Christmas parties

Sunday evening, Dec. 6th, was our church's annual Christmas party. We have a potluck, and the kids do a Christmas show. In addition, we "auction" baskets off that groups in the church put together. All of the money raised goes to an elementary school we've adopted that has a 90% poverty rate.

We have 4 kids, 3 of which were going to participate in the Christmas program. Our 2 oldest, Miguel and Kayla, were in the church choir. Our 4 year old, though she wanted to be in the choir, was reciting a poem with her class. To give you an idea of what this entails, her class had about 20 kids in it that morning, and the 3 year olds' class had 10-12 kids. The goal is to get 30 plus kids to memorize the poem throughout November, and recite it in unison in front of about 200-250 people. Add to it that they are all hyper because it is a Christmas party, and they are between 3 and 5 years old. It is quite a sight!

Kassandra had just turned 4 the day before. She decided that since she was 4 now, and a big girl, she didn't need to do the poem - she would just sing. Kassandra is our battle, daily. She is strong-willed, curious, imaginative, creative, full of energy, and fearless. You take 2 or 3 of those things and you're in trouble - all of them mixed together makes for a challenging, yet adorable, little girl. It took all afternoon Sunday to convince her that she should do her poem. So we practiced it before nap, after nap, during her shower, while doing her hair and getting her all dressed up. She was shouting it out from the roof-tops by the time we needed to leave.

We arrived on time, without too many issues. My 10 month old (Isaac) was screaming - only God knows why. So I managed to get him, the diaper bag, his food, our "potluck dish", and 3 other kids into the church building to join the festivities. From there, it was chaos until we left at the end of the night. The kids have to eat first so they can finish before their program starts. My son ran off with a friend, and it took me 20 minutes to find him. At that point I realized the plate I made for him was unnecessary, since he'd already made his own. The girls were eating their food, Isaac was being watched by a friend, and I went off to find my husband. Did I mention that he is on staff - the youth director? So, he was leading the youth band in a Christmas song that night. In addition, they decided to have him help run the ticket sales for our "auction" - so he was unavailable for the first 30 mintues, meaning I am on my own to get everything set for our family. By the time the Christmas program started, I had just begun feeding the baby. And still, there was joy.

This particular Christmas party happens to be one of my favorites of the season. I get so much pleasure watching all of the kids perform their skits and songs. They are so adorable, and just such a fresh reminder of that Christmas spirit that we lose so early on in life. The program went on without a hitch, for the most part. There is always one or two kids who break down and can't handle the "pressure"...we had one in particular this year - poor girl. She was too cute, but she started saying the wrong line and was so mortified, she couldn't finish. Of course, she is 5 - and I think most adults would do the same. So for that, she received more applause than any other child up there. Being the associate pastor's daughter helped too, I'm sure. = )

Anyway, our daughter goes up with her class and starts belting out her poem, just like she had practiced. However, she is quickly thrown off by the fact that her friend, Maggie, also knows the poem. You see, pretty much everyone up there was just mumbling, and being cute - pretending to know something - kind of like singing "watermelon" when you don't know the words. Did anybody else do that? So, she turns to Maggie, and just stares at her in wonder..."Could there really be another kid who knows this?" Meanwhile I'm working the video camera, and just hoping she'll turn back around and shout the rest out. She doesn't, and at the end of it I realize my video camera didn't work at all.

Then came the skit, and choir. This is where Kassandra really shines. Did I mention that she wasn't in the choir? As Miguel and Kayla sing with the choir and do all of the motions, I see everyone's attention shifting to the floor in front of the stage. I glance down to see Kassandra - twirling, and singing the song, and doing all the motions with the choir. She had begged me for weeks to sing instead of doing her poem. As a strong-willed child, she was determined to get her own way - and she did just that. It was so cute, and that one I DID catch on video.

So, what's the point?? Why this long post about the chaos of a Christmas party, and the joy that it brings in the midst of that chaos? Well, don't we all feel that chaos rising around Christmas time? We are all looking for those moments of joy, and that brightness that we hope for. We yearn for peace and for just a few moments to relax. Sometimes, you have to learn to find the joy, peace, and relaxation in the midst of the chaos. The party was tiring, and we left with a few tips in mind for how to enjoy it even more next year. However, in the end, God received honor and glory that night as we presented the true meaning of Christmas - Jesus' birth. This year, as you go from party to party, store to store, day by day, keep seeking out those moments of joy. They are there, just grab them! Find a few minutes each day to enjoy with your child, husband, parents, friends, roommate, siblings, etc. Take the time to enjoy this Christmas season - I promise you will not regret it! I could rush through my day and get everything done by bed time, or I could take a few moments to look at the wonder in my children's eyes, and enjoy it. I could stop and bake cookies, read a book, make hot chocolate - and all just because they want to! At the end of the day, even when I have not finished my "to-do's", I will have peace and joy, because I lived that day. Days are meant to be lived, not watched. We spend too much time just watching the days go by. This Christmas season, live your days!