Weekend of Christmas Events

Okay, I've been kinda Scrooge-y this year about Christmas, and for no particular reason. I've just been busy with so many other things that I didn't take the time to get into the holiday spirit, I guess. I even whined to my wife after Thanksgiving, "Do we have to decorate for Christmas this year?" She did do a moderate amount of decorating indoors, but I never got around to stringing up outdoor lights or putting up our outdoor Santas, etc.

But finally, some of my obligations (writing papers for UND, grading papers for EGFSHS) are winding down for a while, and I'm able to think more clearly about the holiday and to get in the mood for Christmas. Some things this weekend certainly helped:

1. I spent Saturday finishing writing the annual Christmas letter to send to friends and relatives with our annual Christmas family photograph. It's a doozy to boil down a year in our lives into one letter that goes out once annually, but I enjoy the challenge. I hope recipients enjoy catching up with our lives in this way. I myself certainly enjoy receiving Christmas letters from others and hearing how things have been going with our friends and family. It's one of the highlights of Christmas!
2. We attended Suzanna's piano recital at the home of her piano teacher, Mrs. Fiedler, Saturday afternoon. It was run very efficiently . . . it has to be in order for her to get so many students into her house, onto the piano, into the kitchen for a treat, and out the door before the next batch of students arrives, all day long! For the second song, "The First Noel," Suzanna asked if I could join her and play the accompaniment (provided at the bottom of the pages for piano teachers' use) while she played the part intended for the student. It was so fun to sit beside my child and create music together! Suzanna did very well on both her pieces.
3. Susan and I attended a Christmas party thrown by our friends the Almlies. They're great party throwers who know how to go with a theme and carry it out. This past summer, they hosted a Texas barbecue with barbecued meats shipped in from Houston, straw bales scattered around the yard, cowboy boots and hats, etc. Well, for this party, everyone who attended was required to wear a Santa hat, and there were door prizes depending on the Christmas design that appeared on your plastic cup, and there was egg nog among the beverages offered, and a chocolate fountain with plenty of wonderful treats to dip in it, and so much more. It was great to see them and our other friends at the party and to make new friends (the Almlies are also great at inviting a wide range of guests to encourage mingling and meeting new people).
4. We attended the annual Sunday school Christmas program at Calvary Lutheran Church Sunday morning. What an extravaganza! It is one Sunday likely to get every child's parent not only out of bed but also out of the car and into the church pew! And those are always some pushy parents and grandparents, jockeying for a good view of the front where the kids line up, mount the risers, and sing/yell the lyrics while performing the movements with each song. A perennial favorite: "Go Tell It on the Mountain," essentially a contest to see which kid can incomprehensibly scream the words the loudest. I mean, can sing the most enthusiastically. We were proud of our girls' performances and behavior in front of the congregation.
5. Tonight I took Suzanna and Abigail to the high school choir concert, preceded by a jazz band mini-concert (Susan and Hillary, both getting sick, stayed home). Now, how can you help but get into the mood for Christmas when you hear "Silent Night" and "The Holly and the Ivy" and a medley of traditional Christmas favorites? The music was great, and it certainly put me in the mood to celebrate Christmas!

Only five more days before Christmas (which will arrive six days from now). Get in the holiday spirit!