Our Baby Brother's First Christmas Tree - Mama Lai Style

Mama Lai was never instilled with much holiday spirit.  Growing up, I don't have any clear memories of us doing anything "traditional" for Thanksgiving or Christmas unless another family invited us over for the holidays.  One year, when our baby brother turned five, he was learning about Christmas about school and conveyed to Mama Lai that he would be really excited to decorate a Christmas tree.

"Christmas tree??  We have Christmas tree!  I will get you a Christmas tree."

Duckie and I were both bewildered.  It was very unlike Mama Lai to get excited about a holiday, much less agree to decorate a tree.  She disappeared into the garage and minutes later came in with a box.  No one quite knew what was going on so we gathered around her like it was Christmas morning.  She reached into the box and pulled out a 3 foot plastic Christmas tree that we haven't used since before my brother was born.

"Look!  I didn't even take the ornaments off of it so we don't have to do any work." 

Poor baby brother didn't get to decorate his Christmas tree, but it was the first year in a long time that we even had one.  Happy Holidays!

Like Father, Like Son

One of the hobbies Papa Lai recently picked up was bicycling so when my brother returned home for the holidays my brother went cycling with him.  Mama Lai was bracing herself for my brother to return unhappy and complaining about how cold it was, or how slow Papa Lai was, etc.  But when my brother returned home, he seemed as happy as a clam and told Mama Lai the bike ride was "fine."  She called and breathed a long reconciliatory sigh and said:

"And that is when I realized that your brother is a slowpoke too."

Empty Nest Syndrome?

This year I flew to the East Coast to spend Thanksgiving with my sister.  A friend asked me whether Mama Lai would be sad that her two daughters wouldn't be spending the holiday with her.  I decided to put that question to Mama Lai and she said:

"I feel like this is trick question.  I'm not sad at all...your brother is coming home!  I'm so excited."

 (to my friend:  Told you!)

And just in case she didn't understand the question I asked her again whether she felt like it would be better if all of her kids were home for Thanksgiving, Mama Lai said:

"I get to see all three of you at Christmas.  So much work taking care of all of you.  I hope you guys don't make a mess in my house."

 

Papa Lai Bewitched

This story provides support to Mama Lai's allegation that Papa Lai believed he "hit gold" when he met Mama Lai.

Papa Lai is now retired.  With all the free time he had on his hands, he decided that he was going to pick out animal avatars for his family.  My sister was easy -- she could be a duck, I would be a penguin.  My brother could be either a frog or dolphin and Papa Lai was "obviously" a turtle.  But he couldn't quite figure out what Mama Lai's avatar should be and turned to his three ducklings for help:

"What should your mother be?"

Duckie, was the first to answer, demonstrating without a doubt that she is Mama Lai's spawn stating, without reservation:

"She should be a teradactyl...or a sabre tooth tiger." 

Papa Lai was almost indignant:

"No, no.  You mother is so gentle...like a dove."