Preschool Christmas program

December 9, 2011

Robbie was the "Special Person" at preschool on the day of their Christmas program, so we woke up extra early in order to pick up sugar cookies from our favorite local bakery. Ellie had been running a fever the day before and was still under the weather on Friday morning, but after having the pediatrician check her out Thursday evening and send us home with the vague "it's a virus of some sort!" diagnosis, we decided the show must go on.

We put on our fun Christmas clothes and dropped Robbie off at his classroom with his treats, and waited in the lobby of the church for an hour until it was time to watch the program.

Thank goodness for You-Tube on my iPhone! I occupied crabby, sick Ellie with episodes of Dora. Maddie was happy to entertain herself by practicing her sitting and sucking of her butterfly. Works for me!

My mom came and helped me with Maddie, which allowed me to interact with and take pictures and videos of Robbie. My dad came over as well and the kids lit up when he walked in during craft time.

First the teachers had the kids go around to each craft station they had set up - there were 2 ornaments to make, a sticker Nativity scene to assemble, something to do with paint (which you know I avoided... would've done it with Robbie had I not had the girls with me, but as it was we were a circus), and a sheet to fill out in red or green marker about Robbie's favorite things. The kids had decorated white lunch bags to put all their crafts in and take home, and I was unnecessarily reminded of why I love that Robbie is in preschool right now! All the guilt I carry around about not doing messy crafts with the kids at home was swept away as I watched the kids destroy their classroom, which I would not be expected to clean up. Aaaahhhh. He can get that here at school for the time being. It is just not 'craft season' in our home!

Making bead-and-bell ornaments with his buddy Aubrey (whose mom is a good friend of mine and was in my women's Bible study this past semester... and we also went to college together).

The teachers let Ellie in on the crafts, which was so sweet. She was very proud of her clear plastic ornament filled with fuzzy balls! She hates that she doesn't have her class to go to once a week during my Bible study since we are on a break between semesters. The girl is going to eat up preschool next year.

Admiring her handiwork.

After craft time, the parents and siblings and grandparents were invited to sit in the kids' chairs (hilarious, by the way - they are 1 foot off the ground!) and watch the program.

Robbie and Ellie warm up the chairs... and Ellie offers Robbie some moral support before his big debut.

A quick attempt at getting a picture of the 3 kids together.

The kids lined up in the front of the class, and Robbie got excited thinking about his privilege of ringing the bell to signal the beginning of the program, a task reserved for the special person.

Mid-jump!

Ringing the bell. I love his teacher's expression - we know her well, as she was the mother of one of my friends in junior high. She and my mom still exchange Christmas cards every year.

The kids recited all of their monthly Bible verses from the year so far, sang a few songs, rang jingle bells and played with big sheets of paper while a song on CD gave them instructions what to do ("shake your paper with one hand! march on your paper! wad it up and throw it in the waste basket!").

It was precious and did not disappoint as far as preschool Christmas programs go. However, my favorite part was when Robbie started in on the group rendition of "Away In A Manger" and started to take notice that I was not only recording him on the flip video camera but was smiling and nodding at him as he sang in an effort to encourage him. He was not pleased and got a very serious look on his face as he sang, and then in between verses would say "Stop looking at me" in a very monotone voice, shaking his head 'no', as if I was the only one who could hear him. I laughed so hard and tried to pretend that I was filming his teacher instead, and looked at her for a while until apparently he was satisfied and then said out loud "Now look at me!".

Very memorable. I'll try to post a snippet of the video. It's awesome.

The grandparents with the grandkids! Love it.

After the program there were cookies and punch out in the hall.

Hmm... Robbie holding a 'Marry Me' cookie while posing with sweet Aubrey.

Foreshadowing!?

A quick picture on our way out with Mrs. Teune. His expression says it all!

I love that this is my life... preschool programs and cookies and punch and watching my kids go through various rites of passage with as many cameras in my hand as I can hold at one time, capturing it all so that there's no chance I will ever forget what it was like, what they were like when they were so little.