Ninang Claus

#53: Christmas with the Kranks... err.. Kids

And so Christmas is over. (Well, not officially since Pinoy Christmases last till mid-January). I was a day late in giving gifts. Poor shopping planning/strategy coupled with time shortage caused this mess. I was up till 4am wrapping gifts. (Not even "wrapping" in the true sense of the word because all I did was tie red satin ribbons. Easy yet gives some semblance of proper gift presentation.) I'm glad to have survived. (Although I ended up leaving a couple of price tags on. Ack.) Anyway, I'm done with family and church members. That's about 50% of the battle. I still have officemates (30 of them at the last count) I need to prepare gifts for plus very good friends you just can't give M&S Christmas biscuits to. It's okay. Things will all fall into place. They will. They should. Or else.

This afternoon, I took my goddaughter shopping. She's my first goddaughter (out of the 8 or so that I already have now) so I still feel the need to spoil her. (Okay, not spoil but to really make her happy that I'm her ninang. Potato, Potahto.) She's 11 years old and totally over her Barbie & Bratz phase so buying her something that would make her face light up is tougher now. We ended up choosing this pair of white gold earrings with stars. And a matching bracelet. (True Gucci Stardust fashion. Although someone should shoot me if I start wearing jewelry with stars.) She smiled this big smile as she looked at me with adoring eyes. Another score for Ninang Me!

We took her younger brother along. I gave him this Kids'Almanac as a Christmas present and he couldn't stop yapping about his newly-discovered facts.

"Tita Gladys, do you know your birthstone?"
"Yes"
"Tita, do you know how to count in Chinese?"
"Yes."
"Tita, do you know what is the biggest snake?"
"Yes."
"Wow. Galing ni Tita!"
Hah. Yet another score for Tita Me. (Notice that he didn't ask me to tell him the answers. He just trusted me when I said that I knew. Poor kid.)

Over crepes and shakes and salty salty fries with onion bacon dip, they tossed trivia left and right. So this is what it's like to have kids that don't stop talking. Wonder if I'll go crazy if my kids became as talkative as they are. Or as I am. I guess insanity is a small price to pay to be looked at with such adoration. It'll be like winning everyday.

We'll see. Maybe 10 Christmases from now, I'll know.