A Christmas Story

My son started learning how to write sometime last year, before he turned three. And in the tradition that I grew up in, I asked him to write letters to Santa to ask for his Christmas gift (Okay, I know I'll have a hard time explaining when he finds out that the jolly old man is just a myth, but that concept made my childhood so I'm not going to deprive my son of a bit of holiday magic).

This was his letter last year:

Done with a lot of coaching from Mommy, but it's in his own handwriting.

Fast-forward to 2009. One Sunday evening, I reminded him to set aside some time the following day to compose his letter for Santa. I thought it would be another way to keep him occupied while I was at work. However, when I came home that Monday evening, it turned out that he forgot. When I asked him where his letter was, his eyes turned into two big O's (I was guessing his thought bubble read "oh, shit!", if only the words were part of his toddler-ese) and he got all panicky. You see, the previous night, I told him that Santa had a deadline for letter-collection (I was hoping for maximum recall and motivation. Well, trust a three-year-old's attention span to nullify all your adult theories.).

As I sat down to dinner, he bugged me over and over to help him to write. I told him to wait until after I've finished my meal because I was starving. He kept quiet for a while so I thought he complied. As I was putting away my dinner plate, my precocious boy showed me this, done with absolutely no adult intervention:

With such a darling letter, who is Santa Claus to resist?

(By the way, I drew the star on the upper-right corner to let him know what a great effort he made!)

Here's his Christmas loot from Santa:

A blue scooter (with flashing lights!). Santa was also thoughtful enough to include a toddler-sized helmet, in matching blue with yellow trims.

And because he is such a wonderful boy, Daddy and Mommy got him these:

          

That's a Zhu Zhu pet starter kit, as well as a hamster (Scoodles) to complete the fun. He's a fan of the game "Hamsterball" so he enjoyed this one, too.

Well, Grandma was not to be outdone, so my son got another gift in the form of a Vtech Read and Learn. If you must know, my son can already read very well, it's just that he gets a bit lazy with writing (blame the technological age for this...he'd rather be chatting complete with audibles). Grandma thought this will help motivate him to write more.

To cap off his Christmas, we went to watch Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel. Mighty proud of him for sitting through the entire movie without his usual loud chatter. It's either he's starting to behave like a big boy, or he was completely pooped out from staying up too late the previous night (and waking up bright and early to play with his new toys). He didn't enjoy it as much as he did Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, but he did get some laughs from the cute critters.

No wonder kids love Christmas so much. They get spoilt to bits! But I guess we parents are also guilty of a bit of self-indulgence: seeing our kids' eyes brighten up and hearing their loud shrieks of delight are just too much of a pleasure to pass up on.

P.S. Daddy and Mommy also had their share of a ho-ho-holiday:

          

LTD F50 for the guy, HP Mini for the gal :)  Woohoo!

Home for the Holidays

...is exactly what I would like to be, but unfortunately, I will be spending another Yuletide season here in Lah-Lah-Land. That's two years in a row. Sigh.

With less than 20 days to go before Christmas Day, I feel all sorts of nostalgic thinking about the fun traditions I'll be missing out on. So I compiled the Top 10 things I miss about Christmas at home (in no particular order):

1. Food - a Filipino holiday is just an excuse to shamelessly indulge in cholesterol-laden, heart-attack inducing, waistline-growing dishes like there's no tomorrow. I always took the fiesta ham for granted, but I found it conspicuously missing from our table last year (ham just doesn't taste the same here). And what I wouldn't give for the lechon and the ever-reliable lechon paksiw the following day. Puto bumbong and bibingka are also sorely missed.
2. Someone else to plan the holiday spread for you - Now that I'm the one doing the planning for the Noche Buena and Media Noche feasts, I do appreciate my mother's time and effort. I never knew it could be so stressful! Hats off to you, Ma!
3. The crisp Christmas chill - it's a bit colder here now, but not nearly as nippy as December nights back home. It seems absurd listening to "Winter Wonderland" when you're all drenched in sweat.
4. Tinsel-laden streets and homes - living in a multiracial community has its drawbacks, foremost of which is the lack of yuletide spirit! If you don't go to the central business district, or to the homes of your fellow Pinoys, chances are you won't be seeing any glitter or tinsel. Where I'm at, Christmas is just like a regular Sunday - an extra day off work, and more excuses for shopping. Our company keeps business hours on the 24th and 31st, mind you (although I do plan to take half-day leaves for Christmas and New Year's Eve, at the very least).
5. Gifts - at the risk of sounding materialistic, I do miss the gaily-wrapped parcels. I miss the unexpected packages waiting for me on my desk or beside my pillow (especially if it's from one of your subordinates or younger family members - no matter how small the present is, I am always very touched by the thought that goes with the token). And I sorely miss wrapping presents for family and friends - it's my favourite thing to do (my family knows that absolutely no one else can touch the wrapping paper and adhesive!).
6. The Starbucks planner - oh, yes, I so miss the daily pilgrimage to the nearest Starbucks branch to get my stickers. I know I fell for the sick marketing ploy, but, well, one of the owners is a personal acquaintance so maybe I'm willing to be a bit of a sucker :) But, no, I will not be asking her to send me a planner. Where's the thrill in that?!
7. Christmas parties - do I sound sick yet? Well, maybe I am - HOMEsick, more like it. I used to hate attending these, but since Christmas parties here are virtually non-existent (save, perhaps, for MNCs or other bigger companies), I do miss the fun and silliness of it all (and the ensuing inebriation).
8. Christmas plugs on TV and radio - there's a smattering of that here, but they don't feel the same as ours do. They're not as warm as how we do them. Our TVCs and RCs back home make you feel as if you're stepping into a Hallmark card, or getting on the Coca-Cola Christmas train with Santa.
9. Family and friends - need I explain?
10. Alvin and the Chipmunks - this is one of my little quirks, but Christmas just doesn't feel Christmas-y if I don't hear "Christmas Don't Be Late". The silly song heralds the season of cheers for me! And they don't play it here!
    

I do hope we get to go home for next year's Yuletide celebration, though. Cliche, trite...but there really is no place like home.