Hand Made Gifts

One family tradition I'd like to continue in my young family is the practice of making our own gifts.

My parents always encouraged us to make our own gifts. Gifts we create ourselves, they always stressed, would certainly be appreciated more. It was their way of not only shielding us from the over commercialization of Christmas but more so of encouraging us to be be creative and imaginative.

And so for many years, from when we were toddlers up to our teen years, the week before Christmas was spent secretly rehearsing and writing and drawing and painting, each in his own corner, creating that special gift for Baby Jesus and our parents.

At times it was a poem. Or an essay. Or a letter to Baby Jesus.

At times it would be drawings. In pencil and in charcoal. Or paintings in water color, pastel and even oil.

At times it would be a performance. A song. A dance. Once, even a one act play.

1972: With siblings Wawel (left) and An (right), we sing Christmas carols to the Baby Jesus

It was a lot of hard work. But also a lot of fun. And we all looked forward to sharing our gifts during Noche Buena.

Thanks to his teachers in Little Sandbox, my four year old Gabi has started to put this tradition in practice. His gifts to Patty and me this year were all made with his own hands. All created in school over a two week period. All made with love.

2010 Calendar

Key and Pen Holder

Hand Print Weight

Thespian Gabi

Gabi plays St. Joseph in his school's Christmas pageant. As in previous plays, Gabi delivers all his lines with confidence, belts out the songs and struts the dances with gusto and bravado. And his teachers have certainly taken notice of his enthusiasm by giving him such an important role.

2007 - A Manger Menagerie

2008 - The Greatest Story Ever Told

My little boy who three years ago was just a "saling pusa" on stage and who last year played one of the three kings, is now St. Joseph himself, the main male character in the Christmas play.

Congratulations, my son. Mommy and I (and Bela too!) are so proud of you.

My Fluttering Bela

Truly like a butterfly, my independent-minded daughter is.

She goes where she pleases. And yet pleases where she goes.

Birthday Blow Out

It's birthday season once again in the Mercado family and for all the grandchildren that means blowing-birthday-candles time once again.

From October 20 to December 27, ten birthdays are celebrated: Therese on Oct 20; Paolo, Nov 2; me, Nov 14; Rocio, Nov 15; An, Nov 17; Mom, Nov 27; Wawel, Dec 8, Pepi, Dec 15; Gabe, Dec 24 and Dad, Dec 27.

So that means at least ten cakes in eight weeks for all the grand children to blow.

It's family tradition to let all who want have a turn at blowing out the birthday candles. The celebrant of course gets first crack. Then everyone else follows, one by one, from youngest to oldest. And for every turn, the birthday song is sung.

And so for a family with nine grandchildren, the birthday cake ritual can last for quite a while. And needless to say, the cake is almost always covered with a new layer of "icing."

The Lessons We Teach And The Lessons We Learn

We try to teach Gabi the value of money. We remind him when he asks for toys that he cannot always get what he wants, that money doesn't grow on trees and that he should try to save the money he receives as gifts.

One day when we were in a mall to run some errands, Gabi noticed the big toy store and started to bug Patty and me about buying him a Bakugan. He kept nagging and nagging and nagging. And after a few minutes, to Patty's obvious disapproval, I gave in.

But as if to make up for my weakness, I told Gabi that he only had a 300 pesos budget.

"Choose carefully, son, because that's all we can afford," was my wise advice.

So off he ran to the Bakugan section. One by one he examined the choices. And for each and every package that he looked at, he made sure to ask the attendant, "excuse me, how much is this?"

When he was told that it was more than 300 pesos, which was the case for most of his choices, he would quickly reply, "No, I can't get that. My papa doesn't have enough money."

He asked that all that he could afford be put on the floor so that he could choose properly. And he went through each one, again and again. But his eyes were always on the "forbidden" ones left on the shelves, the ones papa could not afford.

 "Are you sure those are more than 300 pesos?" he kept asking the attendant. "Because those are the ones I like. Hmmm, but papa only has 300 pesos."

In the end, mainly to save face, I sheepishly whispered to Gabi that he could pick one from the more expensive packages.

"But Papa," he said out loud. "You have more than 300 pesos?"

In the end, Gabi got his Bakugan. I was embarrassed no end. And Patty could not stop herself from laughing the whole time.

Sibling Revelry

Brothers and sisters are as close as hands and feet.

This Vietnamese proverb rings so true for Gabi and Bela.

Three years older, Gabi has always been a loving and protective brother to Bela. He always wants to read her his books. He always wants to be the one to teach her how to walk. He always wants to be at her side.

Sure, there are times Gabi becomes too rough with Bela.There are times naughty Gabi plays practical jokes on her. There are times he doesn't share with Bela and makes her cry.

It's a good thing Bela can dish it too. She's no push over. She too can play rough. And she can also end up making Kuya cry.

But through it all, the highs and the lows, the laughter and the laments, the two remain the best of friends.

And this is what I cherish the most: the noise, the play, the giggles, the cry. The siblings' revelry is truly sweet music.

My Suddenly Shy Boy

Gabi met cousins Ben and Gwen last Sunday and all he could give was this nervous smile.

Maybe he never imagined them to be that big. Maybe he thought they didn't look at all like the characters he sees on TV.Or maybe because he was wearing a shirt with a rival action hero.

Of Phones and Remotes

Telephones, from cordless handsets to mobile ones, remote controls for the tv, aircon or dvd player, working or non-working iPods or Palm Pilots... these are a few of Bela's favorite things.

Dolls and teddy bears and crayons? Forget it! These are her toys. And she will only play with the real ones, mind you. She shuns all plastic imitations that we've tried to trick her with.

 

  

So why the interest in these gadgets? Is it because these are the things we normally take away from her? Is it because she can't have them and therefore she wants them more?

Or is it because she sees that these are the things Papa and Mommy use regularly and thus wants to use them too?

Tell us, Belly, why is it so?

Water, Water Everywhere

"Why is it still flooded?" my four year old son asked me as we watched the evening news.

"Because too much rain has fallen since two weeks ago," I tried to explain."And the soil can no longer absorb the water and therefore, flooding happens."

"And you know what else the soil cannot drink, Papa?" my son asked. "Do you know what adds to all the flood?"

"Bad garbage!" he explained. "Garbage like plastic bags and plastic spoons. Garbage that the soil cannot use."

"That's why we should always have two garbage cans," he concluded. "One for good garbage like leftover food. And one for bad garbage like plastics."

All this from a four year old. Gabi knows more about today's pressing issues than most of us adults do. Shame on us.
-----------------------
This is my contribution to Blog Action Day 2009: Climate Change.

Lunchtime Banter

"So what's your favorite pizza, Gabi," I asked my son as we both munched on leftover slices.

"Hmm ... I like pepperoni pizza, Papa," he replied. "But without the pepperoni."

"Me too," I answered. "I like pepperoni pizza. But without the pizza."

 And so together we finished all the leftover pizza.

Mommy's Little Helper

Throughout Patty's food relief operations, Bela was her trusty sous chef.

Bela helped prepare the ingredients ...

... taste Mommy's concoctions ...

... measure the portions ...

... and pack the boxes.

 

Good job, Belly!

Gabi Learns to Share

We brought Gabi with us last night to help distribute the cooked food packs Patty had prepared for typhoon victims. It was a spur of the moment decision. We thought it would help make Gabi understand the gravity of the calamity. We also hoped that the experience would make him value the importance of sharing. And thus make him stop grabbing Bela's toys from her and start sharing his toys with her.

So off to Marikina we went. To the Malanday Elementary School which was now an evacuation center for more than 300 families. Last week there were more than 1,000 families there. But most of them were already sent home. Those who remained had no more houses to go home to.

Gabi patiently gave out the food packs in each of over forty classrooms in the school. And he chose to give his packs to the kids. Many his age. Many more much younger.

Gabi went about his task enthusiastically. It was obvious that he felt good about what he was doing. And that he was having fun.

After an hour and a half, after all 300 or so food packs had been given away, I pulled Gabi aside and asked: "So, Gabi, what have you learned tonight?"

"I learned that it's important to give," he started. "And that it's important to share."

"And how do you feel now?" I asked, already convinced that Patty and I made the right decision to bring him along.

"I am a little sad, Papa."

"Why, Gabi?"

"Because we didn't bring toys," he reasoned out. "Can we come back tomorrow to bring them toys? I want to share toys with them."

"Sure, Gabi," I was so proud of my four year old son. "Why don't you put together some of your old toys and we'll bring them here tomorrow."

"No, Papa! Not my toys... I want to share Bela's toys with them!"

Quo vadis, Bela?

At 14 months, Bela already has a mind of her own and once she has decided on something, nothing will stop her.

At lunch time today, while Mommy and yaya were busy cooking for Typhoon Ondoy victims, and with only Gabi and me to watch over her, Bela chanced upon her swimming floaters in the closet. She quickly put them on, tried to blow air into them and without asking anybody, went out the main door.

Without hesitation and oblivious to all our calls to her, she went down the road towards the clubhouse ...

And straight to the swimming pool!

What confidence and determination for such a young girl! Made me so proud. And so scared at the same time.

Of course, I ended up disappointing her by not letting her jump into the pool. But I did let her soak in the batya as a consolation.