A Christmas Story

This Sunday was the day of our church's Christmas program. All of the kids are included in some aspect of the program and they work super hard at memorizing their lines.

They are taught the whole story of the events surrounding Christ's birth.

They are taught the many different characters that played a part in the Christmas story.

During the rehearsals they are focused and intent, paying attention to the director, and not goofing off.

The day of the actual program? Chaos reigns. Children are putting on their costumes backwards and inside out, running around with wings on their backs and glitter flying everywhere, yelling at the top of their lungs "Where am I supposed to stand? What am I supposed to say?

What are we doing here?"

It was fun let me tell you.

Here is my own little man giving me his best "smile."

Luckily I got a better picture of him while he was laughing at himself. I really don't know how he was chosen to play one of the wise men. Maybe it's because he looks nice in a crown and his grandma is the casting director.

This guy was super pumped about his part. He played a priest named Zechariah who is an old man. He is visited by the angel Gabriel who tells him he will be having a child with his wife Elizabeth. Since his character was an old man, I put cornstarch in his hair to make it look gray.

For about 5 minutes I was THEE coolest mom in the world.

Then I had him put on his hat (turban?) and I lost some of my coolness.

Right before we headed upstairs Mom prayed with the kids after reading to them a verse from Joshua about being brave and not having any fear. It was a great verse but two seconds after praying I heard one kid say,

"I still think I'm going to throw up."

I could speak on and on about all the wonderfulness that is my mother-in-law, but I think I can sum it up by saying that she took this program on without flinching and could truthfully tell people "This is going to be so much fun!".

(I wouldn't/couldn't have done it for all the tea in China.)

The stage was all set.

Caleb was in the opening act and he was so ready. He had been practicing his lines for weeks - in the car on the way to school, before bed while I was tucking him in, while playing Uno with Owen...

that boy was ready.

During the story we had Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus.

Shepperd's.

Angels.

And then it was time for the wise men.

Owen had one line and one line only but you would have thought with the way he puffed out his chest in pride that his line was the most vital and important to the whole story.

"We have followed the story and we will bring worship to him."

Immediately after delivering it, he looked at me and beamed.

Maybe he did have the most important line...

Throughout the story, songs were interspersed and the whole congregation would sing along.

Not to sound too corny but it was beautiful - truly.

At the very end of the play, the wise men come before baby Jesus and bow down in worship.

Owen took a large step (for him) and caught the edge of his toe on the stage and biffed it. Right in front of everyone. He looked back at me and I motioned to him to just kneel down like the other wise men and thankfully enough he understood my rapid hand movements and gestures.  

Later he asked me if anyone noticed and I told him

"Nope, the whole thing from beginning to end was perfectly perfect."

And it was.