If you celebrate Christmas, how was it? Was it peaceful? Did you spend it with family? Did you sleep in, or were you up at the crack of dawn to see what Santa had left for you?

-- Anonymous, December 26, 1999

Answers

I got to sleep in until 8:00, 'cause my 11 year-old is *such* a good kid, she contents herself with checking out the stuff she got in her stocking until Fred and I are up and about.

I finally got the scanner I've been wanting, along with some Wal-Mart gift certificates, an amazon gift certificate, and a couple of books I've really been wanting. Oh, and the Boyzone CD I've been coveting. And a box of Godiva chocolates. What more could a girl ask for?

We weren't required to be anywhere for Christmas, so we hung around the house, made a big lunch, and napped a good part of the day away. Heaven!

http://www.bitchypoo.com/bitchypoo.html

-- Anonymous, December 26, 1999

Um, I spent much of it either in the hospital with my new baby or at my in-laws' place dealing with their extreme weirdness. So I guess you could say that it was a bit of a downer at the end of an otherwise phenomenal week.

-- Anonymous, December 26, 1999

We spent it at home alone without anyone's additional family except our own. It was phenomenal! There was no rotten thing said or done by any relative. Now, we're just trying to figure out what our excuse will be to blow them off next year because this was WONDERFUL! And this year's excuse was pregnancy and I don't plan on having that excuse next year, thanks!

We were up at the crack of dawn to open presents with the 6 year old. By 10AM, I was snoozing on the couch for an hour. We had Christmas music going all day and I got up at 1130 and put the turkey in the oven and returned to a combination of playing with toys and snoozing. I ate an awesome meal last night with my man and my boy and it was perfect.

Suggestions for politely blowing off family for the holidays are highly welcome because we will do it again next year. I'm thinking something along the lines of "We have our own family now, so we're thinking to do our own traditions from now on." How innocuous does that sound?

-- Anonymous, December 26, 1999

It was quite lovely. We got up at 6 (late for me on Christmas!) and then stayed at home most of day eating shrimp drenched in butter and playing with our toys. In the evening, we went to see Man on the the Moon, which was by far the best movie I've seen all year. I bawled. It was wonderful.

-- Anonymous, December 26, 1999

It's finally over. I'm exhausted. Though the 25th was boring, we didn't do anything special, but it was still a tense day of making the house suitable for company. Today, for a family gathering, went rather well. I only got a few critiques of my appearance, and for a day with the grandparents that is pretty good.

And on the gift front, Beth is officially one of the best humans ever. As is Jeremy, of course, but this isn't his forum.

-- Anonymous, December 27, 1999

Had a wonderful Christmas with Heather who flew in Tuesday from California where she had been frolicking in 75 degree weather and now had to endure temperatures in the teens and twenties. She likes to sleep in, so this year I was smart and stayed up late Christmas Eve so I actually slept until 11:30 am. Haven't done that for years. She was up at noon and then we emptied our stockings and opened our presents. Then we cooked four of our favorite dishes: vegetarian stuffing, vegetarian Calzone, vegetarian corn casserole and a mashed potato casserole that has cream cheese in it.... and ate our Christmas dinner around 4pm. We both missed Holly very much and were disappointed that she didn't call us on Christmas Day, but perhaps there are no phones out in the middle of the Sinai desert. In the evening Heather went to visit a school chum and I settled down to watch the Pacers stomp out the New York Knicks. Heh! I am a big Pacers and Colts fan these days. My husband didn't watch sports very much at all, but I now watch most of the games of the local teams. Not sure why....I say they are the men in my life! I just put Heather on the plane back to California (sigh) and stopped by my office to water my plants.

-- Anonymous, December 27, 1999

It was great, thanks:) Even though it included my socks being put away in the fridge, a twisted ankle, a flat tire and and all sorts of assorted, comedy of errors type activity.

The loot was good, the company better and we even managed to get home today (27th) at a decent hour where we were welcomed home by a hungry set of meowing, but affectionate kitties.

I love my family:)

-- Anonymous, December 27, 1999

Our holiday was great! The night of the 22nd we attended a huge Solstice bonfire celebration on the beach. We didn't do anything overt to observe the holiday, but we observed it nontheless. The brilliant full moon was breathtaking and it was cool but not bone chillingly so. It was a great evening with friends.

The next day my husband and I drove to LA to see my mom. My family is just me, Pat and her, which is great. Pat and I both love LA so we enjoyed driving around looking at old stuff and going to delis and shopping for used books. In the evenings we watched House & Garden TV and "Babe" with my mom and I did needlepoint.

We open our presents on Christmas Eve. Among other things, my mom gave us each $100. She gave Pat his in ones and little did she know that he adores counting and playing with paper money, so he was happy as a clam for the rest of the evening.

On Christmas Day we had ham, scalloped potatoes, and other vegetables which was a perfect hearty winter meal. Except it wasn't wintry but about 70 degrees with blue skies. We enjoyed the ham (my favorite holiday meat) anyway. A crony of my mom's came over and we continued the quiet celebration.

Pat called his parents, spending the holidays with his sister and her hell spawn, and could hear the kids screaming as his mother complained about how stressful it all was. The poor dear.

-- Anonymous, December 28, 1999

My Christmas was wonderful! I spent Christmas Eve with my girlfriend's family and also looked in on a friends open house/party. I got wonderful gifts that I didn't expect and enjoyed giving them as well.

Christmas day I had my two boys over for the afternoon and evening and shelled out some more presents and talked to my dad on the phone and had we all had dinner at my girlfriend's house. The only bummer about the whole thing was at 4am my oldest son woke up with a stomach problem and spent all of the 26th being ill.

I have my boys over for New Year's Eve and hopefully they have finished swapping illness around so we can have some fun making a time capsule and banging pots and pans together.

Just a small comment on boxer briefs. My girlfriend suggested I get some and she seems to really like them and I have taken to them enough to want to wear them around the house because I think they look good too..... Loads of fun. Giggle

-- Anonymous, December 29, 1999