A Few Christmas Shots

I didn't capture as much as usual this year, probably due to the convergence of Christmas, two January birthdays, and a baby about to be born, but here are a few photos. (We did actually eat savory food, too, but I seemed only to photograph the sweets!)

 "Painting" Christmas cookies

 

Christmas Pudding I bought (very moist, as it's steamed not baked), which I prefer to Christmas Cake, although the ingredients are similar (fruitcakes, basically).

Sophia requested cake as a Christmas dessert, so I made cupcakes for Jesus--an idea I got from my mother-in-law. The girls spontaneously started singing Happy Birthday to Him when these came out!

"A tent" made using some of their Christmas gifts

Year 2 Choir

Sophia has enjoyed being in choir on Tuesdays at lunchtime this year (an option that wasn't available to her in younger years). Here are a few snippets of Christmas songs they performed at their school's annual Christmas Fair:

Lyrics:
Rocking' around the Christmas tree,
Let the Christmas spirit ring,
Later we'll have some pumpkin pie and we'll do some caroling!
You will get a sentimental feeling when you hear,
Voices singing, 'Let's be jolly! Deck the halls with boughs of holly!

Here's to the message the angels sang,
Here's to the Savior who came for all men,
Born for you and for me,
For strangers and friends!
There's a world still needing to hear good news,
More than presents and Christmas food,
May you find the love that God has for you,
This Christmas time.

And they call His name Jesus, Son of the Most High God!

Children of the World

Sophia's Christmas performance at school this year was a look at how children in different countries of the world celebrate the birth of Jesus. Here's her class' representation of the USA:

Lyrics:
Come to the manger on Christmas Eve, alleluia!
Come to the manger all who believe, alleluia!
God has sent His own Son down,
Spread the message all around,
There's a new King in town! Alleluia, alleluia!

Come to the manger you shepherds and kings, alleluia!
Come to the manger on angels' wings, alleluia!
Come and join the gospel choir,
Raise your voices higher and higher,
We can set the world on fire! Alleluia!

Come to the manger from every land, alleluia!
Come to the manger o'er sea and sand, alleuia!

Transcript:
"We brought some candy canes for Jesus, the Good Shepherd who watches over us all."

"American Christians come from all over the world, and so we have many different traditions in our country, but we all love celebrating the birth of Jesus our Shepherd and our Friend."

Innkeeper to Mary

After being an angel in our church's toddler group nativity play last year, Alathea had high hopes of being chosen for Mary this year but was asked to be a Bethlehem innkeeper instead.

Here was our first attempt at a somewhat feminine innkeeper's look. (Alathea's speaking to a lady from our church who's 90+ and until a few months ago helped weekly at the toddler group.)

Then Alathea discovered this velvet robe and prepared to say, "No room!" in it instead.

(Our vicar and a "donkey" relay the story of Jesus' birth to the children.)

But when the girl chosen to be Mary didn't come in time for the children's reenactment of the story, Alathea quickly switched parts.

Here she is querying Gabriel's news and singing a song about the Christmas story.