family fun

One of my favorite holiday pastimes, along with my mother and sister, is reading the hordes of Christmas cards and pictures my parents receive -- and the inevitable "form letters" that come with them. This year, I wasn't home to read the majority of the cards, so Mom sent me a fat package with all the cards and pictures she thought would interest me, along with a note that read "call me after you read these." You see, we don't just read the cards and letters, we like to laugh at the absolutely ridiculous things people feel the need to share with family and friends. Maybe it's just my family who receives cards like this, but I have a feeling it's not. And yes, maybe the three of us are going to hell, but hey -- if you're going to share intimate details of your dog's surgeries and ailments over the past twelve months, you deserve to be made fun of a little bit.
There are always the ones we expect: Mom's saintly aunt and uncle who are singlehandedly attempting to change the world in their retirement; the cousin's wife who one year sent a sonogram picture in her card; the childhood friend of Mom's who, although single, sends an oddly unflattering picture-card of just herself each year. And the form letters -- I swear, every year they get better and better. Not only do I get to learn about who's engaged, who's pregnant, who's moved, and who's graduated, I am fortunate enough to be informed of the specifics of varous human and pet illnesses, the adoption process of a baby from China, minute details of a toddler's mental progression over the past year, and many, many other unique tidbits of information that make the reading of the Christmas cards a highly enjoyable, if not hilarious, experience. Add to that the pleasure of reading them with my mom and sister, and the fun never ends!
So last night, I sat down with a cup of tea and the cards and went through them, chuckling all the way. Then I called Mom, and we spent an hour laughing on the phone and discussing whose cards were the most ridiculous this year. Once when we were teenagers, my sister (always the comedian) wrote a "fake" Christmas form letter about our family, which made family history as one of the funniest things ever written. My mom pulls it out from time to time and we all read it and have a good laugh. I asked my mom to send it to me, so if she ever does, I'll reprint it here.
Does your family have any odd Christmas pastimes? Do you have any hilarious Christmas card stories? If so, please share!