It's Christmas Eve

Well it's Christmas Eve and I am sitting watching It's a Wonderful Life, possibly the greatest Christmas movie ever made. White Christmas and Miracle on 34th Street (the classic b&w version) run a close second. Phil and I are waiting for the kids to fall asleep so we can wrap presents. This has become a tradition for us: watching this movie and wrapping gifts. The reason we always wait until the night before is because if we do it earlier than that the kids will find and unwrap them. I remember when I was little, the pile of gifts under the tree would grow as Christmas got closer. I wonder if my parents always did that or just when Julie (my younger sister) and I got old enough to be trusted not to open everything ahead of time. Christmas was always so much fun at our house when I was young: baking and decorating Christmas cookies, driving around looking at lights and more. We often drove downtown to see the life-size nativity scene that an insurance company put up outside their building on Broad Street.

We occasionally drove down to Winterfest at Kings Island. Only part of the park was open, including a couple rides like the merry-go-round and the Smurf ride. The fountain was frozen over and there was ice skating. The shops were open and the Eiffel Tower was decorated with lights. It was beautiful!! I was very disappointed when Kings Island stopped doing this.

Another Christmas favorite for me was going to the 7th floor of the Lazarus department store downtown. Their windows were decorated so beautifully for Christmas. I just wondered how someone could make something that amazing. The 7th floor was the toy floor and it was so different at Christmastime. They had a talking tree there that chatted with all the kids who came by. And they had colored footprints on the floor that led somewhere. I think they led to Santa but I can't really remember for sure. They also had a special area where kids could go to buy presents for the their parents. It had a short door that was just kid-size and lots of grownups inside to help kids pick something out. I also felt so grownup going in there without my parents and being able to pick out and pay for presents all by myself. It was just so magical there.

Christmas Eve we always went to church. There were several different sevices to pick from: an earlier family-friendly one that usually featured kids in costume re-creating the first Christmas, an early evening service and the late-night "candlelight" service. At the end of the service the pastor would start at the front lighting candles and everyone would pass the light on. It was beautiful seeing the darkened sanctuary get lighter as more candles got lit. Then we all sang Silent Night accapella. I really LOVED that part of the service!!! Of course being Christmas, lots of people would come who didn't usually come to church. Since the service was so crowded, we always made it a point to get there early to get good seats. This gave Julie and I a chance to people-watch. Who was here from church? Who was sitting with whom? Who was here from school but never usually came? These were important questions when we were teenagers.

Christmas morning we were always at home to open gifts with just our family. Then we would typically head up the Upper Sandusky. Conveniently both sets of our grandparents lived in the same town so we were able to celebrate with our whole family. Grandma and Grandpa Powell (my dad's parents) always had stockings for the 4 grandkids. My aunt, uncle and 2 cousins lived nearby so we could all be together. We would have a big dinner, topped off with grandma's famous star pudding. Then came stockings, usually filled with useful things like socks, toothpaste or deodorant. Then the presents. We would usually snack all afternoon; grandma always had peanut brittle (we called it carrots to make it sound healthier) and cookies and things. We'd play games and sometimes Aunt Debbie would play Christmas carols on the organ grandma had.

Ok I'm having fun reminiscing but getting tired. As I type this it is exactly midnight (and we are still wrapping presents!) Merry CHRISTmas everyone!!

The tree is up finally!

We are normally a family that gets the tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving, giving us plenty of time to enjoy it. But this year with my pneumonia and my husband's bronchitis we just couldn't manage it. Yesterday Rachel and Noah came over and put up the tree for us and even put the lights on. Rachel is the daughter of the lady who cleans for my dear mother-in-law; Noah is her brother. Without them we wouldn't have had a tree at all this year. Today the kids and I decorated it. Actually it was all them; I was having a really bad day after doing too much yesterday. So they put on the tinsel and ornaments themselves. As you can guess the bottom half is very decorated and the top half not quite as much. I deliberately decided not to put on my favorite (breakable) ornaments this year. Having a 3 year old and 3 kittens makes me nervous. Those kittens have as much energy and destructive powers as your average 1 year old. But the tree is up and looks beautiful nonetheless.

Rose started a new tradition in our family last year that we continued tonight. We gather around the tree, pick out an ornament and sing a Christmas carol about it. Tonight Rose picked out an angel ornament. So we talked about how the angels announced the birth of Jesus, then sang "Hark the Herald Angels." I really enjoyed it and hope we continue this!

The pictures above show us at Holiday Junction, the Christmas train display at Museum Center, another Hahn family tradition. Our good friends Emily and Nathan came into town to visit us last Saturday and we bravely decided to take 3 of the 4 kids out in public (David was bowling with his Cub Scout troop). With 4 adults and 3 kids, we figured it would be relatively easy. WRONG! The kids had a great time; the grownups not so much. We looked at everything, lost track of the kids several times, said hi to Santa and did some window shopping in the really expensive gift shop. When we decided to leave that exhibit and explore another museum, Matthew melted down. Yep, kicking, screaming, crying, the whole 9 yards. So we cut the trip short and headed to the van with everyone a little out of sorts. But the kids had fun at the trains and that's all that counts.

Fun with the Grinch

We ended up having a fun family evening tonight. It was supposed to be another crazy Tuesday evening. Phil was supposed to be taking all 4 kids to the girls' gymnastics lesson at the Y. I was supposed to be going to our MOPS Christmas party. But MOPS was canceled; not because of the weather we actually have but because of weather we MIGHT have had. It snowed earlier today, maybe an inch. The weathermen were predicting freezing rain or sleet or something so everyone got paranoid and canceled pretty much every activity for tonight. It did end up drizzling a little, but I think everyone overreacted. I was bitter about missing MOPS; I was really looking forward to the Christmas party. It's always been a relaxing evening to spend with my MOPS friends. Plus I REALLY need a break from the kids.

But I digress. So I took the girls to gymnastics. When we got home, we put in How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the cartoon version, not the Jim Carrey version). And we all piled on the couch together and acted it out. It's something Phil started doing when he watches tv with the kids. Everyone takes a part and says the lines along with the tv; getting up and actually acting is optional. David was the Grinch. Rachel was Cindy Lou Who. Rose and I were townspeople. Phil was the narrator and the roast beast (as in "And he himself, the Grinch, carved the roast beast") It was a non-speaking role but gave the kids a chance to "carve" (beat up on) their father. In spite of fights over who was sitting where and which kid would be which character, it was a fun evening. I've always LOVED the Christmas shows. Watching the animated ones (the Grinch, Charlie Brown and Rudolph) with the kids bring back memories of watching them when I was younger. And of course the classic movies are my favorites: It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street (the black & white version of course). But I'll watch ANY Christmas show I find. I'm glad I can pass on my love of Christmas shows to my kids.

Christmas with Pneumonia

Well I am still struggling with pneumonia. I am at least able to get up and around but I tire so easily. It's frustrating me because I can't celebrate Christmas like we usually do. In years past we have taken the kids to the Festival of Lights at the zoo or to the holiday train display at Museum Center. This year however just going to church wears me out. Ironically this fits in perfectly with our church's sermon series this month -- The Advent Conspiracy. Our pastor has been talking about spending less and giving more. Give presence, not presents. And with me having pneumonia and not being able to do much, I have been spending more time just hanging out with the kids rather than taking them places and spending money. Tonight, for example, the 6 of us sat down after dinner and watched A Charlie Brown Christmas together. Then at the end we sang along with the characters to "Hark the Herald Angels Sing." And last Friday night we went out driving around and looking at Christmas lights. That's one of my favorite traditions really. There are a couple neighborhoods that have fabulous displays that we have to drive by every year. I only wish I'd thought to take along my camera and take pictures of some of the houses we saw. The kids seem to be enjoying the Christmas season this year in spite of my illness. Regardless of whether we get the tree up and the cards sent, this will certainly be a Christmas to remember!

A Christmas Story

No I'm not talking about the classic Christmas movie about a Red Rider BB Gun (one of my husband's faves). This was the title of our church's Children's Choir Christmas Musical, starring Rose and David. Ok, they didn't star in it, but they each had a part. Rose was a sheep; she had a real sheep costume with ears and everything. David was a wise man and also had a very elaborate costume with a crown that was just a bit too big and kept falling down over his eyes. The story was the familiar Christmas story from the Bible, interspersed with songs and Christmas carols.

We actually arrived early and were just sitting trying unsuccessfully to keep Matthew quiet until it started. The lights dimmed and everyone came on stage and took their places. The audience was completely quiet and in the hush came a still, small voice. Yep, you guessed it. Matthew saw his sister, the sheep, onstage. He piped up, "Rose! That's Rose!! Hi Rose!" Needless to say, I clapped my hand over his mouth and tried to shrink through the floor. A spotlight came on over the center aisle and we turned to see 3 wise men processing up the aisle. David looked so cute!!! They went up and set their gifts in front of the manger then took their place with the rest of the kids. There were songs with motions sung in between kids narrating the Christmas story. David tried to sing along but looked a little lost some of the time. Plus he had to keep pushing up his crown which kept sinking down over his eyebrows.

Then came Rose's big solo. It was in that song that the animals sing that you hear around Christmastime. I totally can't remember the name of it. "I, said the sheep all (something) and (something), I gave him my wool for (something)" Do you know which song I'm talking about? Well that one has a sheep in it and Rose got to sing the sheep verse. She was wearing a body mike, but it was too far down or something because we couldn't hear most of what she sang. Rose's other big moment in the show came towards the end after Mary had her baby and the wisemen, angel and shepherds came. The kids sang "Joy to the World" using motions that Rose had choreographed!! The directors had asked her to make up motions for that song so she did, And she was very excited to get the chance to do that! She even got credit in the program for it.

At the end we all sang "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" with our candles lit. (Did I forget to mention that we each got a candle on the way in?) It was beautiful-or would have been had I gotten to enjoy it. But I was busy trying to keep Matthew from burning down the church. You see, some well-meaning person (who obviously doesn't have kids!) had given him a candle on the way in and he was determined to hold his lit candle all by himself. ACK! The music ended, the lit candles were the only light in the room, everyone was silent and then. . . Rachel piped up in a disappointed voice: "Is that the play? Is that all of the play" *sigh*

I'll post pictures of this soon, so check back!!

It's Conference Time Again!!

Parent-teacher conferences were last week (the week of Thanksgiving). For the first time we have 3 kids in school, so there were 3 conferences to go to. The kids' school requires us to attend fall conferences but we only need to go in the spring if there's something we (or the teacher) want to talk about. Our lucky kids only had school Monday last week because of conferences and the holiday. Needless to say they were thrilled.

Our conferences were Tuesday morning; the school very nicely schedules conferences back-to-back for those families with more than one kid. So Phil took his lunch hour at 10 a.m. and we went to school. Rose's conference was first; she is in 3rd grade now. As we expected, she is doing brilliantly. She is reading at a 6th grade level, is very enthusiastic about school and loves math. The love of math she obviously got from her father, because it sure didn't come from me. It astounds me that she not only loves math, but is good at it. Actually I'm not surprised that she's good at it, just that she likes it. Rose is especially excited that her teacher this year goes to our church.

Rose is also taking acting lessons this fall through a national group (based in Phoenix) that travels around the country giving acting lessons in various cities one weekend a month. They advertised on Nick Jr. that they were auditioning kids and she made it in. It is very expensive, but is really teaching her how to act. She has an audition with an agent from New York in just a few weeks. She is serious about the acting and is very good at it. Her teacher gave us an evaluation and said she is doing very good so far. She said Rose is very creative and is really good at expressing emotion and getting into character. She really loves it!

David was the second conference of the day. He loves 1st grade and is excited because his teacher also goes to our church! He is doing very well also (of course). He is reading at a 2nd grade level now. He is doing fantastic at math too and can actually do 2-column addition in his head as well as simple multiplication too!! His handwriting is almost illegible but that's really the only concern his teacher had. David loves to read and is very into writing stories.

Rachel's kindergarten conference was the last one on our schedule. This was the most fun for me simply because it was our first conference for her. She has the same teacher Rose did when she was in kindergarten. She is doing great of course; she is the best reader in her class. She finishes her work quickly and easily. When her teacher is reading a story, Rachel will correct her when she tries to skip parts of the book; that's the disadvantage of having a reader in class :-) She is very social and gets along great with all the girls in her class.

And that's the report on our scholars. Now for a health update: Rachel is completely recovered from her croup and strep throat. I (Amy) however am still battling my pneumonia. I am slowly improving but still get tired very easily. As long as I'm sitting on the couch resting I'm fine. But things as simple as taking a load of laundry downstairs and throwing it in the washer tires me out. I work a little and nap a lot. Not a bad life really (hee hee hee) but it would be nice to be up and around and have the energy to do things like eat and take a shower!