WHAT'S THE STORY BEHIND YOUR GIFT?

SHE WRITES:

We're still in the spirit of the gift giving season so this post is about memorable gifts...either gift that you have received or you have given to someone. It could be the most expensive or the cheapest - doesn't matter, as long as when you think of gifts, you remember that particular thing.

For my case, I remember a white dress that "Santa" gave me when I was a child. That was the last Christmas I believed in Santa because my mom made a comment that revealed Santa's identity :o) I can still remember what she said... "How did you manage to get the perfect fit?" then I saw my papa's face turned RED as he silenced my mom but saw me looking at them! hihi... He then just gave me a hug and said "Don't tell your brothers, ok?" I agreed so the following Christmas, I went shopping with him and helped in wrapping the gifts.

How about you? What's the story behind your memorable Christmas gift?
A. The story is...
B. No memorable gift
C. Others (pls. specify)

YOU WRITE:
A. The story is...
B. No memorable gift
C. Others (pls. specify)

HOW WILL YOU CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS?

SHE WRITES:

As you know, we are here in China and this is not a Christian nation... But that won't stop us from celebrating the season. Tonight we will have a gathering of all the Filipinos here in our place - probably just about 20 people - and we will have exchange gifts and singing since there's a regular Filipino band in that place. Tomorrow we will have our Christmas Party here at home - 7 of us - that is with our friends whom we consider extended family. We have kris kringle and some games that I have planned out. We will just have simple food and celebration but I'm sure it'll turn out wonderful because the bottom line is, we meet, talk and just be together. Although we miss Christmas in the Philippines, we have managed to have a "home away from home" here in China.

Of course, with all the merrymaking, we will always begin with a prayer - thanking God for his goodness and remembering the birth of our Lord Jesus as the reason for this season.

And oh, I won't be blogging much because I will be very busy cooking for friends and family :o) so let me greet you all a BLESSED CHRISTMAS...

How about you? How will you celebrate Christmas?
A. At home
B. With friends
C. Others (pls. specify)

YOU WRITE:

A. At home
B. With friends
C. Others (pls. specify)

EVER BELIEVED IN SANTA?

SHE WRITES:

Waking up every December 25th was one of the most exciting days of my life when I was 9 years old and younger. I would run to my gifts and open them with big ahhhs and ooohs in disbelief that Santa passed by and gave me (and my siblings) those gifts! When I found out that Mr. Santa was mom and dad, I didn't get disappointed but rather grateful that even if we didn't have much money, there wasn't a Christmas morn where we woke up with no gifts. When my siblings and I were all grown up, I asked my dad why they kept doing that "Santa" thingy even if we were hard up financially. He told me something that made it all the more special... Papa said seeing the JOY in our faces, with those wide eyes as we opened the gifts made their efforts all worth it. So even if he and my mom had to sacrifice paying off the loans they made, he said it was still worth it because nothing compares seeing us happy... Writing this blog make me miss them terribly... sigh...

So now, I pass this on to our son EJ... as I mentioned in my previous post, 2007 was our first Christmas together as a family and it was also the first time he was able to wake up to that Christmas morn with gifts waiting for him. Yes indeed, if you can see his picture on that post, you'll know what I mean when I say there's THAT look :o) Although we call it differently, we tell him papa will turn into a Santa Papa on Christmas day. EJ knows the fat guy with white beard but the glory won't really go to him on Christmas day because our son knows the gifts will come from his papa... Plus of course, we tell him about the birth of Jesus - the reason for this season.

How about you? As a child, ever believed in Santa?

A. Yes, I did
B. No, I didn't
C. Others (pls. specify)

YOU WRITE:

A. Yes, I did
B. No, I didn't
C. Others (pls. specify)

HOW DO YOU HANDLE Mr. or Ms. MOODY?

SHE WRITES:

Let me start by saying I am definitely not a moody person but I know someone who is and people around her are having a (bit of) hard time because she's so unpredictable. I don't know if it's really true that there are days she "wakes up at the right / wrong side of the bed" because for me, the right / wrong side is up to you :o) Well of course we don't have the same personality type, but it's kinda hard to be on your toes when you're with that person - as what others tell me. Ooops, if you're someone who's been told moody, it would be good to explain what's going on when you're "irregular" :o) And if you've been around one, let's say married to Mr. or Mrs. Moody, then how have you managed to relate with him / her with less conflict? As for me, I bring my own sunshine wherever I go and if Ms. Moody isn't comfortable with that, she can go on with her rainy days and it doesn't bother me or I'm doing my best not to get affected to a point that I'll get sour because of her mood swings :o) So far I've seen that if the sun goes up, the rain seldom stays... But there are times they exist together - weird but manageable :o) It might make others around them a little crazy though, so good luck!

How about you? How do you handle Mr. or Ms. Moody?

A. Ignore
B. Fight fire with fire
C. Others (pls. specify)

YOU WRITE:

A. Ignore
B. Fight fire with fire
C. Others (pls. specify)