Christmas 2010

Here's our parol glowing in the window.  

(It's the Philippine's traditional equivalent to America's Christmas tree.)

Christmas Eve at the beach

Twinmade trees, presents with bows, pajamas with smiles, 

and bedtime kisses from 2 girls on Santa's Nice List... 

This Christmas, K+A really got into the spirit of the season.  Anakai sang her favorite song 'I miss you a merry Christmas' while Kacia memorized all the names of Santa's reindeer.   Gra Su read us the classic "T'was the night before Christmas" from her laptop.

On Christmas morning we found plenty o' presents stuffed in the twins stockings.

Logging in time on their new Leapsters from Grasu + Granden.

The next morning, Anakai checked her stocking again to see if there were more presents to open.  I had to be the bearer of sad news and explain that Santa won't be back for a year.

Hope your Christmas was filled with family love, peace, and presents too!

Christmas Spirit

This is what we've been doing to get our Christmas spirit on.

It was CRAZY HAT DAY at school yesterday so we went to school with santa hats.   We decorated cookies (this is Anakai's gingerbread masterpiece).

We decked our halls with the beautiful Christmas cards we received.

 We watched this classic movie and colored in pictures of the legendary Burl Ives.

For the last day of school this year, we donned our pajamas for the kindergarten PAJAMA PARTY.  (Sorry no pic of twins in jamas.  Mamarazzi was twice denied.)  About 120 kindy kids in PJ's all made tasty treats, sang Christmas songs, and watched the movie "Polar Express" together. 

Here we are at Jimmy's house.  (He's the big guy on the Kellogg's cereal box above). Jimmy has two of the coolest 6' tall toy soldiers that stand guard by his perfectly coiffed tree. 

(Photo + graphics courtesy of Jimmy)

We're trying with all our good might to score a spot on Detective Kringle's Nice List. . .  However, Kacia keeps telling everyone that Anakai is on the Naughty List.  (The funny part is that Anakai freely concurs.) 

Christmas Newsletter

To read our Christmas Newsletter, turn up the volume, click on the fancy arrow below, then count to ten (depending on your uploading speed) s l o w l y .   .   .

Newsletter made with Smilebox

Wanna play a reindeer game with us?  It's called 'Merry Christmas Around the World".

Where on earth would you say this holiday greeting?

1. Maligayang Pasko
2. Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand
3. Gun Tso Sun Tan'Gung Haw Sun
4. Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo
5. Kurisumasu Omedeto
6. Joyeux Noel
7. Kala Christouyenna
8. Mele Kalikimaka ame Hauoli Makahiki Hou
9. Meri Kirihimete 

You can post your best guesses and final answers in the comments box below, or just mumble to yourself at home.  Either way, the twin elves will not reveal the answers... until Christmas Day.

You can also click "Christmas" (at the bottom of this post next to 'Labels') to view all our Christmas posts from previous years. {But you can always do that anytime by clicking on the 'labels'.  That's one of the coolest things about this blog bizniz :}

Ho ho ho!

Grand Papa

We had a spectacular morning at the beach with grandpapa.

Cool lighthouse sand sculpture

Anakai says, "That's my best friend grandpapa."

This seagull stayed around us all day.

We can speak without voice to the trees and the clouds 

and the waves of the sea. 

Without words they respond through the rustling of leaves 

and the moving of clouds 

and the murmuring of the sea.  

P. Tillich

There's that bird again.

'You talkin' ta me?'

Great to see you grandpapa!

Little Things

Here are their daily reports from last month.

All green lights for 2 girls!

First Time Shopping

Anakai's first present for mama.

Yesterday their entire class went to a holiday gift shop at school sponsored by the PTA.  I was leery at first, but then I understood all its potential lessons: math, money, holiday gift giving, and school spirit.  I sent them off to school each with an envelope containing a $10 bill.  When I went to pick them up after school, they were both eager to show me all the loot they shopped for in their backpacks.

"Mama, I have a surprise for you!" Anakai sang.

"For ME?!"  I said in my surprised over animated ever-loving mama voice.

This is what Anakai got me.  It is my new favorite pen.  She also showed me her receipt (pointing at the little numbers) then put her change in her purple piggy bank.  They both got a bunch of other stuff too, but all else pales in significance.

Mama's Moral
My initial reluctance was being careful not to sow seeds of consumerism.  Trying to teach the difference between wants and needs, and how resourcefulness works.  But after I received my first ever gift with so much love from my daughter, I must re-evaluate.  The moral here?  Do not waste money... unless you are getting a present for me.