Firebug Christmas

[ehli'schild]

The kids put on a do-it-yourself Christmas program for me a couple of days before the holiday. It involved, for starters, as an introduction, a couple turns each of pre-rehearsed speeches about the Christmas Story. Gabe forgot most of his & Isaiah prompted him through it, mournfully stumming the lower three strings of my guitar to set the mood. More speechifying followed. I was a bit un-nerved at how their descriptions included not only a stable but rags (not blankets), bitter cold, & a squalling infant that would have frozen to death if nor for a crippled lamb named Joshua who warmed him (baby Jesus) with wool & body heat. More disturbing, but in a funny way at the time, the angels singing in the sky digressed from "Alleluiah in the highest" to "Believe it or go to the fires of Hell." ("Don't swear, say 'Hades!'") No wonder we don't go to church anymore!

Then came a somewhat elaborate & solemn candle-lighting ceremony, with candles ringing my living room & kitchen. The kids found a new power in wielding a lighter. A very touching scene invoked baby Jesus; Gabe (as baby) laying on the kitchen counter swathed in his boxers & a patchwork quilt, blinking innocently. We were to keep silent & observe him only. However, Isaiah recruited me to play a temporary Mary & the Christ child leapt off the cupboard onto my lap & curled himself into a long-limbed little ball. All the candles were blown out in reverse order; 10 minute intermission.

Scene two was much the same actually, only this time the baby is cold (as he lays on his nest). I as Mary had to cover him with a thin table cloth to stop his pitious wailing; this time it was enough to warm him. Gabe/Jesus jumped from the counter to my lap & back three more times, conversation deteriorated from gold, frankincense & myrrh to how much poop is in the diaper & who gets to change it. Isaiah/Joseph said, "That's YOUR job." I was winding up to lecture him on traditional divisions of labor but Emmanuel knocked the lit Advent wreath off the cupboard with his next leap & we all watched in slo-mo as it hit the carpet, all simultaneously chiming, "Oh, shit!" Luckily no damage; the wind from the fall knocked out the flames. So at that point I called their performance a success, gave the kids a standing ovation, & the lights came up.

PamEhli/2001
Thoughts on Life and Beyond

[ 08-11-2002: Message edited by: ehli'schild ]</p>

[heinzs]

Part of your memoires... needs more.

[ehli'schild]

he might be right...

[heinzs]