I’ll be chasing a Santa-addled toddler around the house today, plus I’m having far too many in-laws over for dinner, including the niece who was raised by wolves, so I’m afraid you’re on your own where gothy crafts are concerned.

Instead, you can get in touch with your Inner Grinch by leaving a comment about your favorite holiday tradition or your best holiday memory. (You pick the holiday; I’m easy.)

I’ll start by sharing a memory of my own, which also illustrates my family’s motto, “If a Thing is Worth Doing, It is Worth Overdoing.”

I was four years old, it was Christmas Eve, and I was completely beside myself with anticipation in the way that only small children can be. Just before bedtime, my father suddenly said, “Listen! Do you hear that? There’s something on the roof!”

He held me up to the window to look out, and suddenly a blinking red light eased out over the edge of the roof, stopped for a moment, then eased back out of sight. I had seen Rudolph’s nose! Santa was on my roof! I’m sure that my cerebellum simply fused with joy.

My dad–whose love of Christmas is so profound that X-rays have shown his entire skeleton to be comprised of candy canes–had rigged a blinky red light on a mechanical arm, which he triggered by remote. I talked about my close brush with Mr. Claus for months.

Hm. My heart just grew three sizes.

Now it’s your turn. Hope your day is fabulous!