Friday Five: It's Almost Christmas edition

From the RevGals:

What was one of your favorite childhood gifts that you gave?

When my Sublime Aunt and Jetsetter Uncle were dating, we found out that he would be coming to Christmas but we didn't have a present for him. We had at our house, a book of upholstery samples (incidentally given to us by Sublime Aunt) and my sister and I chose two samples: One a manly grey and one a (manly?) purple and, in a matter of minutes, sewed them together. Then we stuffed it with fiberfill and because it didn't yet have that certain je ne sais quoi, I wrote his name in cursive on it. With a crayon.
I think Jetsetter Uncle takes this pillow with him every time he flies anywhere.
What, JU? You don't? You don't have it anymore? You didn't have it 15 minutes after you left the house that day?
Oh, fragile world. C.r.u.m.b.l.i.n.g.
It's probably better this way.

What is one of your favorite Christmas recipes? Bonus points if you share the recipe with us.

I wouldn't say it is my favorite, but it's one I use most often, though interestingly, not so much this year.
Chaotic Christmas
one part Martha Stewart dreams
one part April McClure Stewart inability to plan
one part quirky congregation of older folks who do things like...well...die
one part unpredictable winter weather
Mix together. Sprinkle with perfectionism, computer problems, and Christmas carols.
Let fester.

At the point all seems lost, insert Holy Spirit, Mystery of Incarnation, Candlelight and Communion...

Oh, also helps to add a pinch on the husband's rear. Spices things up. :)

What is a tradition that your family can't do without?

Lucia Nights at Bishop Hill
The Muppets' Christmas Carol
Black Adder's
Christmas Carol
Good live choral music.
Roo and I trying to play Christmas carols on the same piano bench.
The after-dinner naptime wrestling match for the spot by the fire.
A Christmas eve service.

Pastors and other church folk often have very strange traditions dictated by the "work" of the holidays. What happens at your place?

Our church service is early in the evening and when I was unmarried, I would leave directly after the service and stop in Peoria, IL for midnight mass at the cathedral. I haven't done that since Dennis and I have been married and each year I miss just worshiping rather than "performing."

So... this year we are going to make a concerted effort to arrange things so that we can go to the 11 p.m. service at the Disciples church across the river. I find myself needing to be shown the manger by someone else on Christmas eve. Anyone else like that?

If you could just ditch all the traditions and do something unexpected... what would it be?

Sublime Aunt and Jetsetter Uncle took that pillow and went to Hawaii by themselves this year for 10 days. (j/k about the pillow).

I think that would be an ok tradition to start someday.