Random Thoughts on Life, Motherhood & Beyond: Julien's 1st Christmas

Recently, two guests have come to stay and spend Julien's first Christmas with us. They have been such delightful company, especially at meal times... Meet Mr Snowman and Rudolph the Reindeer! ;)

Truly, one can buy anything for Christmas and When Daddy Low brought Snowman and Rudolph, the dining chair festive covers, I could not stop laughing. We slipped gem over our chairs and there, they have sat/stood (?) proudly ever since. And what a splendid sight they are. We are having our first white Christmas and I really wanted to buy some potted poinsettia as well, but when I saw it was about 15 pounds for a pot, I decided to do without these "perishables".

Still, we had a great Christmas. And in fact, I would say Julien's first Christmas is anything but uneventful. We had been planning a Christmas party for ages, but because of the sporadic snowing making the roads dangerous, the Christmas party had been a "play by ear" affair. Then, there was that horrible stretch of winter flu. All of us - the hosts as well as the guests - had afflicted by it. Finally, on Christmas Eve, the Met declared that there would be no snow and in fact, it would be a sunny day. And sickened of being stuck at home and all on the road to recovery, the party was finally declared a "Go!"

So, there we were on Christmas Eve, foolhardily braving the crowds in the mall and the supermarket, running last-minute errands and naively thinking that we could get the ingredients needed for our Christmas dinner the next day. A few days before, the dishwasher crashed, bringing the switch down on the fusebox as well as tragically burning out half the lights in our Christmas tree. So, we were out in the mall looking for a solution, and trying to buy gold thread to put up our tree decorations.

We came upon the mall's event hall, where a mini Christmas market has been set up. I was drawn to the carousel, for, believe it or not, I have never been on one! Daddy Low was incredulous to hear that and we paid up, got our tokens and piled on up into the carousel, selecting horses that would move. I got on one and Daddy Low on another, with Julien held snugly and securely in his Baby Bjorn. Was an amazing few minutes ride, when the world just spun around you for a while. Julien was fascinated, looking around at the moving lights and scenery. Me, I am just enjoying the sensation of the air whizzing past me and my horse galloping away. A "first" for both Julien and me :)

At the supermarket, you had the feeling like the world was coming to an end. People were rushing down aisles and packing their trolleys full of stuff. I really only came for chicken wings, but found that there was none! And the veggies were fast disappearing too. Hoping that the Gordon Ramsay gammon recipe is as easy and yummy as he showed on TV, I hastily made a change of plan and grabbed a gammon, some pork loins and whatever greens and herbs I can remember from the recipe instead.

Our gammon turned out to be an adapted version of Gordon Ramsay's recipe, since we were short of some ingredients. But heck, it was still really yummy, and a gammon we were truly proud of for our maiden attempt. My improvised, self-created recipe for the pork loins proved to be a hit and disappeared in no time. The cinnamon-infused apples were also in good demand especially when mixed with the ice cream; I wished I made more. And our guests' contributions were just as wonderful - who can resist Japanese mixed rice and Singaporean chicken curry? Not me! :)

And of course, the highlight - the exchange of presents. Christmas may not be our tradition or custom, but everyone loves presents, and not just the children too! Daddy Low got a beautiful chopping knife from Japan and me, some really serious chocolates. And Julien got some funky Gap pants and cute bath toys. But if I were to sum it all up about this wonderful night: good food + good frens + presents = great time!

So, this must wrap up the night, you think! Oh no, like I said, this is one eventful Christmas. While I was cleaning up, Daddy Low decided to give Julien a bath and a haircut... Except that Julien thought it was a waste of his time and wanted to look around and check what's up... So, with a fateful jerk that resulted in a hole in the hair, Daddy Low decided his son has given him the sign to go all bare... So, my poor boy now is sporting a new skinny haircut and looking very much like a cute Shaolin monk! I was stunned when Daddy Low presented him to me and have to say, was awfully upset at first too. But well, the son's still the son and Julien is the same jovial boy. And when he smiles, his little chubby self almost suggests his second impersonation - a little Laughing Buddha, MY little Laughing Buddha!