Christmas Break! The last few days before Christmas break are crazy every year, and even with Covid restrictions, the week was full!
Last Sunday, we attended a small Christmas concert at our church. It was enjoyable and pleasant, and always nice to hear Christmas songs sung at night in a decorated church building. While it was not largely attended (due to our governor’s restrictions at the moment) the crowd that came was happy to be there. It was a fun way to finish out our last teen group meeting of the year.
Do you know what one of my least favorite Christmas songs is? “Mary, Did You Know?” I know that there are a lot of people that really, really enjoy that Christmas song, but it’s definitely way down there on my list of favorite Christmas songs! Truthfully? Mary DID know! Maybe not all the things listed in the song, but she knew that a lot of those things would come to pass...um, the angel told her! Remember? Anyways, if you love that song- great! A few of my personal favorites would be “Joy to the World” and “Noel” and “Silent Night”.
The rest of the week was also a flurry of activities! On Monday, our parent group hosted a Christmas shop where students in the school could shop for others. It’s a favorite event for the students, and I always love to see what the little ones pick out for their moms and dads. One little boy was totally convinced that his grandpa would want slime for a Christmas present! Another little girl picked out a journal for her mom. I asked her if her mom liked to write, “No, she doesn’t. But this is so pretty!” Oh, okay! They are just so cute as they pick out gifts for others. It was a busy and full afternoon with helping with that, but thankfully having fun mom friends to work with makes it even more fun! It’s a good experience for the students to think about others.
Tuesday morning found me a bit frazzled as I realized that the Christmas shop needed to be moved so that gym classes could be held in the space where the Christmas shop had been. Since the kindergartners still needed to do their “Christmas shopping”, we needed to have the items accessible for them to shop on Tuesday morning. So by 6;45am., my boys, Emma and I were moving items from the Christmas shop into another space! It was a bit crazy! On Tuesday afternoon, one of the boys from Travis’ class came home for the afternoon and evening. Ethan stayed overnight which was a super special treat for the boys. Normally, I’d never allow that on a school night, but by Tuesday our whole schedule already felt off, so it was all fine! It was a fun time for the boys.
We had special music classes on Wednesday that the parents could attend if they wanted to come. Since we were unable to have a school Christmas program this year, we decided to have a special music class that the students could perform a Christmas song for their parents. It was not the same, and it made me really sad to do it this way. However, it was better than nothing, and the parents seemed to appreciate the opportunity to hear their child sing, play an instrument, etc. It also provided an informal opportunity to meet some of the parents, so I did really appreciate that. But....it made for a crazy afternoon of tuning instruments, preparing, and presenting with the students. Both of the classes that I teach did very well, and I was thankful for their efforts.
Snow day! And it was a real snow day! We have computers so that the students can be taught remotely in the event of a snow day, but I was delighted to hear that Thursday would be an actual snow day (both as a parent and as a teacher!) Every time I start to think about remote learning, I feel my blood pressure start rising, my palms getting sweaty, and a bit of nausea sweep over me. It’s due to thinking about educating my class as well as helping five kids at home get done what they need to get done! However, God gives us grace for every moment, so if we needed to do that, He would help me through it. BUT, please keep praying that we can keep going to school in person and at school! “Lord, please continue to keep us protected and healthy!” We spent our snow day outside, making gifts, laundry, preparing for our class Christmas party, and getting ready for a crazy Friday morning at school.
Oh, crazy, chaotic Friday! It was a wild morning! The students were wired, and excited for their gift exchange and party. In our kindergarten class, they worked on wrapping their gifts for their parents. I loved how the gifts that they created reflect their personalities. We didn’t get done everything that I wanted to get done before Christmas, but from talking to other teachers, I know I’m not the only one who feels that way! It felt like we were moving into the school when we arrived a little before 7:00am. We had laundry baskets with gifts, food for parties, supplies for games, gift wrapping supplies, and it felt like everything but the kitchen sink! It was a cold, brisk December morning, but a quick one. I personally like the structure and routine of a regular day, but I know how special and fun these party days are for the students. A party day leaves me feeling a bit exhausted and messy (or maybe it was from the “snow” that we created for our sensory bin!?). All the students were dismissed at 11:30am, but it was closer to three pm by the time we arrived home. I needed to take down my classroom Christmas tree so we could use it for a church event, and I wanted to leave my classroom fairly neat and tidy over Christmas break. The boys and Emma were good sports about sticking around after school. They played outside for a few hours, Came in and ate some more food, helped me sweep and straighten up, climbed into the church attic to find Christmas program costumes, and then ate some more! At least I didn’t have to worry about bringing a lot of food home!
Roger had off on Saturday, so that was a nice day for our family. The boys were invited to an airsoft party at a friends house, so they spent three hours tromping around in the woods playing air soft. Emma had a hair cut appointment with Roger, and I went to visit an older lady in our church and take her some cookies (she wasn’t home, but I tried!). Then the kids had Christmas program practice. The boys were about as excited about having practice as they were about going to the dentist, but we went anyways! Sometimes we have to do things we don’t necessarily want to do but its to bless someone else. I feel that way as an adult, and we are trying to teach our children that the world does not revolve around them! (There are some adults that also need to learn that lesson!)
Sunday before Christmas?! How did that come up so quickly? It’s been a busy last few days for sure, so it was a blessing to watch the children participate in a simple Christmas program this morning. Is there anything more cute and lovely than watching a bunch of children participate in an old-fashioned Christmas program? You know...the kind where bathrobes are used for costumes, and half the children’s outfits are held on by safety pins and sashes! Garett was a huge shepherd boy, and I know it was not his favorite thing to dress up and be in a children’s program, but he did it with a willing heart. While we butt heads on occasion, I do love his laid back mannerisms around other people (just not his siblings!). Chandler and Wyatt were part of the wisemen crew along with the pastors son. They were just as rag-tag, but super cute...just don’t tell them I said that! Travis was also a shepherd, but he was okay with that as long as he had a staff to carry! Emma played the part of Mary and she was a very exuberant singer! We had a small Christmas party for the children after the morning service. We played a game, fed them food, sang a carol, gave them a treat baggie, and sent them on their way! Merry Christmas!
This afternoon (Sunday) our family went to visit the lady from yesterday who wasn’t home. Wyatt and I were the only ones who went to the door because you just don’t know how people feel these days about seven people on their door step. We both wore our masks, but she was delighted to see people. She invited us right in and wanted us to stay for tea. I felt bad when I told her that we couldn’t stay long, but I promised that I would return sometime after the new year to visit with her. I have plenty of things to do every day, but when you start to interact with these older people you can almost feel their desire to have a conversation with people. I told this dear older lady that I would be back, and I would bring my friend, Allison, with me. At least Allison and I can laugh (most of the time) at our adventures together, and hopefully spread some good cheer. People are lonely, some of them are the loneliest they have been in years. Many are afraid and fearful, but some of them just desire fellowship and conversations with people. We were not created to be an isolated and introverted people! We must be diligent to pray that God will give us opportunities to connect with people, and to encourage other around us. I know that I am often discouraged these days, and I’m never faced with hours and hours of quietness!
Monday night we had Christmas with Hannah and Josh! Lots of delicious food, good fellowship, and a fun time by all! It was good to catch up with them for a bit before we meet up together in Haiti next month.
Tuesday afternoon found us hosting a living nativity at our church. While the night was cool, it wasn’t overly cold and it wasn’t raining! It was a crazy and long afternoon trying to get everything set up for that, but at six pm, Mary and Joseph were in their places. (The shepherds, wisemen and Angels might have been a little wound up, but oh well!) While we didn’t have any living animals, the event was lovely against the night sky with white lights. We had carolers, cookies and cocoa, and the community seemed to appreciate the event. We handed out tracts, interacted with people, and hopefully pointed people to the real reason for the season - Jesus! What I pictured in my mind for a living nativity, and what happened at certain moments throughout the evening did collide at several points! However, all I had to do was catch Allison’s eye, and I had a hard time holding back laughter at times! It was a fun memory for 2020...for the most part. My friend, Hannah, kept some of our kids for the afternoon and that was really helpful so that our children didn’t have to spend all afternoon/evening at the church property. People helped to take down and put things away, so it was not as late of an evening as I expected. I’m thankful for those that still have visions and desires to reach out to our communities...of course, we need to do things wisely and smart, but Covid 19 does not give Christians a free pass to bury our heads in the sand and do nothing in the name of “safety”! Need to be careful? Yes! Considerate? Absolutely! Impassive and disinterested? Never!
There is darkness and gloom all around us in our fallen world. Yet, we have the greatest hope ever offered to mankind...the best that ever was and ever will be! Our hope is in Jesus Christ! That baby that came into the world did not come to stay a baby in the manger. He came to be the Saviour of the World, oh thank you, Jesus! Our prayer for you is that you will be encouraged this Christmas season. It probably looks different for you this year. Christmas is certainly looking different for us this year as has the entire year of 2020! I’ve cried, fought depression, anger, feelings of injustice and faced overwhelming floods of emotions this year, far more than any of the other years of my life. Yet through it all the steadfast love of our Lord has never faltered or changed. He is the Giver of Hope, the Peace Bringer, the Light of the World, and He is my Lord. Regardless of what the future holds or what changes, our foundation is on Jesus! Rest in that, dear friends! Merry, Merry Christmas!
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