Christmas Celebrations

On Christmas Eve, my husband went for two Masses at the Cathedral. I stayed home to look after Bernadette. On Christmas Day, my whole family went for Mass at the Cathedral with John sitting at the Choir Loft. Bernadette was not used to having John not sitting with us and cried throughout Mass. I managed to appease her by giving her raisin bread and water. After Mass, we wished Sir Peter Low Merry Christmas and took pictures at the grotto where the Nativity scene was displayed.

After that, we walked over to Carlton Hotel for Christmas lunch at Wah Lok Restaurant with my husband's relatives. We had Tim Sum for lunch. Bernadette kept going out of the VIP room to play with the balloons. I fed her fish porridge and chee cheong fun. When we were about to leave the restaurant, I gave presents to Gabriel and Si Ting care of their father and aunty respectively as they were not present that day. I also gave a present to Jessica. Aunty Doreen, Grandpa, Edwin and Jessica also gave Bernadette ang pows and gifts. We gave a ride to my parents in law home.

Immediately after reaching home, I put Bernadette's rice in the crockpot to boil. After our nap in the afternoon, I bathed Bernadette and cooked her vegetables and fish. I fed her while she watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse over Disney channel. John packed her milk powder and bib and bottles and we set off to Ping's for Christmas dinner.

John and I arrived at 7.15pm. Everybody else had arrived and had either ate or was finishing their dinner. John and I ate while Chieu Soon looked after Bernadette in the playroom together with the other kids. The Christmas buffet consisted of a wide spread of yam basket, fried prawns, sweet and sour fish, mee siam, chicken wings, duck, 'kong bah' and 'oh-nee' - a Teochew yam dessert.

Chieu Soon dressed as Santa Claus went out to the living room to distribute presents to the kids and take pictures with them. He also carried Bernadette and took a picture with her. Bernadette looked very serious and seemed overwhelmed by it all. Chieu Soon kept us entertained by doing a lucky draw. He asked the kids to pull the ribbons off the reindeer and it rained chocolates and candy. Bernadette picked up the chocs and candy and kept in her two pockets. After that, we started exchanging presents. Bernadette and I received lots of presents from the Aunties and Uncle Charles, Melinda, Ping and Emily. We went home feeling blissfully happy but tired.

At night before going to bed, we prayed as a family thanking God for giving us a happy and holy Christmas and a blessed one too and asked his continued blessings on us.