(Christmas) Things My Mother Taught Me

As I've spent the past week skipping through the snowy streets of Christmastime in New York City, watching cheesy movies on Lifetime and ABC Family, and helping my Dad decorate our house for the first time in a couple of years, my thoughts have turned to my mom more than a few times. For the first time in awhile, they've all brought me smiles. My mom, of course, taught me innumerable lessons about an array of what life has to offer, but over the past few days, I've become keenly aware of what she taught me about Christmas. Without further ado, the (Christmas) things my mother taught me:

1) How to wrap gifts (and how to wrap them in such a way as to disguise their contents from prying eyes...)

2) To not eat too much raw cookie dough. The raw eggs could make me sick, but more importantly, if I ate the cookie dough, there wouldn't be enough for cookies!

3) To hang the heaviest ornaments on the backs of the thickest branches.

4) To hang the soft ornaments on the bottom, so that they'd be the ones to take the fall if the cat played with the tree!

5) To guard the presents under the tree with a toy soldier.

6) To be asleep by midnight, or Santa wouldn't come!

7) To always leave milk and cookies to tide Santa over on his long flight.

8) To buy my Christmas presents well ahead of time - and then leisurely stroll through the malls to check out the decorations (and people-watch) on Christmas Eve.

9) To always include Pooh Bear in the Christmas festivities.

10) To make a scavenger hunt out of the best gift I was giving.

11) To eat cookies and drink lime sherbet punch for dinner on Christmas Eve.

12) To read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas...on Christmas Eve.

13) To check the Christmas lights BEFORE hanging them up.

14) To give to the Salvation Army.

15) To avoid fruit cake.

16) To never lose my belief in Santa.

17) To take joy from the lights, the smells, the energy.

18) That the best present EVER is a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles play sewer system.

19) That old angels never lose their place on the tops of trees.

...and probably many more...

Thanks, Mom, and Merry Christmas to everyone!