Banana Pancakes is On Repeat in My Head

Back. Totally not ready to be in class. But 11 more days. Yeehaw! :)

Thanks to the lovely Teacher Jane, I have a reason to write. :) (Easter break in Denver will be another reason!) Amidst a week with three papers, house-sitting, and a full-day conference in Columbus - I'm answering questions! Yay!

1. What is one of your favorite holiday traditions?

As a member of a large, extremely close knit family - my mom is the oldest of 8, my dad number 11 out of 14, and I am the oldest of 5 - there are so many traditions for every holiday. If weddings were a holiday, they would be my choice by far. Weddings in my family are full of children, dancing, and laughter. A photographer at my aunt's wedding in 2004 said it was the most fun he had ever seen at a wedding reception, if that convinces you. :) Holidays are such a wonderful thing, and I am convinced I have the best family ever. Not in a cocky way, it's just that I seriously have the greatest family I've ever heard of. My mom had 6 younger sisters, all of whom are in their 20s and 30s and a brother who is the same age as my fiance. So these women are like sisters and mothers to me, and their many children are the cutest kids I've met. I am the oldest of 22 grandchildren, with 8 of them less than 5 years old! :)

It makes for some very fun holidays- full of Chuck E Cheese's visits, sharing the same twin bed as my little sister, babysitting, thrift store shopping sprees, and hours of talking. Being in a female-dominated family is wonderful in so many ways, mostly because I think females are so much more interested in discussion, sharing, and expressing love. :) Corny, but I honestly don't know who I would have been without these women in my life. My Aunt Mel, who when I was crying over a fight with a friend in high school told me I was more mature and would really thrive in college. My Aunt Natalie, who called me her favorite when I was little and taught me the words to "Ice Ice Baby." My Aunt Julie, who was a living example of faith, who made being Catholic so freaking awesome I wanted to learn more and more. My Uncle Nick, whom my friends were in love with and who was a leader on my 8th grade retreat, an amazing example of love. My other aunts, who are wonderful mothers and sisters, they all strive to live healthy and holy lives. :) I apologize for totally going off on a tangent, but I just realized how lucky I am!

But, I imagine that a generic answer like "the loudness, many babies, and general amazing family members I have" is not good enough for somebody. So, I will give a boring answer to that person -- my favorite holiday tradition is that every year my dad HAS to wear the Santa hat while he passes out presents. No one else can pass out presents or even LOOK AT THE TAGS GOD FORBID. My dad, however, is an extremely slow, ahem, conscientious person - so this process takes for. ev. er. It's really cute though, because I think it makes him happy. Oh! And I also love that my siblings and I get each other presents for Christmas, and we exchange them on the morning of Christmas Eve. I have a sister in middle school, high school, and college - and a ridiculously dorky, adorable 6th grade brother, so buying gifts for them is so much fun. And none of us have much money, so we don't have to worry about that. Seriously, Anthony shops at the dollar store. And it's fun to see what my siblings chose for me. (This Christmas? Noxema from little brother, a shirt that says "Be Kind, Feed the Birds" because it's 'humanitarian' from sister 2, hair gel and mousse that I always steal from sister 3, and an awesome picture collage of my little cousins and me from sister 1.)

Okay, wow. I did not expect to answer this one so long! So, I think I will do the other questions later, these are such thought-provoking questions. :) Good night, loves.