Christmas Doings

My girls had their Christmas concerts last week at school.  I was very proud to learn that my girls had been learning to play the xylophone since Halloween and never once told me.  I was amazed at what the music teacher was able to do with a group of kindergarteners and indeed the whole school.  As much as I have been posting about my frustration with my children, it was nice to see that other side of them and experience some motherly pride. 

My eldest E, was dressed in her best and waited patiently for her class to sing.  She learned her lines and played her xylophone marvelously.  It amazed me because this was my girl who has trouble learning new things especially something that is so particular like playing the correct notes.  Not only did she learn a new instrument but she's learned several new songs in Choir, half of which are in Spanish.  She has done amazingly well and it's such a joy to see the growth she has achieved.   One lady actually stopped us in the hallway to compliment us on our daughter and the efforts that she had taken with her appearance for the concert.

My middle child, J, who is in kindergarten surprised me as well.  She is normally shy and retiring and generally refuses to talk to all strange adults.  It's taken some time for her to open up to her teacher and she even refused to participate in a recent school hearing test.  But there she was standing with her class in front of a whole gym full of parents and not only did she stand up and sing her... "Mary had a baby, Shout for Joy" but she did the actions and waved and smiled at us and was all around a delight.  She too got to play the xylophone and the whole class did it with so much charm and energy I am sure no one noticed any wrong notes or missed lyrics. 

I was also surprised to find myself a wee bit teary when I saw J sing but then I realized that this was her first concert and she's becoming such a big little girl.  She's no longer a baby but a little lady with her own identity, strengths and weaknesses.  E takes up so much energy that sometimes it's easy to overlook the fact that this second child of mine is developing her own personality.  Fortunately, she's learning that sometimes you need to push forward to get yourself heard. 

Even O got to do his own little xmas concert this morning at preschool.  Stage fright hit him at the last moment while I saved the day by agreeing to sit with him and his little friends on the carpet.  I got it all on video, mostly of him not singing but hey... he's only 3 1/2.  Still it was sweet to see my little man all dressed up in his best. 

It's the last day of school today and I am so glad.  It will be nice to not have to get up so early and make lunches.  Of course, I had to make myself even crazier by comitting to making chocolates for the girls to give their school chums for Christmas.  I haven't had the funds and didn't get around buy anything interesting for crafts or cards so I thought it'd be neat to make some chocolates.

While it's a simple task to melt chocolate and pour it into molds, it is a whole nother thing to have three children "help" you and then find out you can't find the other molds you had so you can only make six at a time.  And when each kid has twenty something in the class.. that takes a little time for the chocolates to set etc.  Before I knew it I was out running around last night looking for cellophane bags to put the chocolates in only to find out I should have gone to the store earlier because it closed.  I had to wrap everything in saran wrap and hope for the best.  Then I decided to switch gears and make chocolate covered marshmallows for J's class because I knew I didn't have time to make and set 20 chocolates.  So there was hubby and I melting, dipping and rolling marshmallowes at 10:00 at night and by the time we finished wrapping and tagging the other ones, we were more than ready for bed.  Then I had to get up first thing, makes tags and wrap and roll the marshmallows that had set over night.

This is where I tell myself that I will be more prepared next year and not leave everything to the last minute.  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAaaaaa. 

On the other hand..... my girls were the only ones who gave out home made chocolates.  I bet there were moms out there that wanted to smack me. It's so nice to be on the other side for a change. (LOL)