor grandchildren involved, and we will open presents on christmas day. our stockings have never contained oranges, however, and we do eat turkey. lastly, i do sometimes wear christmas themed clothing, but it's usually only an accessory (or for a performance), and i'm about to go caroling right now with some friends from my college a cappella group! yay!

Harris Channing said...

I love the rule about the Christmas cards! Stamps are too expensive for the obligatory--Love, The so and so family. At least write my first name on the inside so I'm sure you know what it is! Sometimes I wonder...and then I wonder...why did they even bother?

~Harris.

damozel said...

Yeah, I'm emailing my cards this year and they're lucky to be getting that.

Those are great rules as long as you apply them only to yourself and to no one else....

Coco said...

I wonder what's with the orange in the stocking... hmm?

Suzanne said...

Quite a sensible list! Although the chances of us getting a white Christmas are very, very low. And I don't know that I've ever had an orange in my stocking. But still, I endorse this list!

Julie Pippert said...

Wow...I fail your rules and regulations on so many points I'll just slink away in shame now...

:)

Julie
Using My Words

Magpie said...

Yes, yes, and more yes.

Though, I think we've never had or made thumbprint cookies.

We always used to have an orange in the stocking when I was a kid. I think we need to reinstitute that.

Julie Marsh said...

You know I'm right there with you on almost all of these. Especially dinner. Christmas Eve = homemade pizza. Christmas = steak.

mamatulip said...

Come to my house if you want a white Christmas...there's still a TON of snow here. But ... wait. It's more sludge-coloured than white now. *sigh*

Melanie said...

Great list!! I think I am following all the rules!! Merry Christmas!

Anonymous said...

It's interesting that every family has its own rules. Some of my family's rules are completely different from yours.

Lady M said...

Oh fun! Many of our traditions are somewhat modified this year though, since the move has turned things topsy turvy. :)

Texasholly said...

90% of the people who sent me a card this year need you to send them a copy of the list. Of course, I could do a little brushing up on about 90% of the others things on the list!

Rachel said...

I can play by most of your rules. :-)
Lights, only white.
Stockings, orange and an apple
Sequence of opening gifts, absolutely!
There are more, but you don't need a novel here :-)
Great blog.