Last year though, with the easing restrictions and because Mommy Khris and I were also able to get our COVID-19 shots, we were able to spend Christmas in San Antonio. However, the uneasiness in the atmosphere is still very palpable, probably because there were still some restrictions being imposed on a national level (people were still discouraged to go out and a lot of businesses in shopping malls have not yet opened).

This year, it's a lot different. The mood is a lot celebratory and you could feel the joy in the air. You can see people on the streets and children are actually visiting their loved ones. Of course, we don't want to miss the opportunity to take Miguel and Rafa to their Lolo and Lola so off we headed to San Antonio last December 24. It was earlier announced that December 26 was a non-working holiday. We also filed a leave last December 27, so that gave us four days in San Antonio.

We left Quezon City before lunchtime. It was a good thing that there was no traffic, the roads weren't congested at all so we were home by mid-afternoon. What I really like about provincial life is that we have ample space outside where the kids can play so we let them run in the streets and just enjoy the freedom of being able to play without restrictions.

My father cooked our all-time favorite chicken sopas and it didn't disappoint. During Noche Buena, we were eating bowl after bowl of it, and we thought for a while that we wouldn't be able to stop. The kids were already fast asleep on Christmas eve (too tired from running all afternoon) so they got their Christmas presents from Lolo and Lola the next day. Miguel and Rafa couldn't hide their happiness after seeing all the toys that they received. Of course, they also had presents for Lolo and Lola.

We were expecting some relatives to visit us on Christmas Day. After all, we haven't seen most of them for almost two years. However, it seemed like most of them had somewhere else to go and a celebration to go to, so their visit to us didn't push through as planned. No matter, Miguel and Rafa kept Lolo and Lola entertained with their talkativeness and antics. The breeze in San Antonio was also extra chilly so we took advantage of lazy afternoons for naps. After that, it was unlimited playtime again for the kids.

What I like about being in San Antonio is that the kids get to know their Lolo and Lola better. Miguel and Rafa always get spoiled, which was to be expected, but I also like that they can pick up a lot of good values from their grandparents.

That's why it's always a good thing to allow our children to become acquainted with their grandparents as they grow. Above all, it's always nice to be home with your old folks because they don't really stop caring for you even if you have grown up. In our case, my parents would still cook for us or make us coffee every time we go home to San Antonio.

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