It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. I accept the challenge! Right--if you took me seriously, you'd have quit reading by now. Actually you would have quit reading several dozen posts ago...
We had a good Thanksgiving with E's family in PA. There was snow on the ground when we arrived and a bit of snow one evening. Ba and Opa took Ba's old sled out of the attic, and of course, that was a jinx and the snow didn't amount to anything. From Thanksgiving Day, here's C with Cousin A, and second-cousins R and L. Cousin C-A-R-L--hold on, that's T's side of the family...
We returned for Cousin H's Birthday party. We went bowling. The kids strategically used the gutter bumpers (when I first typed it, I said butter gumpers. Not sure why that seems funny.) to score almost as well as (if not better than, in some cases) T and E. Our next series of photos captures C's learning the essence of American bowling...the give 'em h!@# reaction!
Last weekend was the first Christmas Spectacular at Advent. It wasn't technically called the Spectacular, but T was directing... C and other little ones were lambs. Check out the cute hats. Ba got to be a shepherd. Last time he was in a Christmas pagent was probably in middle school at Christ Lutheran in Lewisburg. That pagent was outside (yes, in December in PA) with live animals. It was always a highlight of the Xmas season--mainly because people came to see Mary get thrown off the donkey and see the sheep poop on the church lawn. I can't remember what my part was back then...probably a shepherd. Which would mean I've been type-cast and should give up on getting a weightier role. I think I should aspire to be Herod, not only because he is the curmudgeon of the Christmas story, but also because he has the best song in Jesus Christ Superstar. The kids were extremely well behaved at Advent's Christmas Spectacular, even through the long dress rehearsal. So I didn't have to use my crook on them.
C is starting to get the gist of Christmas (that is, the cultural not the religious Christmas--a true American). When he sees pictures of Santa Claus, he says "Christmas!" When asked what Santa is bringing him for Christmas, he says "Christmas presents!" T keeps correcting him and telling him to make specific demands for presents. Next, she will inform him, as has me, that practical gifts do not count as Christmas presents. I suppose that would be the literalist Biblical stance as I don't think many people would consider giving a newborn baby frankincense, gold, and myrrh as particularly practical or useful gifts. Hello--he needs DESIGNER swaddling clothes! So now I'm on the lookout for more impractical and useless items (true Americans!) to distribute as gifts. So when you get one of these from me and think, "This is really out of character", at least you will know why. Not that it will help you figure out what to do with my impractical and useless gift.
We put up a Christmas tree for the first time last weekend. It was our usual scenario of pratfalls and near disasters. First, we couldn't find the base for the tree and were convinced that we'd lost our minds. Once we gave up looking for it and decided to put up the rest of the decorations, E found it--in the bottom of the bag which contained the rest of the decorations. Even better...as we were removing the tree sections from the attic, one of the wires for the tree lights was cut by the attic hinge (of course it had to be the largest section). So, countless minutes (or is that hours, I lost track) later, a long section of lights was surgically extracted from the pre-lit tree to avoid electrocution. E noted the multiple twisties used by the manufacturer to secure the lights in place (I can see Great Ma smiling down from Heaven and giving her seal of approval for their excellent use of twist ties). Fortunately we had other white lights to use in their place. C helped to decorate by placing ornaments on the tree.
C has been greatly amused by the TV newcasts showing the clip of the Iraqi reporter throwing his shoes at President Bush...over and over. He doesn't seem to understand that it is the same incident being replayed incessantly because it is good visual. He thinks there is an epidemic of "bad people" throwing shoes. Come to think of it, there's been such a world-wide reaction to it that it may become an epidemic. I better be prepared to duck quickly when I return to class...
Just in case you were wondering, yes Virginia there is a Mum-Mum and she does exist:
Happy Holidays!
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