And on the seventh day......

I love sundays, especially the afternoons. I always dread the mornings because they are so hectic and for some reason the children behave as though we are forcing them to go to some kind of medieval torture chamber rather than a lovely church where they can sing and draw and learn about Jesus.
Today was the day when the children get to present a whole hour of what they have been learning, beautiful songs and little talks, sounds lovely but actually, when you're in charge of running it and putting it all together...it's pretty much on a par with medieval torture.
I had a background place this year, lovely, just sit and sing and flick people on the back when they are lifting their frock over their heads and showing the world their drawers, that kind of thing.
We had a practise which was typically strewn with ' oh never mind, don't worry we'll skip that' -s and it went rather well, trouble was, the kids thought that was IT, hoorah, all done..lets act crazy and GO HOME!
We weeded out the children who were obviously not in the mood for presentations and reverence, Sammy wasn't in the mood and he didn't want to join in, which was sort of OK while he sat quietly in the background, then it became less OK as he became a frog who was leaping from Lily pad to pond ( pew to pew) and then when that was boring and he gave us sound effects, farting ones with the palms of his hands pressed against his mouth and blew HARD, over and over again, I felt it was time to go and get him.
" Hey Sammy, lets go and find mummy"
" Oh, no. thank you"
"Oh yes thank you, farty noises are not good OK? "
So he went with grandma ( my sister) and mummy.

So, time to sit very still and reverently, be ready and read loudly and clearly.
I sat in a corner at the back, just out of reach of Rosie the nose picking frock lifter and Amber the 'I am so going to kiss every kid on my row and hug them and kiss them again even if ( or especially if) they don't like it and yes, I can definitely hear you whispering my name in that 'stop it' kind of way but HA HA you can't REACH ME! '
We have practised this for weeks, til we are all numb the songs and the words and the.....is it over yet??
I thought I was safe but I didn't bargain on two things, 1) The I'm trying to be like Jesus song, and Eli and his face and
b) Jack, who is 5, he is the teeniest little boy with the most ENORMOUS personality and he came out of his mothers womb reading.
I mean this boy can read everything.
The kids all had a little bit to read, a few lines. Jack had 3 PAGES. With words like 'condemnation'.
In the rehearsal, we asked him if he had finished because he stopped for a while, " no, I have THREE PAGES!"
" wow, Jack you are amazing, did mummy write that?"
"No, actually she typed it and then used the printer" because he is very literal.
He stood, on a box and yet still only just came level with the podium thingamejigger, he read in a voice that commands attention and he reads with such expression and puts all his heart into it and I looked out in the congregation to see peoples' faces. We saw everything from astonishment to weeping spiritual emotion. And pride, because Jack's dad? Well, how would you feel if you were Jack's dad ( or mum)? Yes, Jack's dad had the most enormous grin across his face, as well he should.
Jack's mum and dad are also Amber's mum and dad, so it all levelled out because we moved Amber, just ahead a row, so she was next to a lovely elderly teacher instead of some 4 year olds, she was calmer there ( and a tiny bit less visible as she faced backwards and licked the chair.)
So, those 2 things pretty much had me lip quivering and unable to sing anymore because, well isn't this just what life is all about?

We are doing thanksgiving again this year and love to invite people who haven't experienced it before, we have 2 families coming this year, so that makes 5 adults and 9 children, maybe 11 children. Pumpkin pies are made, one family will bring more dessert, the other some nice drinks and we'll do the main course. I enjoy company more and more, not so much having to go anywhere but when people come to us , we love it. Christmas dinner is usually our huge meal but this year we'll be doing it grandpa's way so we'll push the boat out on thursday.
Much to be thankful for this year.