brothers who shop

P and L went out to get Christmas presents together.  L needed something quickly because he was absolutely determined NOT to do what I had asked him to do:  the traditional, "draw a t-shirt" hand-made present idea (mine).*** 

This is a great town for gift shopping, and they only had to walk a few blocks to get to a 10,000 Villages which is a cool store for fair-trade artisan crafts.  Anyway, L found a clip for his sister V; it's shaped like a paper clip with delicate hearts and it was obviously a bookmark.  Well, P said something like, "What is it, a hair brooch?"  (I wasn't there, I'm piecing it together).  So, L. assumed that P. knew what he was talking about and so he gave V. this lovely hair-brooch. ha ha ha... Is hair brooch even a word?

Anyway, they bought our guests (Pa & Ga) a dragon shaped incense burner and some incense.  Ha ha.  I don't know if Pa & Ga were actually happy to get these gifts, but they made a great show of saying it would be great for their apartment.  So sweet.

L. was incredibly blessed for Christmas because of his brother and sisters (Thanks to the Aunts also) -  It's like everybody knows what he'll like ... and I was stumped this year.  I was impressed; the kid is loved.
________________________________________________________________
*** I'd like to say that I was mature about L's decision, so I will:  "I was mature about L's response to my idea regarding his Christmas gifts for the family." . .. it could be true, in a parallel universe.  See, I was just immature enough to be able to let it go, but then later "ask" (i.e. request/demand) that he do one of the shirts for his father.  Sigh... Consequently, he did the world's worst t-shirt.  The side he had written said in red letters,
                 "Fine, I wrote on your freaking shirt
                                  --your angsty teen."

Only then... when I saw the t-shirt sitting on a table in the room where he sleeps when we have guests (the closet-sized room that is part of our bedroom upstairs)...only then was I able to just drop the whole thing.

I decided I wouldn't mention it again; I wouldn't wrap it or ask L to wrap it.  On Christmas Eve, he did finish it ... twisting the knife.   Even though I was belatedly telling him that he could drop it and that I wasn't forcing him to do it... ha ha... On the back he wrote, "Happy now?"
Then he wrapped it and put it under the tree for his papa.  I didn't get any present from L.  Sigh... Now that a few days have passed, and I mentioned it jokingly, he still decided he'd rather offer me 10 hours of house work for Christmas!  double sigh...

funny phone call

I had a great Christmas Eve.  My son-in-law was here and he cooked up a storm.  Sons and I went off to sing Christmas carols with my friend D, and when we got home dinner was ready.

Actually,  L showed up to sing carols late... suspicious behavior from this child. Seems he went out to hang out with a girl !!!!  More on this development later.  We still don't know if she survived the shock of having to talk to Papa on the phone.  She called and we heard this dialogue:
Papa:  "What?  Who is this??"  (he calls daughter V to the phone and hands it to her.)
V:  "Hello?" 
L: (trying to grab phone, saying to papa)  "I think someone is trying to call me."
Papa:  (grouchily to L) "Let her talk."
V:  (walks off so that she can hear , trying to talk to whoever is on the phone and thinking it's for her.  Then she comes back quickly and hands the phone to L.  It was for him all the time.)

Apparently the problem is that Papa can't get used to the fact that
people don't identify themselves when they
make phone calls nowadays.  So, L talked
with this girl several times and finally went
off to his
mysterious rendevouz...)


I guess the phone call wasn't so funny -
but we got such a kick out of teasing papa about
it over Christmas Eve dinner.  Check it
out: paella, ceviche, and the white blob
in corner is the only thing I contributed:
homemade bread.