The kids are still out of school, the house can get a bit crazy as well as the weather outside..is funny how we buy all of these gifts for a children but the days after christmas they spend 2 hours playing with them and the rest following me around the house.
The other day we tooked them to the park and they had a blast my little man is very clever in the park gets in the slide all by himself and decides to dive head first on the side.
Amir you have learn to drink in your sippy cup and also to open the pantry....
Amir you love to play with anything you find in your way.
The night came and went better than expected, nenas you guys had a blast and mami and baba enjoy seeing the happiness in your faces every time you open a present.
During the day while baba worked las neans and mami fix the table and finish the bunuelos. WE took our time taking long baths and I even blow dry Milo's hair they looked so cute, nenas today you worn the skirts Abu made for you.
We waited for baba to come home so we can throw the reindeer food so they can see it shinning and Santa can stop in our house.
After putting the food we went ahead and had dinner spoke a little about what Christmas is all about and we were amaze at what SAmia said when baba asked her.
Samia - Christmas is about loving and sharing..(that is my girl)
We all enjoyed our food and then baba and mami do our routine he goes outside to eat the cookies and drink the milk and throw a black bag with the gifts. Then after being inside for a while I start looking at the starts with the nenas baba shakes some bells and then we get all excited because Santa has arrived in our house...and shortly Samia goes outside with Milo and finds the bag, then the fun begins. This year we did not buy many gifts but it adds up with all the gifts we get from friends, Abu, Tio's and friends.
THANK YOU ALL we love them all.
And nenes at home we celebrate early baba is being awake since 430 AM only fair and time does not matter is the moments that count.
So the time has come again we started this two years ago every year we find kids or a family to donate gifts for we do in titi Mio's name she was so good giving to others and specially children so is a way to honor her and to teach the children that Christmas is about giving.
I know the economy is hard but our children are getting gifts there is no reason why others should not. This year we found a family of 9 children ranging from all ages 1 to 16... We tend to increase the number every year. This year it was touching one of the girls has thyroid cancer and it meant so much more for us.
Samia and Gamila what a difference it makes last year you guys wanted every toy as well this year you guys were so happy and picking what goes for every each and the Christmas tags.
I am so happy I can tell the teaching has helped and now you guys understand is not just about you guys getting gifts.
The wrapping is always done by the whole family. However this year baba could not help us he is working allot so we took it upon ourselves the girls Mami wrapped, Samia and GAmila put the bows and pick the cards for each gift. Amir next year you will have a task as well.
Nenes Inshallah we would keep on doing this every year however there are a few rules:
-NEW toys NO DOLLAR store toys that would be Haram or unfair.
-NO receipt for the donation (that would be cheating here we are giving and then get something monetary in return NONO remember we give without expecting anything in return)
-The greeting cards have to say From: AMIRA or titi Mio
Here is the pictures of the last two years WOW! have we change in so many ways
Now that we have done our two traditions now is time for the food prepping and let the music roll. I love to listen to my Colombia music
This week starts our giving time in the Elashry Casa, over the weekend we visited one of the nursery homes here in our town. This is the second time we have done it and I have to admit this year the girls really got the concept of it. We went and bought a bunch of little gifts, creams, socks, perfumes, brushes etc. I let the girls pick and they would ask me "Mami would the grandma and grandpa use this?"
I had being talking to them that we have to take care of the elderly and make them company and sing to them, so on Saturday Samia and Gamila pack all of the stuff, and nenes always remember is not about the money is about the gesture and about spending time with the lonely.
On Sunday afternoon after baba went to work we went the girls enjoy being next to them and singing to them some Christmas carols but the truth is that the grandpa's and grandma's enjoy it more they wanted to hug them kiss them and carry them. I can not explain what I felt happiness but sadness as well.
The kids are out of school so I am trying to keep them busy this week we would go to the shelter and if I have time I think I will take them to another nursery home, I just want nenes to learn that Christmas is a time to give and not only to receive.
The last couple of days the girls have brought a bunch of ornaments they made in school they are so pretty, they truly make the tree look so much better.
The weather was super cold at the beginning of the week, but yesterday it was crazy it was warm so I took advantage and the kids decided to go outside pretending they were having a party, Samia and Gamila can play so well sometimes and at other times they are like cats and dogs, even Amir had a blast outside and so did mami wearing crowns.
Today was their last day of school for Christmas break mami and baba went to see our girls sing and Samia was Angel Gabriel in the nativity play...Samia you were so adorable when you walked in you stop to say hi to us and wave and the whole time you were in the stage you kept on telling everybody my mami and baba are here, those are the moments that make your day, week and life.
Amir you behaved very well during the show that was making sure baba kept you busy.
I started this blog for las nenas, hopefully one day they would read it and understand a little bit more why mami and baba said that? why mami and baba did that? I was doing the old conventional baby book but I figure that the way technology is they would never look at it....
