There are three pre-Christmas, post-Thanksgiving December weekends this year. So they are all fairly full as these things go. Mostly with good stuff! But I did try to enjoy the fact that I was home for good at 5:30 p.m. last night as that won’t happen again for a while…
Friday the celebrations started at my little guy’s preschool. He will turn 5 over the winter break, so my husband and I went to celebrate with his class. I read the Jan Brett story “Who’s That Knocking on Christmas Eve?” (a classic in our house), I showed baby pictures (we show one from each year) and then we had cupcakes and strawberries. We have done a lot of these birthday celebrations at this preschool, starting with my eldest’s 5th birthday, which was approximately 12.5 years ago. And this was the last one! End of an era for sure.
Then in the evening, my husband and I went to his office’s holiday party. This is another thing I have been doing for a very long time (and will do for limited more times — he will be retiring from this place at least in 3.5 years). I have learned my lesson from earlier years and now I own long sleeve festive dresses, as winter is cold, and if I were wearing something sleeveless I would just be sitting there in my big puffy coat the whole time. Anyway, we hung out with the folks I know fairly well, and made it home at a reasonable hour (10:45 p.m.) which was key because we had…
Robotics at 6:45 am! My husband took kid #2 to the high school to get the 6:45 a.m. bus to a robotics tournament that was about 45 minutes away. I wasn’t sure I’d make it back to sleep, but I did until 8 a.m. — at which point it was up (kid #1 and me) to go to the dress rehearsal for our church choir concert. We sang through all the pieces in the lessons and carols service, and made it home by about 12:30 or so. (There may have been a Starbucks stop along the way).
Since we had childcare for the little guy on Saturday, I took the three kids I still had (#1, #3, #4) ice skating downtown at the ice rink on the Delaware River in the late afternoon. While this was not on my official Holiday Fun List, it is really quite fun. The weather was perfect (clear and about 34 degrees, so the ice stayed frozen but we were not so cold it was unpleasant). We skated for about an hour. I’m thinking maybe I should have signed kid #4 up for hockey as he was just zipping around everywhere…
Meanwhile, my husband (who does not like to ice skate) went to the robotics tournament to get kid #2, and then take him downtown not too far from the rink to go to the Battleship New Jersey. His scout troop was staying on the ship overnight, so that was quite an adventure for sure.
The next morning we had tickets for all 7 of us for breakfast with Santa at a department store. There had been some discussion of going to get kid #2 off the battleship to come with us, but we decided he didn’t have to go. So it was breakfast for 6 (they still set the table with the fixed menu for 7 and my other kids ate all the good stuff off the extra plate…). It was all right as these things go — the little kids got balloon animals and we took pictures with Santa. I’m still trying to figure out the breakfast with Santa experience we’d enjoy most around here. We used to like the Longwood Gardens one, but then they stopped doing it for a bit.
After, I took three of the kids shopping for sibling gifts at Target. Let’s just say we survived the experience! I dropped those three kids off at home, picked up kid #2 from the local scout house, then hung out for about 2 hours until it was time for the choir holiday concert.
This wasn’t so much a concert as a service of lessons and carols — with readings, and a brass quintet. It’s been fun to sing with my 17-year-old in this ensemble, and I thought the choir sounded quite good. Some pieces are familiar, but every holiday season I learn new ones, like a Norman Dello Joio Christmas Carol that is based on a GK Chesterton poem. My husband came to hear us (leaving the little guy with the other kids – an upside of older children) and then we came home to watch the Eagles game and I did Christmas Legos with kid #3. This set is taking longer than any have in past years because my Lego helpers have gotten older and busier.
But so it goes…The thing about the holiday season is you do so much of the same year to year, but things can’t be the same because we change. Now it’s on to a week of holiday concerts for the kids, more choir rehearsals, and then it will be weekend #3…
We were able to hear the Lessons and Carols vis Livestream and it was a joy to see our daughter and grandson singing in a very good church choir.
@Mom – so glad you could tune in!
The thing about the holiday season is you do so much of the same year to year, but things can’t be the same because we change.
Laura, this is one of the best thoughts on the holiday season I’ve read in a long time. We change and I’ll add, the world changes too. But we have our traditions and routines to ground us and if we remain open to new adventures (like your quest for the best Breakfast with Santa experience!) we can just make it keep being festive and joyful year after year. Speaking from experience, some years we execute that all better than others!
@Holly- yep, things cannot be the same for we are changed. The children grow. The old turns new whether you wish it to or not. We’ve had fun doing a few different things this year, and some repeats. We’ll see what makes it into the mix next year!
It sounds like a nice holiday weekend! I also attended a choir concert last night at church. It featured about 600 singers, string quartet, a flute, a bell choir, drums, etc. It was incredible. I brought our 6.5 yo which was a gamble because we had to get there 45 min early to get a seat. Sitting with another family helped as their 11yo entertained him while I caught up with the husband. I think my favorite was peace/silent night that was sang last by candle light (battery operated of course). The boys both sang in church that morning, too, which was very sweet.
It’s nice that spouses are included in the holiday party. It’s employees only at my company. My husband’s company finally brought back the holiday party with partners this year but it was on our younger son’s bday so he went alone and I hung with the boys. Hopefully I can attend next year as I really enjoy his colleagues!
@Lisa- 600 people, wow! Yes, my husband’s parties have always included “SOs” (significant others) – otherwise I’m pretty sure a lot of folks just wouldn’t come!
We are going to take the 4 (almost 5) year old to one of his sibling’s concerts tonight so wish us luck…