I. I gave my choir the week off last Sunday. They'd put on a full cantata the week before, then done a Christmas Eve service on top of it. I decided to just bring in my trumpet and play a simple special music with the organ. I also decided to bring in James, since J hadn't had a Sunday without both kids yet since she returned to work. James likes my church. He asked if he could help set up the chairs ("We don't need to, there's no choir today") and we retrieved his cart from the church nursery so he could wheel around George and Steven. Then he asked a couple more times why we didn't set up the chairs ("Daddy, we need to set up these chairs") and he didn't even hide behind my leg when I met with the organist. He got a piece of chocolate before we entered the service ("and you can have another one after the service if you're very good") and I brought him to my seat at the front.
As the prelude started I began to doubt my decision to bring him into the service with me. Nursery care was available...why didn't I just drop him off there? He was awfully fidgety. Oh well, too late now. The prelude finished, and I stood up to play the instrumental introit I'd prepared with the organist. The congregation was sparse today, maybe only forty or fifty people. Some of them were in their pajamas, which is a bit of a tradition the week after Christmas. As I started in on the In the Bleak Midwinter I heard a reedy little voice humming along with me, quite loudly and right on pitch. James was sprawled out on the pew, singing loudly enough for all the congregation to hear.
J and I talked afterwards, and though we puzzled for a few minutes we figured out that he must know the tune to In the Bleak Midwinter from the Uncles Christmas CD. It's the track right after his fravorite (God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen) and he always begins to cry (well, George begins to cry) if we don't immediately repeat back to the one he likes. He went through the entire tune with me, and after I'd finished the last note he sang Mi on his own in the silence of the church, apparently thinking we'd be going back for a second verse. As the note echoed and some of the congregants tittered in their pews he popped up and exclaimed in his loudest three-year old voice "YAY, GEORGE!"
II. It's very rare that J and I get to spend six conscious hours together, but the trip to Pennsylvania is always good for that. The first leg we were driving in separate cars, trying to return the rental car to Syracuse. (That's been nothing but calamity from start to finish, but it's mostly out of our hands now.) Then we switched the carseats over, were quickly out of range of the Bills game, and on the highway. There was a time not terribly long ago when we'd have to come up with interesting things to do and talk about on the Route 15 drive (it was I-81 this time) but with two boys now we usually haven't seen each other in so long that it takes us most of the trip just to get caught up. Items up for discussion on the Southbound trip included: Religious guilt, movies, recently visited friends, the practice of daily devotions, childhood prayers, the distinction between quality reviews, cooking, and the nature of religious discourse.
III. It appears that I have manifested the prophetic gift.
http://harmonious-smith.blogspot.com/2014/09/2014-buffalo-bills-season-preview.html
IV. It's happened this Christmas season that we've been in conversation with a number of people about spending Christmas at your in-law's. Several girlfriends and boyfriends that we know are visiting and trying to put on a brave and polite face as they find a place for themselves. Several newly married folks are figuring out the new normal Christmas through their homesickness. I know that I speak for J when I say that she loved Smith Christmas this year. She glowed the entire trip down as she recounted all the thoughtful gifts that were given between the infant-lapped siblings at the big white and red farmhouse on County House Road. It makes me happy to think about how happy she is with my family, passing the nieces and nephews about, drinking wine in old church pews around the kitchen table and laughing at clever Uncle jokes. And I think it makes her happy to see me and James excited as we pull into the gorgeous white and blue house with candles in the windows atop the hill on Fox Tail Drive, all splendidly arranged for Christmas with grandparents waiting to see their little boys again. We exchanged gifts with the Davises last night, and our boys now have helicopters, tools and blocks to knock around the floor as well. It's good to be part of two such wonderful families this time of year.
No comments:
Post a Comment