Santa's Gift Story v. 2012 and Other Holiday Tales

This bell is a wonderful symbol of the spirit of Christmas - as am I. Just remember, the true spirit of Christmas lies in your heart. - Santa Claus, The Polar Express

This year's Christmas celebration didn't involve a lot of trips outside of our comfort zone (meaning no more parties, dinner dates and last minute shopping to rush to) and yet we were extremely exhausted. So what exactly did we do on Christmas day?

Everything started days prior to Christmas day. The daddy of the house decided to start 'spring' cleaning early and got everyone involved. The vacation days that we planned to dedicate to more arts and crafts, Montessori activities (thanks to my n@wie sister Clarice for sharing her ebooks to us), and review on reading/phonics turned out to be more of the physical kind and nowhere near the educational activities that I've mapped out. The cleaning spree lasted till Christmas day. The daddy only left us a few hours to prepare for Noche Buena. Thankfully, I was in no mood to work on a complicated menu plan so I settled for a simple Noche Buena menu of Spaghetti in Bacon and Cream sauce (thanks to Joey of 80breakfasts.blogspot.com for the sauce recipe), Fruit Salad, Spareribs in Bbq sauce (thanks to Maqui for the recipe), and Choco Walnut Banana Bread from Purple Oven. By 8pm I was already done with cooking, so I suggested that we watch The Polar Express with the kid (I was inspired by Maqui again hahaha, gaya-gaya puto-maya but what can I say, you are the goddess of traditions Maqui and you really come up with the best ideas) to start a Christmas movie watching tradition. The kid was really into it that when we took out her Christmas gift to strategically place outside of our door, she didn't see any of us move. And seeing how excited she was of the thought that Santa's coming with her gift, we decided to forego midnight and give the gift instead right then and there. Tibs sneaked out of the house and knocked on our front door just after the scene in the movie where Santa rode his sleigh and set off to deliver the gifts. If only I can show here how her face lighted up when she heard the knock. And she was repeatedly asking me: "MOMMY! Papunta na talaga si Santa? Dala na nya gift ko, Mommy?"

Our "Santa" knocked 3x and left immediately. When the kid opened the door, all that was there was her gift all wrapped up and waiting to be picked up. She was speechless for a moment. She didn't even move. I think she was still trying to convince herself that there was really a gift sitting right in front of our lawn. Then what happened after that took place in a flash. She grabbed the gift and dragged it inside the house. I read the note that "Santa" wrote on the manila paper wrapper and right after I finished reading, she tore off the wrapper. She kept saying: "I'M SO HAPPY, MOMMY! I'M SO HAPPY!" while tearing off the wrapper. I almost cried I tell ya! I didn't expect she would be THAT ecstatic.

We hardly buy gifts (as I've mentioned here) for this little girl apart from blocks and some sensory toys, I couldn't remember buying her anything else. But this time around we made an exception (as the grannies also 'pressured' us into buying since they weren't able to get her a gift themselves). I know she wanted that scooter as evidenced in most of her drawings these past few weeks but didn't really think we'd get this kind of response over that. But I guess, it does pay not to do this often because she gets to appreciate it tenfolds. Of course, she still believes it was really Santa who gave her the gift. And we will let her enjoy that thought till she finds out the truth about Santa in her own time. For now, I will let this kid bask in those happy thoughts. (I myself can't help but smile when I remember her face that night of the 24th)

I'm so happy, i'm sooooo happy!

day 2: sabihan mo si Santa mommy inaalagaan ko mabuti yung gift nya ha?
nililinis ko nga ngayon eh! (parang kotse lang mega punas pa ng alcohol)

Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see. - The Conductor, The Polar Express

Who would've guessed we'd bump into Santa right after hearing Christmas mass? 

Making It Up to Santa

As a follow up to my post yesterday, it turns out it was just a spur of the moment comment from the little girl. I realized that it was just probably brought about by her frustration on not getting her way again and of me actually introducing the thought that Santa might not really exist by asking that question. 

She tried to make up with Santa by doing this:

More drawings to add to our growing collection

I came home last night to pages of drawings that were specially made for Santa to see. 

She took out some of the handmade ornaments from our tree and traced out the shapes and drew the details on them afterwards. I know that if she could write Santa a letter she already would've. 

Good thing she used washable markers.
Poor ornaments had smudges of ink on them. Hahaha.

I was just so happy to see this. My little girl is really still a kid after all. And I hope she will always hold fond memories of all the Christmases we've spent together.

Yes Maia, There Is A Santa Claus

I was afraid I was going to have a Virginia moment this morning. But thank God we haven't gone to that point yet.

This morning I was wrapping up stuff for our office Kris-kringle and the little miss saw some nice looking pens inside the paper bag. She attempted to grab it but I stopped her and reminded her it’s not hers. 

“You want these?”

“Yes, Mommy”

“Well, let’s add this to your wishes for Santa. He might just get you some too”

“Ayaw.” (I Don’t Want To)

“Why? You don’t believe in Santa anymore?”

“Oo. Wala. Walang Santa”. (Yes. Santa doesn’t exist!)

Yes Maia, There is a Santa Claus. You just wait and see in 17 days.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And I will just copy paste here the editorial from The Sun from which the title of this post spun from. We also used this for my college pub's editorial page (the year I first sat as the Editor In Chief) for a Christmas edition way back in '99 (i'm not so sure now). 

I just wanted to bookmark it here for Maia to read when she's older. I just feel all kids should get the chance to read this. It exudes so much positivity and hope. That is how I've always looked at Christmas as a child.

Yes Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus

"DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old. 

"Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
"Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.'
"Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?

"VIRGINIA O'HANLON.
"115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET."

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

**** Eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of New York'sSun, and the quick response was printed as an unsigned editorial Sept. 21, 1897. The work of veteran newsman Francis Pharcellus Church has since become history's most reprinted newspaper editorial, appearing in part or whole in dozens of languages in books, movies, and other editorials, and on posters and stamps. ****