Huaihao taught me another lesson on the wee hours of Xmas day.

We were prepping presents for folks like grandpa, who drove the kids to school , for hui and popo, for Karyn’s dad who bought the kids presents on Xmas every year….

But in all the recent busying and getting frustrated over seemingly bad behaviour of the kids, we forgot about presents in stockings.

It was close to midnight and Huaihao couldn’t sleep.

HuaiHao: How does Santa get into the house mommy?

Me: You know like in storybooks? There’s always a chimney somewhere?

Huaihao (leading): When is he coming mommy? I am waiting and I cant sleep!

Then I remembered. Wherever is that recyclable stocking from Daiso?! We threw it away when we moved didn’t we? In our old flat, we would hang a stocking on the door’s handle and it will be filled with presents the kids wake up to.

Daddy would buy presents. Did he this year?

I suddenly realised how much presents in stockings mean to the kids.

Huaihao: Mommy, does Santa know we moved? What if he goes to our old house?

Christmas Day Teaching with Huaihao: Be careful what you throw. Especially the very things that carry hopes and dreams. We forgot about the presents in the dailyness of life. I didnt think Daddy remembered about putting presents into the stockings.

We forgot about how this all meant to the kids.

We forgot the magic.

And so, forgot to make magic.