Nativity

This past Sunday was another compellingly adorable Christmas pageant, presented by the shorter members of the congregation as a gift to the somewhat taller. I was a mess of laughter and tears the whole time.

Adele came in that morning in one of her Moods, declaring energetically and tearfully that she would NOT be in the Christmas pageant today. But all it took was me putting a sheep's hood on Spot, and pinning a white tail to his tail, and she was all giggles and amiability.

We were short a few sheep anyway.

With one of her church besties, Maddy

Miles got robed up for First King:





Once again, the kids destroyed me with their beauty.

Mary's recited Magnificat always ruins my eye makeup

For about 10 minutes, Jesus was a 5 month old played by the adorable Hazel. It made everyone's day. Even surly teen Joseph cracked a smile.


Adele was still unwilling to do much independently. She was adhered to me, so I had to accompany the shepherds up the aisle:

I tried to be as small and inconspicuous as possible

They made an extremely sweet picture, did they not?

Adele only stayed upright for a few minutes, though. Overcome either with self-consciousness or fatigue, she flopped over onto the stuffed sheep and remained thus for much of the rest of the pageant.

I was so focused on getting her up the aisle I neglected my little king, who ended up having an inconvenient robe malfunction just before his cue. 

Muttering "We have come to pay him homage" in unison

He did remember to kneel...

But he did NOT remember to leave his gift with the Christ Child. Oh well!

There was a feast of Christmas cookies afterwards (hooray, breakfast!) and the children romped fairly freely the rest of the morning.

Adele with two of her church besties.



I wrote a piece In Defense of Christmas Pageants last year, because I feel so strongly that Christmas Pageants are substantial and not just a meaningless, saccharine tradition. I enjoyed not directing this year's pageant, but I might have to dive back in next year if no one is interested. Few things are more delightful than little kids in costume doing their own storytelling.

I am now smack in the middle of 48 hours of solitude! Jon and the kids have gone to Maryland, so Jon can research and I can still go to work. The house hasn't been this clean in a while, and I enjoyed a quiet meal and lots of movies I got to choose, so it's working out on my end!

Tonight we light the solstice fire. Cross your fingers the firewood didn't get too wet in today's surprise rain. Bring it on, darkness and cold. We've got your number.

Kingdom of Sweets

Despite the perversely warm weather, Christmas is starting to make itself at home with us.
The tree is up! Both kids overwhelmed my vote for white lights.

The colored lights kind of go with the liquor boxes behind it that still contain our books. Kind of a tacky, real sort of Christmas vibe. 

There has not been snow. There will not be snow. Ever, apparently. But we did have some attractive chilly mist for a few days there. I must learn to see beauty in a variety of December phenomena.

Last weekend, Saturday was eaten by the Nutcracker.
In a good way.

Thursday night was the dress rehearsal, so we had a chance to practice the man bun.

I loved it. He says, "it hurts my head." 

The dress rehearsal was a bit rough. But the production on Saturday exceeded my expectations.

Miles was a little page. 

The little girl playing Clara is a middle schooler! She was excellent. 

After dress rehearsal, Miles approached the dancer playing the Nutcracker Prince and tapped on his shoulder:
"Excuse me. I really liked watching you dance." He's fairly committed to ballet. So you all know.

Adele, if you're curious, is divided between her ballet and her gymnastics aspirations.
Here is some of his number in the dress rehearsal.

There were two shows Saturday, one at 1, and one at 6. For each, performers had to be there an hour early. The show is about 2 hours. So as you can see, there goes Saturday. But he enjoyed it enormously. I asked him if he was afraid, stepping onto the stage of the huge auditorium, with all the lights and eyes on him. He said, "No, I loved it! I was happy. I felt like the most famous person." Behold, my son.

During the matinee, Adele and I wandered around campus for a while in the 70 degree weather.

I officially hate it, but I tried to pretend it was April. That helped, a bit.

Her antics helped more.

She spent kind of a while in this tree. 

During the show in the evening, to which we all had tickets, Adele was enchanted. One couple behind us said they were watching her as much as the show, because she was just being so chin on hands, enraptured expression, whispered adulation adorable.

The video above is horrible. Most of it doesn't even contain his image. We were technically not supposed to film, but instead we were to give our money to the professional company who was filming. Perhaps I should have done this. But I thought I'd try to subtly catch his 1 minute and 30 seconds on stage. I totally failed. Anyway, enjoy the closest I could get to a video of his 2 minutes of fame!

And enjoy this picture of Miles receiving the love of his #1 fan. 

Sunday, he was performing again, this time in choristers, and afterwards we lingered at church for a Children's Chapel meeting and then, pageant rehearsal. December is tiring for us all.

Especially for the Christmas pig!

In the evenings we light our candles. Just a few days before we begin the Great O Antiphons! I can't believe we're this close. Just one more press to get our gifts purchased and sent, and we'll be safe in Christmas' arms.

For now, I'm so very grateful as always for the quiet of Advent. It gets our hopes up, in a way Christmas Day can rarely fulfill. But it's important to be a little bit disappointed by anything we can buy or plan. The real Good News, the Someday Eschatos, the Already-and-Not-Yet is worth getting our hopes up for, I feel.

This year: dollar store candles, modgepodged with tissue paper. Go ahead and pin it. :-P

I'm getting warm sunshine in December. I'm trying not to complain!

Let's lean into hope, no matter how apparently unfounded. It seems the best way to live life. Come, Dayspring!

Pure Magic

When we returned from Thanksgiving break, I knew I was nearly out of leave time from work. In nearly every category of leave, I had hours in the low single digits. I knew I could afford almost no level of sickness or other emergency, let alone a mental health or shopping afternoon. Given that December is usually one of the most stressful and busy months of the year, I felt the challenge of my situation. I have set an intention, therefore, of eliminating unnecessary activity and worry from my Advent. I need a quiet, peaceful Advent like never before.

Well, so far my plan has been successful. I had good health last week, and last weekend I was able to feel really caught up on sleep. And it may be that I responded by being a bit too active! But the weekend was so stuffed with magic and positivity that I have great hope it will be a net gain for well-being. 

We began by attending the Winter Lights Festival, which is another of those town events we've attended every year since we moved to Blacksburg. It is just too wholesome an expression of holiday cheer to miss. It begins with Santa at the Lyric Theater!

Adele may forgive us someday... she was seconds from tears here. 

Miles, by contrast, was wild to befriend Santa and all his staff!

Next, we had a quick dinner at our favorite Chinese restaurant downtown and hiked up the hill just in time for the tree lighting!

It's such a beautiful crowd of humans. 

Isn't this such an Advent picture? Waiting.... 

Christmas Blacksburg <3 td="">

Santa, Mrs. Claus, the Children's Choir and the Mayor of Blacksburg attend the tree lighting. It's so small-town and precious!

There it is! There was the usual ooh-ing and ah-ing. Bless.

After Tuba Christmas, we found our places on Main Street to watch the parade.

The kids were in ecstasy, just from anticipating the parade!

Marching bands are the best parts of parades. Am I wrong?

Precarious float angel/ 

Last year the kids rode on the Chinese school float! But this year, we were very happy to watch their adorable presence, both marching

and riding.

It was a lovely night! But a late one. Fortunately, we were able to sleep in on Saturday, which gave me the energy to cheerfully round the kids back up for a road trip the next day: to Lynchburg! To pay homage to our new niece/cousin, Addison Claire!

She was born on the night of this full moon:

I took this on our way back from Canada on the 25th of November. Soon after, I texted Michaela to see if labor had started. It hadn't!

Yet. 

So we found ourselves in the car again last Saturday. And. 

It was worth every driving minute:

She is sooooooooooo perfect.

Adele surprised me by being uncharacteristically maternal. She wanted to hold her as long as possible:

She's going around saying she wants to be a mom when she grows up, now.

Miles took this:

Both kids enjoyed cuddle time with Addison.

Singing, "Hush Little Addison, Don't Say a Word"

I got a real baby fix this time. Praise God for new babies.

Sunday brought another spectrum of beauty.
The kids went to Sunday School. Then, I taught Children's Chapel. We used play-dough to make valleys to exalt, mountains to bring low, crooked roads to straighten and rough places to make smooth. We heard the words of John the Baptist and as always, I thrilled to the briskness of their challenge.

After church, Miles had choir and then both had pageant rehearsal. After 3.5 hours of church, you can understand his glazed expression!

Miles will be a King this year; Adele, the Nativity Pig. You know. 

Blocking the action:

Taking a wiggle break with her friend, the Little Angel

Adele was so drawn to the doll baby Jesus.

Religious devotion or maternal inspiration? Either way...

That night we ran out to a gospel music concert: 

This might have been activity overload. I'm not sure. I just know it was completely gorgeous. 

I'm now preparing for my last Monday Night Class! Let there be cheering and general jubilation! 

I'm trying to trust. I've always managed to get the basics done to celebrate Christmas, I am capable. It will happen. One day's activity at a time.