PLEASE READ: THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS ON THE 7TH DAY.

Could the Kid Reporter have been "naughty" all year after putting his list in that mailbox? Santa shall asess that Dec 25th 2008.

Even Santa is plugging the famous Nov 5th cover of the Toronto Sun.

Most of you have heard the song "The 12th day of Christmas." I ranted all evening about the 7th day of Christmas December 18th, my Principal gave to me a $100 gift certificate and a $50 movie pass for tickets, gift shop and concessions and no damn partridge in a pear tree. BTW, my neighbor has a pear tree! WTF is a partridge? No one has ever seen that bird before?

My goal of this note is to tell people to "give" during the holidays. When I was in Baltimore in the hey days of my career, I would buy so many toys, wrap them and give them out in kid hospitals on Christmas day dressed as Santa while Eni and Oyin now almost 22 and 18 will dress as elves at 6 and 10. Things changed for me as you know due to what happened to my family and as I am starting over again in Canada, my goal is to reach the unfortunate and give back to Toronto some day.Though some consider me as a celebrity of sorts here, my goal everyday is to make someone SMILE!

DO it for someone. Anything....Help an old lady carry her groceries to her door, allow someone to check out in the store before you. Say good morning to a store manager or fast food employee. People that serve us daily. KJ always says hi to Bianca the cashier at the drug store. He tells her she looks like Mrs Morrow, his old teacher who retired and Bianca said Mrs Morrow is her mom (not true) but uses it to keep an eye on KJ. When we stop by, she'll ask him about his current grades that "my mom said to check." LOL!

On Dec 18th at 3pm, when the caller ID showed TCSB, (Toronto Catholic School Board) I was scared! Normally it's KJ is sick or something else drastic or I forgot his lunch! (That only happened once) This time It was Mrs Beals from the Principal's office. She asked if I would like a $100 gift certificate for a major gourmet supermarket Loblaws/department store. This is Canada's SuperWalmart! I really thought I was dreaming! Then she went on in the next sentence to ask if I wanted a $50 movie pass for Cineplex too? BTW, that's where my older son works. He watches the movies and checks all the reels before he can show you the public on opening day to make sure all tapes came in intact from Hollywood. (lucky dog) A $50 pass for tickets and concessions--soda, popcorn, KFC, Burger King etc at most Canadian theaters.

Finally she asked if KJ would like some extra winter clothes and a coat and that som ebrand new clothers came in from a retailer. I said yes and KJ took his picks. He even got this $100 looking winter coat. I was amazed! Thru the generousity of some Canadians out there, God is giving me back what I may have done in the past for others I thought.... but regardless, the word "newcomer" here in Canada is major! The immigration people give you tons of resource lists as you leave the airport for schools, housing, employers, clinics, so many things and the government and private sector fund a lot of programs for new immigrants called settlement services. I have taken advantage of many of these.

Canadians are wonderful people, no matter if you are rich, poor or average, if you are NEW here, they help you settle down and enjoy your new HOME. Go out today and make someone smile because there is TRULY A SANTA CLAUS!

Merry Christmas and a Happy 2009. Oh Canada!

Kemi..........

Send in your Christmas story and photos or just make a sign saying you love HipHossip and we'll post them all here beginning today. WE WANT YOUR XMAS PICTURES!!