not so silent night

I did not post an entry last night.  I know this is worrisome because last year I failed spectacularly and only did 19 days.  I am not talking about that yet.  The truth is last night when we got home I was worn out and went straight to bed.   My plan is to post twice today. Let’s see how that goes.

Last night was the children’s Christmas party at church.  This is what Kathleen had to say about it.

Merry, tired, but Merry! …merriment is a gaggle of Sunday school children making 'gingerbread' nativity scenes with marshmallow sheep and tootsie roll donkeys. They consumed more chocolate frosting than they applied as mortar on their graham cracker stables. They were loud. They made crafts and followed stars around church seeking the manger. They wore me out...merrily. I can still smell the chocolate. It might be in my hair. Chocolate smeared kiddos ...merry.

Here is what I know, there were about 200 children last night, age 1 to 12.  Also there were 30 monkeys, 15 donkeys, 8 hyenas, 4 elephants, 2 clowns and a partridge in a pear tree.  To say it was loud is like saying close is a lingerie store without windows. 

Kathleen’s project was to build life sized mangers out of graham graham crackers held together with a chocolate butter cream, the wishes and dreams of children, and angel kisses.  No easy task when those 300 children were just as likely to pipe the chocolate butter cream into their mouths as they were to use it as mortar to hold the structures together. Then there was coconut to use as straw, I am not going to lie, I am judging the kids who refused to use the coconut.  Where is baby Jesus going to sleep? On the cold hard ground? Santa is probably going to bring them coal.

Then there was some other crafting with marshmallows and black licorice.  You know who likes black licorice? No one. Well. Maybe those dwarves who live under the front porch, but they also like earwax so I don’t exactly value their taste palates.

Following the edible nativities (because who doesn’t love eating caramel donkeys and peanut butter cup angels?) there was a plastic perler bead and pam spray craft. Have you ever made bowls with 400 children?  Unless you are Karen McWilliams I don’t think you have.  It really made a bowl, although I was doubtful the whole time. Following that there was a ‘follow the star’ activity where all 500 children traipsed through the church looking for stars and loudly calling the names of their favorite bible characters. “On Dasher” “On Dancer” “On Zayn” “On Liam”.  Seriously I think someone needs to talk to whomever teaches Sunday school to these children.

At the end of the star search it was narrowed down to two finalists. The bad boy with a heart of gold versus the girl with a voice of an angel. Wait, no, wrong story, at the end of the search was a giant nativity set up in the star room with glow in the dark stars on the ceiling.  I told the children that the straw in the nativity was coconut.  Have you ever eaten straw? Well I know 20 or so kids who have.  Good news is no one was allergic.

Finally, FINALLY, all 600 children went upstairs to the WOW room to watch a video. It was the only time all night that it was finally quiet. I love quiet children…ok, truth Is I love loud children too, but wow were these kids loud.  When the parents came to get their precious bundles it felt like it must be 2 am or something, but no…only 10pm.

Kat and I had given our boys a choice between coming and helping or going to the movies.  I am as shocked as the rest of you that the boys opted to go to the movies.  The boys second movie wasn’t done till 11:45pm so we went and had adult beverages and late dinner while we waited.  It was so quiet in the restaurant.  Sigh, a mini Christmas miracle.