Getting Ready for Christmas in Memphis

We've never been home in Memphis for the holidays. Traveling and seeing family from all over the country is always exciting, and we missed that. We sorely missed the folks we didn't get to see. And there's also something to be said for the total relaxation provided by being AWAY. But there's a lot to be said for being home.

The Christmas season starts (in my mind) with the observation ballet class. Parents are allowed to watch a normal class, since we're not really supposed to be peeking in the windows on normal weeks. This observation class was a little strange. They had been out of class for a couple weeks because of Thanksgiving and Meredith has suddenly (sadly) become self-conscious. She didn't really enjoy it, and afterward said it was because "I didn't really have any moves." Growing up is for the birds. Madeline was there to spice things up, though. She never for a minute considered that she didn't have a clue what was going on, and participated in almost every aspect of the class. And did a darn good job, too.

Another marker of the Christmas season: The Nutcracker at the Orpheum. Do you know that they have $5 tickets? There is probably some generous corporate sponsor I should thank for that. Because the seats are great and the production is gorgeous. And frankly, I'd pay more than $5 just to sit in the Orpheum. I fall in love with it again every time I visit.

What's better than a school Christmas party? A school Christmas party when your dad is in charge of games.

And your teacher is amazing enough to bring a chocolate fountain into the classroom...

...And you and your friends almost die from happiness.

Of course there were numerous Christmas projects and crafts, but the best might have been the impromptu scarf making session. We had been given a bag of fabric scraps, and since Keddi was in town, Meredith knew that sewing was a possibility. But then we hit on the idea of fleece scarves - no sewing required, just cutting. Meredith is a pro with the scissors, so with very little help she was able to make matching scarves for herself, Madeline, and cousin Hadley. She wrapped them and gave them to the girls for Christmas. And they were a hit. We need more of this gift making and giving for next year, but it's a start.


The kids at church did an incredible job learning a series of Christmas songs this year (thanks to Ms. Kathy!) and performed them at a nearby nursing home. Again, Madeline could think of no reason that she shouldn't join the show, and even made up hand motions to the songs she didn't know.


And here's a short video of the performance at Neighborhood Church.



Final sign of the season: family photos. We're so thrilled to have a few pictures of all four of us that don't involve bathing suits or Halloween costumes. Thank you to the talented Gretchen Shaw! (And if you're in a wintry wonderlandy sort of mood, you really should check out these pics she took.)

And we leave you with this. Our friend Jeff has a great little band, Jeffrey James and the Haul. They played a wee little Christmas show at Shangri La, and I'd say that was one of the best holiday moments for our family. Just good clean holiday joy.