My aunt had cooked a big breakfast, a mixture of Filipino and American dishes. What a treat! I always opt for the white rice if served and to my surprise, she made longanisa which is a Filipino sausage heavily laden with garlic and is sweet. Food of the AGOL!
We exchanged gifts and decided to continue later so we wouldn't be late at my cousin Dave's home in South Tampa. When we got there, the kids had already opened the first batch of gifts and were waiting patiently for the bags of loot we brought in. The kids received Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) from their parents which is a dance music video game. It is played by following the arrows that correspond to the music beat of the song chosen. A special floor pad is used to "play" the game. Here's a picture of five-year old Carter demonstrating his prowess during the song "Let's Dance" by David Bowie. It is a little hard to see with the light and the giftwrap carnage around the pad.
The adults also had a turn on the thing, but I declined since I didn't feel like jiggling all over the place and risking two black eyes. It was fun to watch my uncle (63?), cousins Dave (39) and John (37?) play this -- a great laugh was had by all. What a bunch of hams!
We had our late lunch and exchanged gifts. There was a special group gift. Dave's wife, Michelle, gave us each a mini package and told us not to open it. At her direction, we all simultaneously opened to a hint of the actual gift. The hint was a washcloth....a baby washcloth! Dave and Michelle will be expecting their third child around July. We cheered and if you know how much Filipinos love children, you would understand the near hysteria both sets of grandmas exhibited. We used the washcloths to dry our eyes. It was like winning the lottery and to me having a baby would be. A divine soul choosing you to carry its earthly self so it can experience earthly life -- what an honor!
After we calmed down, the group of us made our way back to Brandon to exchange more gifts and just enjoy spending time together. We ended up not making it to cousin Florida's home, but she is dropping the kids off tomorrow at my aunt's while she is at a doctor's appointment. I guess I will not be having a day off from everyone tomorrow...
Cabal was glad to see me when I got home; I was away a little longer than expected. I spent time with him, poor thing. He's content sleeping near me right now while I update you and listen to a CD called, "Paris Under a Groove". I am beat and looking forward to some sleep.
This year the AGOL did receive Peace and Goodwill.
A very special thank you to my Christmas emotional support. You guys rock -- I loved your text messages!
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