It's December!

This is our Christmas tree this year. We used the same ornaments from previous years and added a few more green and red Christmas balls. We've put this up by the middle of November. This area now looks like a warehouse of gifts (exagg!) hahaha. I'm done wrapping all our Christmas presents - well, those that were already bought. I'm missing a few more items and then I'm totally done with our Christmas list. As for the Christmas tree, I don't want a theme every year. I just want to add in a few decors every year and maybe take out a few items as well. So basically, this will be our Christmas tree every year. I got the idea from Anna to buy one special ornament for Miya every year. But maybe we'll start this tradition next year before we put up our tree, I'll let Miya buy one ornament for herself. Christmas really is for kids and the kids at heart. Christmas now is extra special again because of Miya. Have you felt that - you're always excited for Christmas when you were a kid and then sometime in your adulthood, it didn't feel quite as a happy occasion. Sure it's still fun but not as fun as it was when you were young. I've had that, especially when we were all adults in the house. But when Miya came, I guess the "magic" came back!

We've also went to the nearest Christmas display from our house. We went one evening because hubby was so excited to buy street food hahaha.

Miya Daldal portion: She knows Santa Claus. She learned of him because of an app that plays Christmas songs. When you tap on Santa Claus, Santa will say "Ho ho ho." Imagine our surprise when she first saw Santa (outside the Iphone), it was a Santa display outside True Value she pointed at it and said "Ho ho ho." So now every time she sees a Santa she says "ho ho ho." She also knows Santa's name. Last night when I said "Santa" she followed it with a "Claus" hehe. I laughed because again I was surprised when she said "Claus" (more like "clows"). This urged her to do it again and said "'sa pa, 'sa pa" hahaha. She loves it when we laugh at her antics. She also says "Meemas tree" or "Meemas balls" hehehe.

I've also taught her that Christmas is Jesus's birthday. I bought a pop-up book to read to her. But I think I need to buy a new one because the book is not accurate (it says the three shepherds instead of three kings or magis). Well, this year this will pass off since I read the book to her and correct it as it is. So she knows Mary and Joseph and Angel Gabriel and then we count the three kings.

How about you? How are your Christmas preparations?