Fun Facts Friday: The Inaugural/Christmas Edition!

In recent weeks, I've seen a number of lovely bloggers write Fun Facts Friday posts, and this week I'm joining in the festivities. In keeping with the season, I'm making these Christmas-themed -- enjoy!

1) When I was a little kid, I was totally not on board with Santa. 

Apparently I was more than a little afraid of him, actually. Yes, I know: Santa is supposed to be the jolly bearer of gifts for all the delighted children. But as far as I was concerned, the whole concept entailed having a strange man in our house who was basically guilty of breaking and entering. And this, friends, was NOT OKAY. Unlike, um, all my peers, I was really stoked when my parents broke the news that Santa isn't real.

This book exists, y'all.
Check out Amazon to see my freaked-out compatriots!

2) One of the best Christmases ever was when I was in first grade. 

I remember that I got a veritable glut of toys, all of which I really wanted and was incredibly excited about. (Yes, I know, Christmas isn't supposed to be about the presents...but seriously, people, it's totally about the presents. #sorryimnotsorry) The really awesome thing, though, was a Trapper Keeper that I got from my grandparents (bear in mind that this was in 1987). OMFG, you guys, the Trapper Keeper. It was so pretty. And I'd been coveting one for the better part of a year. I'm almost certain some of the stuffed animals on my bed were temporarily displaced by the beloved Trapper Keeper for the first few nights after Christmas.

Squee, this is the exact one! (Source)

3) My brother and I absolutely luuuuuurrrrve peppermint ice cream. 

One Christmas while I was in grad school, we decided on Christmas Eve that we wanted to indulge our habit. We schlepped to the grocery, only to find that they were out. So we went to another store, only to be met with the same situation. We went on a wild goose chase to four different grocery stores -- all the while racing against the clock, knowing they were about to close early for Christmas Eve -- before finding a place that had two gallons left. We bought them both and, as soon as we got home, parked our butts on the couch and proceeded to chow down.

Yeah, that serving size looks about right. (Source)

4) One of my favorite family traditions has been the annual day-after-Christmas party for my extended family in Colorado. 

That branch of the family tree has been meeting on the 26th for generations, and each year the party draws 40-50 people. Some of my favorite people are there each year, and it's wonderful to see them. Because the town where our extended family lives is about 2 hours from where I grew up, we always spend the night of the 26th with our relatives -- and some of my favorite memories are of chatting with my beloved aunts, uncles, and cousins well into the evening.

That's me in the middle of the front row, surrounded by some phenomenal people.

5) Christmas ain't Christmas without a good roast beef. 

Apparently I'm one of the only people who thinks this -- I hear turkeys are the more common fare for most people? -- but gawd, I love my roast beef au jus. I also refer to it as the roast beast, simply because it's impossible not to after a childhood spent repeatedly watching the Grinch Who Stole Christmas.

6) I'm not particularly religious, but Christmas Eve church services always send chills down my spine. Always.

Hope everyone is having a fabulous Friday - here's to the holiday weekend! Wahoo!