Merry Xmas!

My MIL has this tablecloth that the kids could draw on - and the above is Rudolph as lovingly depicted by Hanaya. She even drew him a little carrot. Hana is of course in on the fact that Santa does not exist - Santa, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy - all baby stuff now. She was also fairly shocked to discover recently that she is in fact not stronger than I am - when I informed her that I used to just let her win at arm wrestling all the time, she was genuinely surprised and blurted out, "but maman, your muscles are so small!" - well baby, time to face the fact - adults lie.

Of course, Little Manolee has no idea. She just thinks that Santa is some nice man that comes around giving away presents. That much she knows. In the last few days we even got it into her head that he does not give presents to just anyone - oh no, you have to be a nice girl. She doesn't quite get it yet though and the threat does not seem all that ...well, threatening.

This Xmas eve, Hana got dressed up as Santa and ran around my MIL's garden, while Manolee looked out in marvel and awe and squealed with delight. I asked her later, "was Santa very big?" and she replied, "oh maman, very big, Santa!". Meanwhile, Hana does not betray the fact that she is indeed my daughter, as upon re-entering the house in her Santa guise, she launched into a diatribe about how muddy her shoes got in the garden. That is my girl!

The girls were endlessly spoiled. Some stuff like candy and chocolate, they did not even look at for more than 1 second, just onto the next gift. Gift after gift, not even stopping to marvel at the stuff. It was a bit of a rude awakening for PeeWee and me. We gotta do a better job instilling in them some perspective when it comes to these things!

I had a bit of a surprise this Xmas actually. PeeWee has been going on and on about what a big present he got me - that it's such a great present, how I was gonna be in tears once I see it and feel bad that I didn't get him anything nice (he should know, last year I got him a lint brush), how he cannot wrap it because it's so big, how he won't have it under the tree because it's so big, etc etc. He was going on about this for about a week. At first I was like, whatever. But the more he went on and on and the more proud he seemed of himself, I slowly began to be convinced that he did indeed get me a great present - a great BIG present - and for me that was only one thing - a Mini Cooper. Yes, it seemed a ludicrous idea, that he would get me a CAR for Xmas, but hey, it is possible and why else would he be parading around so proud of himself at this seemingly perfect and BIG present? My only worry was, damn, my parallel parking is really rusty, can't be damaging a new car in these small French streets.

So Xmas eve when he said that my present was in the garage, I thought to myself - did I hear a car enter the garage? Did I hear the engine running? Yes, I think I heard the engine just before. So I took my time, taking care to look completely nonchalant, even bored, not to seem to be in too much of a hurry to see my BIG present.

Lo and behold, there in the basement was a big machine.

It was an elliptical machine.

A beautiful machine in and of itself, of course, but a Mini Cooper it definitely ain't!

Now I laugh at myself that I thought he would have bought me a car for Xmas. I also laugh that he was so proud of himself at having picked out THE perfect gift for me. But there you have it, I am acting just as spoiled as my kids! Of course, it is a wonderful present. Sure beats a bottle of cologne I got for him! Thank you, PeeWee! I will try to make sure the elliptical machine does more than just hold up wet laundry! (Now, a clothes dryer, that is another big machine I could use)...

On that note, Merry Xmas everyone!