With Christmas just four days away (yes, fellas, that surprises me too) I am in the full holiday spirit.
I caught a little of “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer” on TV recently and I am using way too much electricity as I light the outside of my house. Christmas cards are arriving daily from family and friends and I received a gift box of processed meat and cheese (a man gift!) at work yesterday.
A number of local schools held their Christmas (what’s that Mr. Lawyer? Oh sorry, holiday) programs this week. I’m a sucker for these performances, if for no other reason than to watch the varying degrees of interest among children and their parents – depending on the grade level.
At my sons’ school, where it’s OK to say Christmas and the program has an unabashedly religious theme, the program was split into two days – with odd-numbered grades on one day and even-numbered grades the next. What this meant for my wife and me is that we got to see the program twice, which wasn’t a bad thing.
Parents with kids in the lower grades arrived nearly an hour early in order to secure a seat near the front of the gymnasium – the prime videography spot. We veterans moseyed in about half an hour early, content to let the rookies have their space.
It wasn’t too long ago that we were those rookies, battling for position in order to film our sons either hamming it up while singing a Christmas carol or standing like a mummy, outwardly emotionless.
My boys aren’t too old for us to film their activities, but we decided this year that we would commit their rendition of “Silent Night” to memory rather than videotape.
It’s a holiday classic when the younger kids take the stage, because moms and dads and grandparents start sneaking their way up the aisle to film little Johnny or Susie as they belt out a classic tune at the top of their lungs. Teachers don’t have to squeeze volume out of the younger ones – first- and second-graders are too young to be self-conscious, so they give their vocal chords a workout.
It’s the older ones, those in junior high, who have lost some of that youthful zest for rehearsed performances. There are always a few voices carrying the group, while others either chuckle at their friends as their pubescent voices crack or stand their like they are getting their police mug shot taken.
I was proud that my sons at least moved their mouths to the songs that their classes were asked to sing this year. I can’t say for sure that they made noise, but they sold it well.
I will miss these Christmas program nights, as predictable as they may be. A
