new things

Christmas time is a time for new things.

  New presents.

New ball skills.

New water fights.

New jokes.  Actually not really new jokes.  Those jokes in the bon bons have been around since the manger was full and the wise men were following the bright light.

New baby cousins.  Awwww.  I got to have cuddles.  He was prised out of my arms to be fed.

New ham bones for Christmas lunch.

Naps on Christmas afternoon.

New hair for growing up girls.

New games for us all to play together.  I am raising my children to be FIERCE board game players.  Although they will possibly whip my butt soon.  Actually now.

We got a new games called DIXIT from the Healy Christmas - I thoroughly recommend it - thanks Al! 

Lots of 'new' at Christmas.  And we remember anew a child entering the world to save it.

Christmas lights

Tonight we were out trawling the streets of Brisbane stalking houses and stickybeaking everywhere, invading privacy and trampling the grass, yahooing and cavorting through the suburbs.

We were looking at Christmas lights.

That strange obsession that people have to cover their houses in flashing lights and colours and Santas doing all sorts of crazy things, and then they let other people come and look at it all.  We must have seen thousands and thousands of dollars worth of lights tonight.

It appeared that bubbles were the 'it' item for all the cool kids at the lights party - nearly every house had a bubble machine working in the front yard filling the air with soapy wonder.

My two girls loved looking at the lights, but I tired of it quickly, and almost felt a little seizure coming on from the flashing sparkles.  We went to two streets in Belmont and Tingalpa where nearly every house on the whole street was decorated and people wandered up and down marvelling.  I felt solidarity with the dark house, the non-participants - the neighbourhood pressure must be enormous.

I like lights.  But like the very bright shiny objects they are, they are a huge distraction from what Christmas is celebrating - the slipping into the world of a tiny baby who was the very light of the world himself.

Christmas Carols

Tonight was the carols service at church.  It was surprisingly smooth and very fun and gave a great message about how candy canes can remind you of the real meaning of Christmas.  Heaps of people came and it the church was packed.  Highlights for me were:

- singing in the choir - especially Joy to the World being backup to the excellent voices of Sarah, Reece and Lauren
- playing Christmas minute to win it "Handy Candy' game - yes we totally made that up with Dizzy and Christmas Kate (Lisa in a very convincing blonde wig)
- watching the storytellers 'own' chapters one and two from Luke - excellent work people
- a sausage sizzle with actual salad
- hearing the phrase 'glow stick mosh pit'
- watching my kids faces as they witnessed their mum being a lunatic dancer in the carols
- being reminded of the freshness of the story of Christmas, and how a girl in another country thousands of years ago accepted what God had in store for her, and helped change the world

three fifths of the storytelling team:

choir!

Dizzy and Christmas Kate

playing 'Handy Candy'- keep the balloon in the air for a minute with the pool noodle candy cane

The photo I kept making Brett take because Dizzy's eyes were not looking straight.....

Happy Christmas everyone!