Christmas Carols

We've been caroled! I have gone Christmas caroling many times, but had never been caroled. I hope the video we took works on this blog. If you haven't felt much like Christmas you will after watching this. Scrooge wouldn't have needed all those visits from ghosts if he had been caroled by Christy's daycare kids.

We have them up here often enough that we know their names and most know ours. Well they know us as Bart and Kristin- some aren't sure which is which and some think of us as one amorphous entity. All of them can tell you the dog and horses names and which is which. Be that as it may, they are excited to see us when they visit. When they leave, we get thrown kisses and choruses of "bye Kristin, bye Bart, Bye Belle, Bye Ebony, Bye Kestrel as they retreat down the driveway on Mr. Rope. We look foward to these visits and often stay home if we know they are coming.

The most striking thing about these visits is how orderly they are. With up to ten preschoolers in tow, you would expect crying, repeated warnings, fights over toys and a general air of exasperation from Christy. (I would have to shoot myself if someone left me with that many kids.) She has created order where you would expect chaos. The kids accept it as the way it is without fuss--amazing.

It hadn't occured to me that you could teach Christmas Carols to kids that can barely talk. Christy evidently was undaunted by such a small detail and did it anyway. She made each one a set of jingle bells on a pipe cleaner for them to shake as the sang. The caroling troupe walked the half mile on Mr Rope, delivered a smashing concert, stayed for cookies and juice, and then walked back to Christy's. There was never a squabble or whine the whole time.

When we caroled, we went to shut ins, elderly people and nursing homes. Since Mrs Walls moved out of the neighborhood, I am wondering if perhaps we are the elderly people that carolers seem to target. Mmmm. I am not sure I am ready to be the sweet old couple living down the road. I better take my nap and think this one over. I am going to mention this to Kris when I wake up if I can remenber it.