This is SOOOO stolen...

Googled "best survey ever" and the result is below, stolen from this website. I'm taking out the ones I don't want to answer though. Because I can, that's why. You can answer them if you want to, freak.

1. Let us assume you met a rudimentary magician. Let us assume he can do five simple tricks--he can pull a rabbit out of his hat, he can make a coin disappear, he can turn the ace of spades into the Joker card, and two others in a similar vein. These are his only tricks and he can't learn any more; he can only do these five. HOWEVER, it turns out he's doing these five tricks with real magic. It's not an illusion; he can actually conjure the bunny out of the ether and he can move the coin through space. He's legitimately magical, but extremely limited in scope and influence.
Would this person be more impressive than Albert Einstein?
No, he'd be scary because of his obvious pact with the devil.

2. Deleted due to creepiness.

3. Let us assume there are two boxes on a table. In one box, there is a relatively normal turtle; in the other, Adolf Hitler's skull. You have to select one of these items for your home. If you select the turtle, you can't give it away and you have to keep it alive for two years; if either of these parameters are not met, you will be fined $999 by the state. If you select Hitler's skull, you are required to display it in a semi-prominent location in your living room for the same amount of time, although you will be paid a stipend of $120 per month for doing so. Display of the skull must be apolitical.
Which option do you select?
I pick the turtle, even though there is some risk to it. I like turtles and they aren't as creepy as Hitler or his skull. For what it's worth, I would probably pick the turtle over anyone's skull.

4. Genetic engineers at Johns Hopkins University announce that they have developed a so-called "super gorilla." Though the animal cannot speak, it has a sign language lexicon of over twelve thousand words, an I.Q. of almost 85, and--most notably--a vague sense of self-awareness. Oddly, the creature (who weighs seven hundred pounds) becomes fascinated by football. The gorilla aspires to play the game at its highest level and quickly develops the rudimentary skills of a defensive end. ESPN analyst Tom Jackson speculates that this gorilla would be "borderline unblockable" and would likely average six sacks a game (although Jackson concedes the beast might be susceptible to counters and misdirection plays). Meanwhile, the gorilla has made it clear he would never intentionally injure any opponent.
You are commissioner of the NFL: Would you allow this gorilla to sign with the Oakland Raiders?
I would not.

5. You meet your soul mate. However, there is a catch: Every three years, someone will break both of your soul mate's collarbones with a Crescent wrench, and there is only one way you can stop this from happening: You must swallow a pill that will make every song you hear--for the rest of your life--sound as if it's being performed by the band Alice in Chains. When you hear Creedence Clearwater Revival on the radio, it will sound (to your ears) like it's being played by Alice in Chains. If you see Radiohead live, every one of their tunes will sound like it's being covered by Alice in Chains. When you hear a commercial jingle on TV, it will sound like Alice in Chains; if you sing to yourself in the shower, your voice will sound like deceased Alice vocalist Layne Staley performing a capella (but it will only sound this way to you).
Would you swallow the pill?
Forever? Let's say that I believe in soul mates, which I do for some, though I don't believe that finding your soul mate is the magical key to happiness and I also think it possible that someone's soul mate might be better as a friend than a lover and might be a friend of the same sex, with or without sexual attraction. What was the question again? Oh yeah, let's say that we're talking instead about the love of my life and that I already have fallen and not that I just know that this person is my "soul mate" and so I MUST be with them or be miserable and die. In that case, bring on the Alice in Chains.

6. At long last, someone invents "the dream VCR." This machine allows you to tape an entire evening's worth of your own dreams, which you can then watch at your leisure. However, the inventor of the dream VCR will only allow you to use this device of you agree to a strange caveat: When you watch your dreams, you must do so with your family and your closest friends in the same room. They get to watch your dreams along with you. And if you don't agree to this, you can't use the dream VCR.
Would you still do this?
With friends, sure. It could be weird and awkward with family. Wait, it's a VCR, so that means I COULD fast forward past the not G-rated parts, right? Okay, then it's a go.

7. Defying all expectation, a group of Scottish marine biologists capture a live Loch Ness Monster. In an almost unbelievable coincidence, a bear hunter in the Pacific Northwest shoots a Sasquatch in the thigh, thereby allowing zoologists to take the furry monster into captivity. These events happen on the same afternoon. That evening, the president announces he may have thyroid cancer and will undergo a biopsy later that week.
You are the front page editor of The New York Times: What do you play as the biggest story?
I pick the story about the president propositioning the Loch Ness Monster and Sasquatch.

8. You meet the perfect person. Romantically, this person is ideal: You find them physically attractive, intellectually stimulating, consistently funny, and deeply compassionate. However, they have one quirk: This individual is obsessed with Jim Henson's gothic puppet fantasy The Dark Crystal. Beyond watching it on DVD at least once a month, he/she peppers casual conversation with Dark Crystal references, uses Dark Crystal analogies to explain everyday events, and occasionally likes to talk intensely about the film's "deeper philosophy."
Would this be enough to stop you from marrying this individual?
It could be worse. He could be into WoW. hahahahaha.

9. A novel titled Interior Mirror is released to mammoth commerical success (despite middling reviews). However, a curious social trend emerges: Though no one can prove a direct scientific link, it appears that almost 30 percent of the people who read this book immediately become homosexual. Many of these newfound homosexuals credit the book for helping them reach this conclusion about their orientation, despite the fact that Interior Mirror is ostensibly a crime novel with no homoerotic content (and was written by a straight man).
Would this phenomenon increase (or decrease) the likelihood of you reading this book?
It would increase the likelihood that I would read it. Curiosity killed the cat and all.

10. Nah.

11. You are watching a movie in a crowded theater. Though the plot is mediocre, you find yourself dazzled by the special effects. But with twenty minutes left in the film, you are struck with an undeniable feeling of doom: You are suddenly certain your mother has just died. There is no logical reason for this to be true, but you are certain of it. You are overtaken with the irrational metaphysical sense that--somewhere--your mom has just perished. But this is only an intuitive, amorphous feeling; there is no evidence for this, and your mother has not been ill.
Would you immediately exit the theater, or would you finish watching the movie?
I would IMMEDIATELY exit the theater. I don't mess around with intuition.

12. You meet a wizard in downtown Chicago. The wizard tells you he can make you more attractive if you pay him money. When you ask how this process works, the wizard points to a random person on the street. You look at this random stranger. The wizard says, "I will now make them a dollar more attractive." He waves his magic wand. Ostensibly, this person does not change at all; as far as you can tell, nothing is different. But--somehow--this person is suddenly a little more appealing. The tangible difference is invisible to the naked eye, but you can't deny that this person is vaguely sexier. This wizard has a weird rule, though--you can only pay him once. You can't keep giving him money until you're satisfied. You can only pay him one lump sum up front.
How much cash do you give the wizard?
$20.

13. Every person you have ever slept with is invited to a banquet where you are the guest of honor. No one will be in attendance except you, the collection of your former lovers, and the catering service. After the meal, you are asked to give a fifteen-minute speech to the assembly.
What do you talk about?
What don't I talk about? It's a very compact audience. I think it would tend to be more conversational that speech-like.

14. For reasons that cannot be explained, cats can suddenly read at a twelfth-grade level. They can't talk and they can't write, but they can read silently and understand the text. Many cats love this new skill, because they now have something to do all day while they lay around the house; however, a few cats become depressed, because reading forces them to realize the limitations of their existence (not to mention the utter frustration of being unable to express themselves).
This being the case, do you think the average cat would enjoy Garfield, or would cats find this cartoon to be an insulting caricature?
I think quite possibly that cats would be insulted by everything and anything they read. They're like that you know.

15. You have a brain tumor. Though there is no discomfort at the moment, this tumor would unquestionably kill you in six months. However, your life can (and will) be saved by an operation; the only downside is that there will be a brutal incision to your frontal lobe. After the surgery, you will be significantly less intelligent. You will still be a fully functioning adult, but you will be less logical, you will have a terrible memory, and you will have little ability to understand complex concepts or difficult ideas. The surgery is in two weeks.
How do you spend the next fourteen days?
I would spend the time documenting my life and compiling photos (to combat the memory issues). I would make sure that my finances and other important things are taken care of by someone I trust. I would make a will and a power of attorney. I would CRY.

16. Someone builds an optical portal that allows you to see a vision of your own life in the future (it's essentially a crystal ball that shows a randomly selected image of what your life will be like in twenty years). You can only see into this portal for thirty seconds. When you finally peer into the crystal, you see yourself in a living room, two decades older than you are today. You are watching a Canadian football game, and you are extremely happy. You are wearing a CFL jersey. Your chair is surrounded by books and magazines that promote the Canadian Football League, and there are CFL pennants covering your walls. You are alone in the room, but you are gleefully muttering about historical moments in Canadian football history. It becomes clear that—for some unknown reason—you have become obsessed with Canadian football. And this future is static and absolute; no matter what you do, this future will happen. The optical portal is never wrong. This destiny cannot be changed.
The next day, you are flipping through television channels and randomly come across a pre-season CFL game between the Toronto Argonauts and the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Knowing your inevitable future, do you now watch it?
No, regardless of how I will feel later, I still find it lame now. Why torture myself sooner than later?

17. You are sitting in an empty bar (in a town you've never before visited), drinking Bacardi with a soft-spoken acquaintance you barely know. After an hour, a third individual walks into the tavern and sits by himself, and you ask your acquaintance who the new man is. "Be careful of that guy," you are told. "He is a man with a past." A few minutes later, a fourth person enters the bar; he also sits alone. You ask your acquaintance who this new individual is. "Be careful of that guy, too," he says. "He is a man with no past."
Which of these two people do you trust less?
The one on the left. He has shifty eyes.

18. You have won a prize. The prize has two options, and you can choose either (but not both). The first option is a year in Europe with a monthly stipend of $2,000. The second option is ten minutes on the moon.
Which option do you select?
I choose Europe, but I sneak back home and enjoy the stipend here, where it would make more impact.

19. Your best friend is taking a nap on the floor of your living room. Suddenly, you are faced with a bizarre existential problem: This friend is going to die unless you kick them (as hard as you can) in the rib cage. If you don't kick them while they slumber, they will never wake up. However, you can never explain this to your friend; if you later inform them that you did this to save their life, they will also die from that. So you have to kick a sleeping friend in the ribs, and you can't tell them why.
Since you cannot tell your friend the truth, what excuse will you fabricate to explain this (seemingly inexplicable) attack?
I don't make an excuse. I just say I kicked him for the fun of it.

20. For whatever the reason, two unauthorized movies are made about your life. The first is an independently released documentary, primarily comprised of interviews with people who know you and bootleg footage from your actual life. Critics are describing the documentary as "brutally honest and relentlessly fair." Meanwhile, Columbia Tri-Star has produced a big-budget biopic of your life, casting major Hollywood stars as you and all your acquaintances; though the movie is based on actual events, screenwriters have taken some liberties with the facts. Critics are split on the artistic merits of this fictionalized account, but audiences love it.
Which film would you be most interested in seeing?
I've seen the first film, I'd be most interested in seeing the second.

21. Imagine you could go back to the age of five and relive the rest of your life, knowing everything that you know now. You will reexperience your entire adolescence with both the cognitive ability of an adult and the memories of everything you've learned form having lived your life previously.
Would you lose your virginity earlier or later than you did the first time around (and by how many years)?
I don't think I would change anything. I probably should, but I don't think that I would.

22. You work in an office. Generally, you are popular with your coworkers. However, you discover that there are currently two rumors circulating the office gossip mill, and both involve you. The first rumor is that you got drunk at the office holiday party and had sex with one of your married coworkers. This rumor is completely true, but most people don't believe it. The second rumor is that you have been stealing hundreds of dollars of office supplies (and then selling them to cover a gambling debt). This rumor is completely false, but virtually everyone assumes it is factual.
Which of these two rumors is most troubling to you?
Ooooh, I'm a bad girl.

23. Consider this possibility:
a. Think about deceased TV star John Ritter.
b. Now, pretend Ritter had never become famous. Pretend he was never affected by the trappings of fame, and try to imagine what his personality would have been like.
c. Now, imagine that this person—the unfamous John Ritter—is a character in a situation comedy.
d. Now, you are also a character in this sitcom, and the unfamous John Ritter character is your sitcom father.
e. However, this sitcom is actually your real life. In other words, you are living inside a sitcom: Everything about our life is a construction, featuring the unfamous John Ritter playing himself (in the role of your TV father). But this is not a sitcom. This is your real life.
How would you feel about this?
Does he still die at a tragically young age? Because that is what sucks about this story.

We're back from NYC. It was awesome and very cool and all that and more. There are pictures up at Facebook and maybe eventually here, IF David can figure out how to get the new computer to recognize that it has a hard-drive and wants to boot. Details.

Since nobody wants to hear about my itchy boobs either, I will steal from Esther again. It is apparently the in thing to do :-)

Eight Lasts
1. Last Cigarette?
There's never been a first.

2. Last Beverage?
Sprite Zero

3. Last phone call?
David on his way home.

4. Last text message?
Can't remember, probably Melanie on New Year's or some other holiday

5. Last CD played?
The Frog Prince - horribly written musical that the musical theatre camp is doing - don't worry, David is fixing the music

6. Last BUBBLE bath?
At least 12 years ago. I know it's been longer than that, but not a lot longer, and that's as far back as I can remember.

7. Last time you cried?
Some time during PMS week (about a week ago).

8. Last meal?
A little shells and cheese, a little chicken, and 2 Valentine's cookies.

SEVEN Have You’s:
1. have you ever dated someone twice?
Assuming you mean dated someone, broken up, and gotten back together: Yes, more than once. In fact, I've been engaged to someone, broken up, dated again, broken up, been engaged again, and then broken up. NOT my husband. Though we did technically break up and then started phone dating over a year later and got engaged.

3. Have you ever kissed someone & regretted it?
No, not just a kiss. I HAVE regretted someone kissing me. I was a member of the VL (virgin lips club), as was my "boyfriend" (we were 15, so not "dating" IYKWIM), but he was showing off for a friend and so instead of dipping me and doing a stage kiss like he usually did, he really kissed me and I had to be a member of the VLRV (virgin lips repented version) club instead. I was ticked.

4. Have you ever fallen in love?
Gosh, I hope so.

5. Have you ever lost someone?
Joshua is a runner (though I've never LOST him, just chased him) Haley did hide in the clothes racks at Walmart for long enough without answering that I had that panicky "she's lost" feeling.

6. Have you ever slept until 2pm?
Yes, we had the flu really badly one year and slept constantly for about 3 days straight.

7. Have you ever been drunk and thrown up?
Nope.

SIX things you did in the past three days:
1. Celebrated Love Day
2. Celebrated Valentine's week
3. Bought new shoes
4. Returned the new shoes and bought 2 other pairs of new shoes (BOGOHO sale started today!!)
5. TONS of laundry
6. Bought 3 new cloth diapers


FIVE people you can tell pretty much anything to
David, Jen, Amy, Jenifer, Julie

THREE favorite colors
Purple, lavendar, and pink

Now how did Four get AFTER three??

FOUR things you want to do before you die
1. Finish a degree
2. Visit Washington DC again (with the family this time)
3. Skydive
4. Have a family reunion

This month have you…
Laughed until you cried? I don't think so, not this month yet.
Went behind your parents back? um... No.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT:
1. Your last kiss? yeah, just a goodnight kiss - and HE has a headache lol.
2. Gay Marriage? I don't like to infringe on others' free agency to choose how to live their life, but don't think I can go as far as supporting legal rights for gay marriage. I haven't really given it that much thought.
3. Lowering the drinking age? Like it stops anyone who really wants to?
4. Straight, Gay, or Bi? straight.
5. Who are the best huggers that you know? David, all 5 little monkeys
6. Do you believe in love at first sight? Nope.
7. Is there something you want to tell someone? Not really.
8. What brand of shirt are you wearing? Hanes - it's a NY Knicks shirt
9. Would you kiss anyone on your top friends? Hubby. I have previously kissed one other person on my top friends list, but would not do so again lololol.
10. What is your current annoyance? Work.
11. How many kids do you want to have? 5
12. Do you want to change your name? No.
13. Last time you saw your father? the day after Sam was blessed (or maybe it was a couple of days after?)
14. What did you do for your last birthday? Went to dinner, shopped for a new suit for David to wear at his concert, and saw Transformers (I think)
15. What time did you wake up today? Too friggin' early.
16. What were you doing at midnight last night? Working.
17. Name something you CANNOT wait to do? Go to New York!!
18. What is your favorite thing in your room? My new comforter. Sorry babe, it's snugglier than you are sometimes and it doesn't snore.
20. Where is your best friend right now? Sleeping.

Hahahahaha, I just tried to "jump" back through my post to find blanks that I needed to fill in before I sent it using Cntrl-Shift-J. It opened my favorite feeds tab. Guess I should be working, eh?

36 hours, not that I'm counting or anything

Bought new shoes today. BOGO!! which I just want to point out is not really a BOGO, but a BOGOHO, but that's not good advertising, now is it? I wanted to link a picture of them, but I have not found one yet (they aren't on the website anymore). I'll google and see if I get anything. Okay, they look just like this except black and much, much larger and the insides are plain black instead of snazzy. Shut up, I still like them. The other pair is also a ballet flat, cream and with pink details. I LOVE them. David hates them. Double sweet. I started out with plain black ballet flats (well, with a black bow), but they just weren't me. They were probably more appropriate for the outfits in general, but I decided I just didn't care and I took them back today. Yes the sales person laughed at me, but she was really nice about it.

Something I realized while shoe shopping - I had forgotten how much I LOVE shoes. I've never had a TON (at least not by Imelda standards), but I've always loved the ones I had. Well, for about 10 years or so, I've not been my usual shoe buying self and have dwindled down to about 5 pairs of shoes, none of which I really love, and of those, was wearing 1 (quite ugly, but neutral) pair 90% of the time and tennis shoes the other 10%. Sad, sad, sad. So, now I have 2 pair of shoes that make me happy. Soon I will work on the replacing the rest, starting with the tired old tennis shoes.


Today is Love Day, so I've gotta go get the Shells and Cheese made and then work on folding more laundry. OH YEAH. The other thing I wanted to post about - I am about 2 batches from being done with ALL the laundry. I kid you not. Glorious day.

In Honor of My Brother Coming Home from his Mission

AKA, I will use any excuse to do a survey:
1. Where where you 3 hours ago? same place I am now, which means my shift is almost over!!
2. Who are you in love with? My husband and my kiddos
3. Have you ever eaten a crayon? Probably
4. Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you? too many to mention
5. When was the last time you went to the mall? about 2 weeks ago for Christmas shopping/date
6. Are you wearing socks right now? yes, hubby's ;-P
7. Do you have a car worth over $2000? Yes and 2 that are not
8. When was the last time you drove out of town? see above RE: the mall
9. Have you been to the movies in the last 5 days? no, last movie was Saturday after T-giving
10. What was the last thing you had to drink? apple juice from a juice box
11. What are you wearing right now? shoes, socks, jeans, and a very old, paint splattered TVCC T-shirt, and headphones
12. Do you wash your car or let the car wash do it? carwash or kids
13. Last food you ate? tuna fish sandwich and a lemon square
14. Where were you last week this time? same bat time, same bat station
15. Have you purchased any clothing items in the last week? yes, uniform stuff for Banana
16. When is the last time you flossed? i'm not sure i ever have
17. What is the last TV program you watched? first 2/3rds of Private Practice, first 10 minutes of Survivor, and last 3 minutes of Grey's Anatomy. need to finish all 3
18. What is your favorite animal? Koalas
19. What sign are you? Cancer
20. What is your favorite dream vacation? NYC for now
21. Last person's home you were in? I think it was probably VDWs.
22. Worst injury you ever had? Broken nose
23. Do you miss anyone right now? My siblings/parents
24. Last play you saw? Christmas Carol - last night and again tomorrow night :-D "Haley" and "Caroler/Want" ROCK!!!
25. What is you secret weapon to lure the opposite sex? i clean something
26. What are your plans for this evening? Work, sleep, see #17
27. Next trip you are going to take? NYC in February
28. Ever go to camp? Girls camp 2 or 3 times (when I couldn't get out of it)
29. Were you an honor roll student? Don't remember. Actually not sure we even had a "honor roll" my grades were decent.
30. What do you want to know about the future? way too much for my own good
31. Are you wearing any perfume or cologne? No
32. Are you due sometime soon for a doctors visit? Not really. Sam's only 6 months so I think I'm good for at least another 8 months.
33. Where is your mother? Home, hanging with my brother, I'm guessin'
34. Do you have a tan? not even in the summer
35. What are you listening to right now? late night talk show - the one where the guy has the funny accent - I *should* be listening to the voices in my head
36. Do you collect anything? i don't like collecting or collection; however, i do have a porcelain doll collection
37. Who is the biggest liar you know? ME.
38. Last time you got stopped by cop or pulled over? about 2-3 weeks ago - stinking light out on DPY's car, no ticket
39. What is the weird exotic food that you like? calamari
41. Last time you took a shower? this afternoon
42. Sesame Street Character you most identify with? Ernie. No specific reason.
44. What is your heritage? i should know this - it's something scandinavian
45. Are you rich? In LOVE lolololololollllllll.

Something I didn't Jack from Esther

Instead, I jacked it from Madhousewife. And she called it a meme. Snazzy, eh?

On a separate sheet of paper, write out your full name. Then, extract all the vowels and write them in order here to get your aloha name.

A Ee Ou (wow, I am very lacking in vowels)

How old are you?

32

In fifteen words or fewer, describe yourself as a child.

Smarty-pants. Bossy. Stubborn. Brilliant. Oblivious.

In fifteen words or fewer, describe yourself today.

Bossy. Stubborn. Tired. Brilliant ;-).

What did you eat for breakfast?

Faux Honey-nut Cheerios.

What kind of clothing (or lack thereof) do you sleep in?

Underwear.

Think back: in reverse order, what color have you worn for the past five days, including today?

Green, burgundy, tan?, red, absolutely no clue. going with the dominant shirt color only, in case you were wondering.

If the Talent Fairy flew into the room, what skill or talent would you request from her?

Photographic memory.

Favorite flavor of milkshake?

Chocolate.

Favorite kind of pie?

Pumpkin followed very closely by Banana Cream (no nuts).

Favorite kind of donut?

It's a tie between old-fashioned glazed cake doughnuts and maple bars and bavarian cream filled.

Favorite cocktail?

I don't drink cocktails. But if I did, it would be something girly like a mudslide or an amaretto sour. If I did, which I don't. Even when I want to.

What is your favorite TV show?

Gray's Anatomy

Finish this sentence: All I want for Christmas is ___________.

What I'm getting :-). Yes, I know what I'm getting and how much it was and where it is now and where it was purchased.

Look out the nearest window. What do you see?

Dark.

What's the last thing you purchased?

Ice cream cones x 4.

What would you rather be doing right now?

Sleeping.

What is the last non-communication (email, blog) website you visited?

Does Facebook count? If not, I say the website for NSMC.

Swiped from Esther (of course):
1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot chocolate.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Sit them out. Usually on the couch.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Mostly white on the house, but colored on the windows. I think white on the tree.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? Nope.
5. When do you put up your decorations? I like to do it the day after Thanksgiving – but it’s still not done yet this year.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Pumpkin pie lol.
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: matching hair dryers. Or the year we were in a car accident on Christmas day – I was 9 or so and I don’t remember the accident, but I did get a Cabbage Patch doll from the hospital.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I don't remember.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes, pajamas.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? No particular style, pretty much every ornament is special to us though – I guess it’s like a memory tree.
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love it.
12. Can you ice skate? Sure, I can skate in circles.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? I guess probably matching hair dryers for me and my 2 sisters. It’s not a particularly special gift, but it is SO MY DAD that it always makes me smile.
14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Being with family and friends
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Fudge.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Driving around looking at lights. Last year we took the kids to a light park and that was SO AWESOME because of their reaction to it.
17. What tops your tree? David. In about 2nd or 3rd grade, he made an angel with his school picture and that is what tops our tree. We stole it from his mom.
18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Giving to the kids, receiving from the hubby (though I already know what I’m getting from him this year.)
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Chestnuts Roasting
20. Candy Canes? Yes, Hershey’s usually.
21. Do you feel Christmas is too commercialized? It can be. I had to remind Emily today about the real reason. Then I had her watch a cartoon we have and she decided that was cooler than Santa. She said the baby Jesus was even cuter than Sam :-O