MY BOGGY BLOG: find your way through the murk

Music, Parties, Pageants, What Else?

A very full weekend. The kind that makes Monday a recovery day, and the fact that the children are on Winter Break and still snoozing away at 8:30 am a good thing.

Friday night was driving across town to get our portrait taken with DH's sister, her family of 5, and DH's brother, all for MIL's surprise Christmas present. (She doesn't have a computer so the secret is safe here-- unless YOU call her up and tell her!). The last time we had a picture like this taken for her, our twins were two, I was newly pregnant with younger DS, and two of SIL's kids were not even a gleam in the eye. So now there were 11 of us in the picture, and I must say that Proex didn't do that great of a job with it. Younger DS was stadning on the end and in many of the pics he looks like he is standing in a shadow. Proex doesn't do anything digital with the photos, so there wasn't any of that "see the pics instantly on the computer and have them keep taking until we get one we like," like almost every other place has now. Instead we all went out to dinner (which was actually fun) and waited 90 minutes for the proofs. DH is going to try and do something with the prints and Photoshop to try and put together a picture we like.

Saturday was pageant rehearsal (more on pageant later)in the morning and piano recital at night. I like the way C., our piano teacher, does recitals. They are mostly informal with just the slightest touch of formal. The kids each play anywhere from 1-4 songs that they have memorized, some kids dress up and most do not. They bow when they are finished, and C. also always performs a piece, to show the kids that adults can perform too and that she understands personally how hard it is to get up there in front of everyone, and sometimes she makes mistakes, too. Afterwards, there's a party with treats we've all brought in and conversation-- festive.

I am always so proud to hear all the kids perform, everyone from the beginners to kids who can play quite complicated pieces. C.'s Beethoven piece was totally amazing, like hearing a concert pianist. It was 10 minutes long and very fast and energetic, and it boggles my mind to think how someone can memorize a whole piece like that. She said it took her one and a half months to learn. Wow!

Sunday was the church Christmas Pageant, which younger DS was in, being a "roller angel." Okay, so being Unitarians, we have a pretty funky little pageant, which is great. Kids can be angels, wise people, shepherds, or any animal of their choosing (this year had a unicorn and turtle included). The story is told by a narrator, with some small speaking parts for special roles. Since "angels are everywhere, and can come in all sorts of disguises," a team of Roller Angels appears to deliver the baby Jesus. Roller Angels are hip-looking angels on rollerblades or scooters wearing helmets, blowing whistles, and have the initials APS on their sleeves. The head angel has the baby in a Snuggli carrier, and Joseph says "it looks like UPS." Mary says, "no, it's the APS, Angel Parcel Service." Joseph signs for the delivery and so Jesus is delivered!

After the pageant, our church has holiday activities going in many of the classrooms, making crafts and such, and it is always very fun and chaotic. DH was in the dreidal room playing the game with the kids and dealing in chocolate candy. I was in charge of the "healthy snack potluck" which we also had going on to counteract hunger meltdowns or sugar overloads. Being in charge of a snack potluck sounds easier than it is, it turns out. Not only is there just managing the hordes of people who descend on the table, but people don't always donate ready-to-serve foods, so there was a lot of last-minute food prep and refilling bowls and other stuff going on. Quite chaotic.

Straight from church we went up to my sister L's house (way across town) for my nephew's birthday, 6 years old. I love getting to see and talk to the kids, all the excitement around a birthday party. Pizza and cake and ice cream. K. shares his birthday with our grandma, who died before he was born, so I always remember her as well.

From L's we went to DH's sister's, who lives nearby. They were having computer trouble, and DH was going to try and help them out. The ten minute problem of course took more like 2 hours to fix, oh well. So more visiting with relatives.

And then it was home to a fast-food dinner, after all this chaos. And home to find a call from one of DH's old friends. Another old friend of theirs had been killed in a car accident earlier that week, he informed us. I had only met the guy a few times but had only nice things to remember about him. So now that is another death for DH to deal with, poor guy. Too much of it lately.

If you've stuck it out this far, thanks for reading my long-winded Weekend Review!

Posted by sapphire at December 20, 2004 08:57 AM