Culture Project Part 4

What holidays does your family celebrate?  List some of them.  Do you incorporate any traditions from other cultures as part of your celebrations?

The holidays we celebrate are Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and birthdays.  We have regular American food with some Filipino food for every holiday.  On birthdays we eat noodles for long life.

Sharing with Others

Last week at church both of you picked tags from the giving tree.  I explained to you that these are gift that we are going to but to give to someone else that has less than we do.  I was proud that both of you picked tags of things that you would like to have for yourselves, but also know that you will be giving to someone else.

Today, we went to Target to pick out those gifts.  Reese's tag said Pokemon cards.  I never know there were so many kinds of Pokemon cards, but we found a gift box that was satisfactory to both of us to buy.  Riley's tag said Air Hog.  He picked out a red remote control helicopter to fulfill this wish.

We walked out of Target today with no gifts for ourselves, but gifts for others!  Good day!

In the Name of the Culture Project

Pancit and Egg Rolls

Traditional American Thanksgiving

Sumon


I don't normally take pictures of the food buffet, but this year I did in case we needed the pictures for the culture project.  One of the questions addresses holidays we celebrate and how they are the same or different than the way holidays are traditionally celebrated.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

We usually have family night every two weeks or so.  Most of the time we rent an in Demand movie from our cable company.  Today was a rainy day, and since Riley could not go out and shoot his bow, and both kids were very good when we went shopping for Daddy's clothes and shoes, we had afternoon movie time.

Riley has asked for all of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies for Christmas.  I am not sure how I feel about him owning all of them.  The one we just saw was a bit disturbing to me.  The mermaids were evil and scary which is different from the mermaid's portrayal in The Little Mermaid which is also made by Disney.  It was scary and violent to me, and I do realize that the one we just saw has a PG-13 rating.  I know that I am placing my likes and dislikes on you, but part of me feels that it is okay to see once or twice, but I do not want them played continuously like they would be if we owned them.

We'll wait and see what Santa brings...

Christmas Wishes

The advertisement are starting to come out for Christmas.  Whenever you see one, you point to the things that you want. Every time there is a commercial of a toy that you like, you tell me that you want that toy.  Some toys, I will not buy you; you will never own.  Other toys, I am not sure if you really want them or it is just a whim of the moment.  Case in point: last year I bought you ZhuZhu Pets and the arena to go with them.  You both played with them a few times, and once I put them away, you never wondered where they went.

Reese,  you are the one that is the most difficult.  You have in your mind something that you want, but tell me something general and then are disappointed when you don't get your toy.  Last year, you kept telling me that you wanted Toy Story.  I kept telling anyone that asked what you wanted that you wanted Toy Story.  You got lots of Toy Story things and a bigger Buzz Lightyear, but after Christmas, you kept telling me that you did not get what you wanted.  When I took you to Toys for Us, you finally told me that you wanted the Woody and Jessie dolls.  Thankfully, your grandpa likes to give you money for the holidays, so the dolls became his gift to you.

Riley, you are usually happy with whatever we buy as long as it goes along with whatever you are interest in at the time.  Hopefully, that will prove true again this year with LEGOs, Wii games, and Star Wars at the top of the list.  You have told me many time this season that you would like to have The Pirates of the Carribean DVD Boxed Set, and I know that there are some new Star Wars DVDs also.

Only time will tell if your wishes will come true this holiday season!