Tuesday evening we went to our grandson's pre-school Christmas program. It wasn't his first public appearance, but this was in a different church and in front of mostly strangers, rather than the crowd he's used to in his home church.
These "firsts" are really interesting now that I'm the grandmother. You never know what a kid is really like until they're in front of an audience. Like any bunch of kids, these were a smorgasbord of personalities from the toddlers on up to the five year old preschoolers.
Priming these innocents for a program begins at home, of course. Since our daughter and husband have four in ages six, four, two, and eight months, we went early (like mid-afternoon) to lend a helping hand in getting the family all pulled together to be there in time. Actually, Papa and I mostly did a little housekeeping, diapering, making a tomato soup and salad supper, and then cleaning all that up.
While we were getting supper on the table, Amy laid out goodies on the dining room table for teacher gifts. I'm not sure of the total number of gifts she had to put together for all the teachers encompassing church and school. Each of the three olders have a couple of Sunday School teachers, several Wednesday night church teachers because there's a lot of part-time sharing, and the first grader has a couple of teachers in public school. I'm out of breath just thinking about it! Amazingly, they got them done without eating all of the M & Ms.
Gone are the days when, with only a couple of kids, Amy baked up dozens of different kinds of cookies. She's learning the freedom of keeping things simple. I tell her once all of these babies are in school her time will be more her own again. From the look of her arched eyebrows I get the distinct impression she doesn't believe me. Or, perhaps she considers her sanity will be gone by then. Na, "you're going to be just fine, dear daughter."
But I digressed. Back to our grandson's first really public performance. I didn't think it was very nice that his teacher singled him out to complain that he hadn't talked to her this Fall, but at least she prefaced it with "Derek is soft-spoken," which was an understatement in a kind of flattering way.
Papa and I were wondering if he would be too shy to even walk onstage with the rest of his class. He looked really snazzy in black slacks, a crisp white shirt, a plaid red, white, and black vest, and red cowboy boots like his daddy always wears (altho' Daddy's aren't red). Oh, and I don't want to forget that he wore a black tie that peeked out the top of his vest. He enjoyed the compliments we all gave him before we left home.
He did really well, even singing the "Twelve Days of Christmas," in which a couple of students took their turn with each day--he and a buddy sang the 11th day together. The song got pretty long, and when he sat down in place I got to thinking that might not be a good sign. Finally, it was finished and it was announced the boys and some of the girls had to get their angel and shepherd attire on.
I got to wondering why Derek didn't leave the stage with the other little guys. Finally, one of the teachers noticed it too and escorted him out. When he didn't return with the other "shepherds," Papa looked at me and said, "bathroom." I wasn't sure because the teacher had made a point of mentioning Derek's name when she dismissed the boys to get their costumes on.
After that, it kind of fell apart. I'm assuming Derek refused to dress up like a shepherd 'cause he was dressed to the nines, and he wanted to keep it that way. The teacher came back with him, and had to pick him up and put him on stage. He promptly walked to the edge of the stage and sat down. Teacher put him back up. He walked to the risers and stepped down to the front row (2 rows ahead of us) and sat down like any other spectator. He was so deliberate about it all, so serious and "adult" about it, neither laughing or crying. Maybe in a few days he'll share with me what was going on in that towhead of his.
Through all this, his daddy was trying to get his attention to stay and stand, but Derek wasn't cooperating. Finally, his older sis, Alana, sat down with him on the front row and tried to talk him into returning to the program. Not even she could persuade him and finally gave up. In the meantime his class had finished the song and gotten off stage.
Now, the program was over, the stage empty. Except for one little four-year-old in red cowboy boots who had finally climbed back up the steps and looked ready for the next number. He finally came down with coaxing from his oldest AND younger sisters.
When everyone was trying to get Derek to stand with his class, his 2-yr. old sis fussed because she wanted to go up there and sing with him. She was ready to show him how it was done. It's going to be interesting next Christmas when she'll also be in pre-school.
The best of this, is that there's one more program to get through--the children's program at church this Sunday evening. We'll get to watch the three oldest shine. Last year Derek wasn't about to do anything, not even for his paternal grandmother whose class he was in. Nothing is going to keep me away from Sunday night's program unless I'm running a fever. Oops! pretend I didn't say that--don't want to jinx it).
Did I mention that it's so much more fun being a grandparent than a parent?
Showing posts with label Church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Church. Show all posts
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Arts & Crafts Fair; and Twins?, etc.
I'm just warning you, this got kind of long.
It's been a crazy, busy week. I guess that's what makes the time go fast. I haven't been so see the grandchildren since last week. So wouldn't you know that this would be the week April began, not just taking a few steps without help but, walking on her own. Her mom said she's going all over the place. I missed it. I'm going to see that sweet, growing toddler and her siblings tomorrow. It seems kids change so much when they start walking and gain that level of independence. Out of our arms and into the world, or so it seems.
Tomorrow, Saturday, is the big annual Arts and Crafts Fair in Hillsboro, Kansas, our old hometown. I remember the first year it started, and how it ballooned in the following years. Several years ago they had to block off more streets to extend out from the center of town. There were four booths deep, two back-to-back in the middle of the streets, and on the sidewalk in front of the businesses on both sides of the street. The highest number of booths were almost 400. That would make the 275-300 expected this year seem few in comparison. During the 41 years of the fair, the times it rained can be counted on one hand (that's according to my memory). That's a pretty good record considering how fickle Kansas weather can be. Most amazing is to see the Hillsboro population of 3,000 swell to 30-50,000 on this one day. At times you can hardly walk because of the crowd. It takes a lot of preparation and people to make it work, with parking and shuttle busses, emergency personnel and vehicles available, etc.
All the vendors have to have products they made with nothing store-bought. It's interesting to see what hot new item shows up each year. One year, and several years following, weather vanes were the craze. Paintings, wire art, wreaths, clothing and quilts, pillows and stuffed animals made from old chenille spreads and quilts, baby things, kitchen and Christmas decor, jewelry, wood, pottery, and candles are always popular. It's fun to see with what people keep themselves busy, and the high quality of workmanship. I hope to pick up some Christmas gifts.
Did I mention the 25-30 food concessions? German delicacies and meals are the order of the day with some non-cultural additions like funnel cakes, curly potatoes, walking tacos, Kettle popcorn, snow cones, caramel apples, to name a few. One of our friends makes gallons and gallons of New Year's Cookie, or Portzelke, dough and fries them all day long to sell singularly or by the dozen. Vrenika and Sausage with home-baked bread and Cherry Moose, pronounced "mose," or home-made pie is a popular menu. The sausage is made in Hillsboro and has a rich smoked flavor rather than being spicy like Italian sausage. Bierachs are also a favorite lunch or snack item. Green Bean Soup, made with ham shank or hocks, and Borscht (not the beet Borscht, but made with beef or chicken, vegetables and cabbage) are popular with Zwiebach (two buns, a small one baked atop a regular one). Peppernuts are a real treat for old and young alike. There are many different recipes but my favorite one is made with molasses and lots of spices including anise. They all range in size from as big as half a thumb to as small as the tip of a little finger. I'm reminded that I still have some dough in the freezer from last Christimas I need to bake. They average in cost from $6 to $8 a pound. My mouth waters just thinking about it all.
If you would like to see more go to: www.hillsboroartsandcraftsfair.com
Our daughter, now ten weeks pregnant, came to a doctor's appointment last Wednesday. She made sure the doctor checked the heartbeat to see how many there were since her father-in-law is a twin. I guess it's more likely to have twins if a mother or grandmother was a twin or birthed twins. Since it was too early to hear the heartbeat they did a sonogram and found only one.
We were beginning to seriously wonder about twins since the two oldest children had been mentioning twins in their discussions of the baby. Alana was asking Mom how old April would be when the new one comes. Amy told her two, almost to the day or within a week of April's birthday. Alana then said that the next baby should come in two years after the last one. Amy asked her if she didn't think four kids were enough. to which Alana replied, "If this baby is a twin there will be five." For a five year old she does pretty good math already. Then Derek, the three-year old was wondering if the baby would be a girl or a boy. When Amy said if it was a brother then there will two girls and two boys in the family, Derek said, "yeah, or if it's twins then there will be three boys and two girls." I hope a sonogram is more reliable than a stethoscope.
Some parents have been surprised when a twin was hiding during pregnancy. Dean & Amy's friends went to have one of those 3-D sonograms done which was done at a studio instead of a doctor's office. I've seen those advertised and they look pretty awesome where one can get a really good picture of the facial features and the babies activities in the womb. How cool is that? When this couple, who had 2 or 3other children, went for the 3-D, the photographer said, "You do know that you're having twins?" Would they have been surprised and unprepared at that birth!
On Wednesday we went to the funeral of our son's girlfriend's step-dad. He was a nice man who enjoyed life with humor and making memories with his family. Some people know how to have fun and he was one of them. My hubby is ornery like that.
Sunday evening we're looking forward to hosting our Community Life Group from our church. I think I'll make home-made ice cream, angel food cake or brownies, with cold cuts, veggies, and crackers. We have a time of study, discussion, sharing our joys and concerns, and praying for one another and others. No one is exempt from stresses and struggles. Thanking God for his blessings and asking for guidance and protection are a wonderful privilege I would never want to take for granted. May God bless your day and your weekend.
"What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord, whose people he has chosen for his own." Ps. 33:12
It's been a crazy, busy week. I guess that's what makes the time go fast. I haven't been so see the grandchildren since last week. So wouldn't you know that this would be the week April began, not just taking a few steps without help but, walking on her own. Her mom said she's going all over the place. I missed it. I'm going to see that sweet, growing toddler and her siblings tomorrow. It seems kids change so much when they start walking and gain that level of independence. Out of our arms and into the world, or so it seems.
Tomorrow, Saturday, is the big annual Arts and Crafts Fair in Hillsboro, Kansas, our old hometown. I remember the first year it started, and how it ballooned in the following years. Several years ago they had to block off more streets to extend out from the center of town. There were four booths deep, two back-to-back in the middle of the streets, and on the sidewalk in front of the businesses on both sides of the street. The highest number of booths were almost 400. That would make the 275-300 expected this year seem few in comparison. During the 41 years of the fair, the times it rained can be counted on one hand (that's according to my memory). That's a pretty good record considering how fickle Kansas weather can be. Most amazing is to see the Hillsboro population of 3,000 swell to 30-50,000 on this one day. At times you can hardly walk because of the crowd. It takes a lot of preparation and people to make it work, with parking and shuttle busses, emergency personnel and vehicles available, etc.
All the vendors have to have products they made with nothing store-bought. It's interesting to see what hot new item shows up each year. One year, and several years following, weather vanes were the craze. Paintings, wire art, wreaths, clothing and quilts, pillows and stuffed animals made from old chenille spreads and quilts, baby things, kitchen and Christmas decor, jewelry, wood, pottery, and candles are always popular. It's fun to see with what people keep themselves busy, and the high quality of workmanship. I hope to pick up some Christmas gifts.
Did I mention the 25-30 food concessions? German delicacies and meals are the order of the day with some non-cultural additions like funnel cakes, curly potatoes, walking tacos, Kettle popcorn, snow cones, caramel apples, to name a few. One of our friends makes gallons and gallons of New Year's Cookie, or Portzelke, dough and fries them all day long to sell singularly or by the dozen. Vrenika and Sausage with home-baked bread and Cherry Moose, pronounced "mose," or home-made pie is a popular menu. The sausage is made in Hillsboro and has a rich smoked flavor rather than being spicy like Italian sausage. Bierachs are also a favorite lunch or snack item. Green Bean Soup, made with ham shank or hocks, and Borscht (not the beet Borscht, but made with beef or chicken, vegetables and cabbage) are popular with Zwiebach (two buns, a small one baked atop a regular one). Peppernuts are a real treat for old and young alike. There are many different recipes but my favorite one is made with molasses and lots of spices including anise. They all range in size from as big as half a thumb to as small as the tip of a little finger. I'm reminded that I still have some dough in the freezer from last Christimas I need to bake. They average in cost from $6 to $8 a pound. My mouth waters just thinking about it all.
If you would like to see more go to: www.hillsboroartsandcraftsfair.com
Our daughter, now ten weeks pregnant, came to a doctor's appointment last Wednesday. She made sure the doctor checked the heartbeat to see how many there were since her father-in-law is a twin. I guess it's more likely to have twins if a mother or grandmother was a twin or birthed twins. Since it was too early to hear the heartbeat they did a sonogram and found only one.
We were beginning to seriously wonder about twins since the two oldest children had been mentioning twins in their discussions of the baby. Alana was asking Mom how old April would be when the new one comes. Amy told her two, almost to the day or within a week of April's birthday. Alana then said that the next baby should come in two years after the last one. Amy asked her if she didn't think four kids were enough. to which Alana replied, "If this baby is a twin there will be five." For a five year old she does pretty good math already. Then Derek, the three-year old was wondering if the baby would be a girl or a boy. When Amy said if it was a brother then there will two girls and two boys in the family, Derek said, "yeah, or if it's twins then there will be three boys and two girls." I hope a sonogram is more reliable than a stethoscope.
Some parents have been surprised when a twin was hiding during pregnancy. Dean & Amy's friends went to have one of those 3-D sonograms done which was done at a studio instead of a doctor's office. I've seen those advertised and they look pretty awesome where one can get a really good picture of the facial features and the babies activities in the womb. How cool is that? When this couple, who had 2 or 3other children, went for the 3-D, the photographer said, "You do know that you're having twins?" Would they have been surprised and unprepared at that birth!
On Wednesday we went to the funeral of our son's girlfriend's step-dad. He was a nice man who enjoyed life with humor and making memories with his family. Some people know how to have fun and he was one of them. My hubby is ornery like that.
Sunday evening we're looking forward to hosting our Community Life Group from our church. I think I'll make home-made ice cream, angel food cake or brownies, with cold cuts, veggies, and crackers. We have a time of study, discussion, sharing our joys and concerns, and praying for one another and others. No one is exempt from stresses and struggles. Thanking God for his blessings and asking for guidance and protection are a wonderful privilege I would never want to take for granted. May God bless your day and your weekend.
"What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord, whose people he has chosen for his own." Ps. 33:12
Sunday, November 23, 2008
A Song for Sunday
You Go To Your Church
You go to your church and I'll go to mine
But let's walk along together
Our fathers built them side by side
So let's walk along together
The road is rough and the way is long
But we'll help each other over.
You go to your church and I'll go to mine
But let's walk along together
You go to your church and I'll go to mine
But let's walk along together
Our Heavenly Father is the same
So let's walk along together
The Lord will be at your church today
But he'll be at my church also
You go to your church and I'll go to mine
But let's walk along together
Author: na
Version: Stanley Brothers
Notes: This is an old Bluegrass song.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)