The sights and sounds of Christmas programs

December was a busy month.  Well obviously.  Does anyone NOT have a busy December?   We had a piano mini-recital, Will's school program, the church Christmas program and a ballet mini-recital. Lots of arts and entertainment in December!  

Reina's piano teacher has several of her students play an assortment of Christmas carols at the local shopping mall, as part of a "Tree of Remembrance" hosted by the hospital (so Aunt Vicky was there, too!).  That's a big introductory sentence.  Reina played "Jolly Old Saint Nick" and it was her first foray into public piano playing.  She was a little nervous but she played beautifully.  

Look at that concentration.  

Will's school Christmas program started off with the fourth-graders playing their string instruments. Will has been learning violin.  Performing any sort of musical production is not Will's favorite thing to do in the world but we're really proud of him for trying out the violin.

Getting ready to play "Mary Had a Little Lamb."  Or "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."  

After the orchestra opening, the class had a little skit and sang several songs.  This year, Will was in the front row center so it was easy to get a bunch of pictures.  Pictures of Will singing.

Let's just leave this here without comment. 

The red eyes don't help.  

Wait, I think I see some hand movements!  

Is he singing loudly?  No, I think that's a yawn.  

It's kazoo time!  This was actually my favorite part of the program, surprisingly.  The classes kazoo'd their way through several Christmas classics.  It's a great way to help them learn the tunes without having to learn the words also.  It was delightful!    

Next up for the Christmas-themed performances was a short ballet recital.  Reina is in her second year of ballet and she's really learning a lot.  Look at my girl go.

To round out our December performances, Will and Reina both participated in the church's Christmas program.  They sang several hymns and Will got to do a few readings.  They both memorized some German to sing "Von Himmel hoch, da komm ich her" and will gladly launch into song at random moments.

So that's our Christmas season for the arts.  Next up, Christmas Eve!

Christmas Eve Eve

Note, this picture does not represent their current state.  This was taken earlier in the month on a relatively relaxed Saturday morning.  

It's the night before the night before Christmas and the Pauley household is a little wound up right now.  The kids have been off of school since Wednesday - well Reina had part of Tuesday and all of Wednesday off because she had a fever and general malaise, but she's all better now!  Christmas fever is running rampant through the house. Even Coco seems to have it - she got to open up one of her presents early last night because she started to open it (and other people's presents) and I thought we could cut her off at the pass if we let her have one new toy to play with.  Reina and Will would like to see that strategy applied to the humans as well.  Most of the big work is done although Glenn has some serious gift wrapping to do in the next 24 to 36 hours.  My to-do list includes last minute baking, gift delivery, exercise as to counteract the delicious fudge that was in our office breakroom today and keeping two squirrelly kids from losing their ever-loving minds before 6:00 a.m. on Sunday.  Wish me luck.

Reina's pilgrim diary

I'm home for the day thanks to what is probably the norovirus.  Fingers crossed that no one else gets it!  Besides having to type this while laying flat on the couch, this inconvenient stomach bug is also putting a big damper on my holiday baking, present-wrapping and TOP SECRET KID TOY plans.  Oh well, there's like 13 days until Christmas, plenty of time right?!

In the meantime, let's talk about Reina's recent Pilgrim Diary project.  She had to write about a week on the Mayflower.  She worked pretty hard on it - we read a bunch of books about the Mayflower and life in early colonial times.  She lobbied for me to make her a Puritan outfit to wear whilst giving her presentation but that didn't happen.  I did some internet research and made a little doll that looked like something a Pilgrim girl would play with.  I need to take a picture of that.

Reina had to give a short presentation to her class and here are the comments from her fellow students.  They had to list a fact that they learned or comment on her project. This just might be my favorite part of second grade:

1.  I like it.
2.  The children drink beer.  (This was clearly a highlight because it was mentioned several times in the evaluations. I know it was probably Reina's favorite tidbit to share.)
3.  I love it because of the dairy.
4.  Reading loudly.
5.  It was rof on the Mayflower.  (Amen sister!)
6.  I love how you exprest how you felt.
7.  (completely indecipherable)
8.  She wanted to go on the Speedwell but she couldn't because it had a leak.
9.  Good job. I liked when you said beer.
10.  Good job.  (Drawing of a cat)
11.  Sea water is bad for your lungs.

Thanksgiving or pictures of people holding Baby Boy Cousin

We had a terrific Thanksgiving this year.  We had out-of-town guests and a delicious dinner at Pop-pop and Grandma's house.  The food was great, as usual and the pie-makers remembered the sugar this year.  Our long weekend involved a lot of shopping and movies and pre-Christmas preparations. The weather was winter-like but manageable.   We had a lot of time with extended family members and it was just a lovely long weekend.  

Trying to take a photo of the elusive Toddler Cousin.  Say cheese? 

  

Reina will pose for the camera.  She wanted to dress like a pilgrim and this is as close as we could get.  

Glenn working on the turkey.  

Glenn and Baby Boy Cousin.  Little BBC is at the delightful age where he'll sit with just about anyone and he seems to like his Uncle Glenn.  

And his Girl Cousin, too.