How the Grinch Stole Christmas Quiz

    The last day of school before Christmas break is typically a difficult day to teach a lesson or give a test. Yet I have trouble letting my kids have a day at school where they do nothing. Mostly this is because if you give 32 adolescents lots of sugar and unstructured time in an enclosed space, tragedy ensues. So I show a movie and not just any movie, but the cartoon version (the only version, in my mind) of Dr. Seuss' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". While my kids watch this, I give them a group quiz during which they may shout out answers to each other and use calculators and ask me. I don't grade it and I fess up to that if asked. "I will look at them," I reply. "But will it count toward our grade?" "I will not score it, but I will look at them..." ambiguity is my friend.
    Geometry gets a more difficult version. So test your skills. Cue up the movie and see if you can answer these questions. They are in sequential order and are intended to be answered while watching the movie, not after. Best of luck and Merry Christmas!

How the Grinch Stole Christmas Quiz

1. How many sizes too small was the Grinch’s heart?

2. The Grinch lives in what compass direction from Who-ville?

3. How many servers with trays were inside each other?

4. If each server is half the size of the previous and the first one is 3 feet tall, how tall is the smallest one?

5. How many years has the Grinch “put up with Christmas?”

6.  How long is the pole with which the singer would not touch Mr. Grinch?

7. Explain the physical principal that causes Max to fall forward (hint: it has to do with centroid).

8. What did the Grinch use to pull out the mails holding the stockings above the fireplace?

9. What geometric shape are the Christmas ornaments with which he plays pool?

10. How many kids were in the same bed?

11. What did he take the last can of?

12.  Write an inequality to describe the possible age in months of Cindy Lu Who.

13.  If the smallest size of a crumb that a mouse would eat is 2mm wide, write an inequality to describe the possible sizes of crumbs left by Mr. Grinch.

14.  What three words can be used to describe Mr. Grinch?

15.  How many feet up Mt. Crumpit did he travel?

16.  Use the following diagram to discover the altitude of the tip top of Mt. Crumpit.

	(*There is supposed to be a diagram of a right triangle, the base of which measures 8,000ft*)

 

                     

                           8,000 feet

17.  If the Volume of the Grinch’s heart was 4 cm³ before it grew, what would be the new volume of his heart?

18. What was the equation used to describe the Grinch’s new strength?

19.  If the strength of one Grinch is 3 horse power, what was the new strength of the Grinch?

20.  What are your plans for the winter break?

My Christmas Top Ten

I love top ten lists and Christmas so here is my list of my top favorite Christmas traditions. It's hard to narrow the list down, but here's my best attempt:

10) Clothes: Yes, that's right, clothes. I love dressing up and I love winter clothes. I love coats and scarves and gloves and turtlenecks and fuzzy socks and different shades of red and green. I love getting Christmas dresses and making my poor nieces wear the dresses I wish I could wear. I love feeling snuggley all day long. I'm thankful that the weather is cold enough right now to merit my wearing winter weather clothes.

9) Decorations: It begins right at Thanksgiving break. I decorate my classroom with twinkle lights, ribbons and garland. Then I go to my mom's house and we decorate her tree (I refuse to let her do this without me). We talk about the history of all of her ornaments and where they all came from. We stare at the tree from afar with lights on and off and then move one ornament 2 inches to the right or decide to switch a red one with a white one to get a good balance. We then make Dad come and give his opinion which is always, "Beautiful!" Mom has to occasionally corral me in as I dance away to listen to music or get something to drink and get distracted. It's a great time.
   Then I get to my tree with my roommate which takes us at most ten minutes to select and then a little longer to decorate. It's an eclectic tree filled with ornaments that were mostly gifts from other people. We get a wreath and put up our lights which are on a remote. We then joke about who must bear the difficult burden of turning the lights off at night (a task that requires the pressing of one button).

8) Movies: I love Christmas movies! The Cheesier the better. I've written many blogs about this subject so I don't think I need to expand much on this except that I love Elf, BFC, and White Christmas probably the best.

7)eggnog/ cocomotion: I love eggnog. The end. I love cocomotion. Cocomotion was a gag gift my mom gave me several years ago that has become a beloved appliance. Everyone was getting coffee machines and I don't drink coffee so mom got me a hot coco machine instead. It both stirs and heats the hot chocolate to a perfect temperature. Not too hot and not too cold. It is a miracle machine that makes chocolatey goodness and I hope it lasts another ten years.

6)  gifts: Yes, I have a million people I buy presents for and yes, I'm sure I could spend that money on better things, but there is a special thrill when you find the perfect gift for someone and you can't wait to give it to him or her. On Christmas day there are so many presents at my Aunt and Uncle's house that we feel a sense of gluttony, but it doesn't stop us from all buying for each other.

5)music: I love listening to my favorite Christmas albums (which I've also blogged about). There are just some songs that whisk you back to your childhood or make you suddenly feel like Christmas is really here. I love listening to the KOST. My brother Paul and I leave each other fake KOSTmas wishes on our phones. We'll call each other up and leave cheesey messages and dedications for the Christmas season. It's one of the few times we hope the other doesn't answer the phone so we can leave a long and sappy message and dedicate real or fake songs to each other.

4)  singing: I know this seems like a repeat of the previous one, but I consider this one different because this is not just listening to music, but singing it out. I love to carol with people (I've gone three times this year) and I especially love singing special music stuff at church: choir songs, songs with the kids, tight harmonies with my mom and aunt, or the one note chorus on Christmas night. The one note chorus was started by my roommate and her sister and was quickly stolen by my family. We sit in a circle and start to sing a Christmas song, but each person only sings one note at a time. So I would sing the first note and then the person next to me would sing the next note and so on and so on. I love singing "Angels We Have Heard on High" this way because the Gloria is super silly.

3)  play at church: The Christmas play is a big part of my season. In fact, I think about next year's play before this year's is even done. I love how great our kids are, how much they memorize, how skilled they are as actors, how willing they are to do what I ask of them, and how sweetly they sing of the gospel of Christmas. And if all else fails there is always the magic that happens when the youngest ones sing Away in a Manger. It's a fun night and a great reminder of why we celebrate - Christ's birth means that we are saved from our sins, at peace with God, and adopted into His family forever!

2) candle light service - On Christmas Eve we have a candle light service. I love the music and the atmosphere and being with my church family on this special holiday. But the ultimate best part is at the end. All of the lights go out, we all light candles and stand around the edge of the church in a circle and sing "Silent Night". It's so beautiful and so wonderful - that's when Christmas feels most real.

1) Christmas day with the family - like a giant slumber party with the people you love the most in the world. I guess that's exactly what it is. My family all crowds into the beach house with our presents, people, snoring, suitcases, and food. We stay up too late, get up too early, eat food all day and unwrap presents for hours. Some people come later because they have other families to go to. Some leave during the middle of the day to celebrate at other homes, but everyone comes back at night for dinner and stockings. Grandma gives us her own stockings that she prepares during the whole year. She buys so many things that go with each person. From mugs to hair ties, from lip gloss to books, her stocking stuffers are what some people would consider full blown presents. And she does this for anyone who happens to be there that night. If you are celebrating Christmas night with us, you will have a stocking. She's amazing.

I love Christmas because it is beautiful, it is sentimental, and it is filled with food and family. I think that the ultimate thing about Christmas is that it allows us all the opportunity to reflect on the real meaning of Christmas. This is not some ethereal unknown feeling of joy or wonder. The real meaning of Christmas is that God in His mercy came to earth in the most humble of forms, and revealed himself to the most humble of people. God did this to save a broken people from their sins and collect them as his own children. The miracle of Jesus and how we get to celebrate that openly is why I love this season so much.

How freedom led to misdirection which led to overall dogmatism

I love to buy clothes for my nieces and nephew. I especially love to buy fancy clothes for fancy occasions. So does their Grandma Maurine. So we have a compromise: I get Christmas, she gets Easter. This year I decided to take Maddie with me in the process and actually let her pick it out.

  So, being the cool aunt that I am, Maddie and I drove to Kohl's and made our way to the jr.'s (eek she's in the jr's) department and I let her pick away. I was fine with the idea of her choosing whatever dress she wanted. I was so excited to show Maddie how to shop Auntie Brenda style (I'm pretty good at shopping for clothes and I was eager to take my new disciple under my wing). So there are rows and rows of green and red dresses, some with bows, some with velveteen, some with both. What does my precious little baby girl choose? A purple strappy number that looks like something a high school girl might wear to a formal dance...in the spring time...in the eighties. I cringed slightly and remember that she is eight and that when I was eight I fell for the glitter and shimmer that was the eighties (it actually was the eighties when I was going through it...), but this had no Christmas spirit! I tried to play cool aunt and put the dress on my arm, waiting for the next selection.

    So now Santa Baby shows up. A velveteen green dress with faux white fur on the cuffs and hem. It's actually pretty cute and mostly conservative, but it's also just not...well...not prissy. And frankly, I was and am a prissy kind of Christmas dress kind of a girl. I love a classic style that is frilly and girly. But I added it to the pile and continued on the shopping journey.

  I had no idea that my little dear one was such a non-traditionalist. I never asked her what she wanted to wear before and I realized that this little one doesn't want to dress like a little one any more. And then I saw the little beauty before me. A white and red dress with little bits of silver thread throughout. It was so beautifully A-lined and tea length with a high waist wrapped in a satin bow. It came with a red velveteen bolero jacket with a single button. It was as classic little girl Christmas as you could get in a dress, but still looking modern.

  "What do you think of this one?" I asked wistfully, half expecting Maddie to clap her hands in glee or sigh in joy at the thought of owning such a dress.

"Ehh," she tossed out as she thumbed through red versions of her santa baby dress.

"Let's just try it and see," I said, hoping that I could somehow convince her that this was the best choice.

When we got to the dressing room, she tried on the purple one and she was in love with it. It was actually cute, but still felt too old for my little niece. "Mom would make me wear something under it..."she sighed.

"Yeah, definitely, and if it was cold outside your arms would be uncovered..." I thought I'd try to suade her away from this choice. "Let's take a picture and then make our decision." I always take pictures of clothes when I'm not sure what I think. We took a picture and moved on.

Green Santa Baby was cute and looked actually like a kind of  nod to a 1950's skating costume. It was too tight, but the little one still wanted it. "If we can find it in a bigger size, maybe."

Then she put on the one I really loved and I sighed, "Oh, man!" I was in love with this dress.

Maddie misunderstood and said, "Yeah, I like the green one better too."

"Really? What do you like about this one?" She started listing off some things and I added, "And it's a perfect spinny skirt. Spin, let me see," she did and I ohhed an ahhed.

"The green one swirls too," she said defensively.

"Well, if you had to pick your top two, what would they be?"

"The green and the purple."

"Really? Not this one? I love this one. The purple is pretty, but it's for summer..."

We tried on one more dress (brown and blue, which she liked better than my choice) and I decided to make one final move to getting what I wanted and not caring at all that my sweet niece was not getting what she wanted. "If we can find either the green dress or the brown one in a bigger size, then we will get it. Otherwise we'll get the red one. Does that sound ok?"

"Sure."

We didn't find the size and when she asked to try on another dress that was red with bedazzled jewels all throughout it, I decided that I no longer cared what my niece felt was the best choice and I was just going to have things the way I wanted them.

"No," I said, "we have to go."

And go we did with my little dress that I would have wanted when I was a little girl (and would totally buy the grown-up size, if they made it). My sweet little niece was grateful for her dress and tried it on again at home, spinning dutifully when asked to. She liked the dress and has pictures of the ones she loved and didn't get.

So I realized something - I guess I'm not ready to extend shopping freedom to my niece, but will I ever be?

The Christmas Cooldown

This was a blog I originally wrote in 2006 and I figured I'd repost it here.

As I have previously mentioned, I love Christmas. The problem, I've discovered, is that I get this amazing Christmas build-up and then I'm supposed to just move on as if nothing ever happened. So I propose that we have the Christmas cool-down - a period of time (the week between Christmas and New Year's) where the Christmas obsessed can slowly purge the Christmas celebration out of their system instead of quitting cold turkey

First step is the radio music. Koast and the Fish have played non-stop Christmas music for one month and then, on December 26th it's back to the same old thing. Maybe we can compromise. For cooldown week perhaps they can play a series of 'winter' songs and New Year's songs. Here is a possible play-list: Baby It's Cold Outside, Winter Wonderland, Let it Snow, What are you doing New Year's, Auld Lang Sayne. For starters. This slow dissipation will take the edge off.

Next, we have the Christmas specials on TV. I love Christmas movies, do they have to end? The answer is simply, NO! There are plenty of movies in which the story takes place over the ENTIRE holiday season. These can be shown during cooldown as well. Here are some examples: Boyfriend for Christmas (my new favorite), When Harry Met Sally, Holiday Inn, that great one I saw on Lifetime about the homeless divorcee who gets her real estate liscence (I'm not kidding, I watched it yesterday and delighted in every delicious minute of it), and I can't think of any more, but they do exist.

Now about decorations. I feel that Christmas decorations can be left up during Cooldown. It's just one week more and I spent all that time putting them up. Maybe I can just put away one decoration a day and then it won't be such a shock.

Spreading Holiday cheer. This is the worst, because people seem to lose that 'true holday spirit' by the 27th. I am not going to let this one go. I'm going to wish people a happy new year and then a happy winter and then a happy Martin Luther King Jr. day, and then a happy President's day and I'll keep finding some holiday to wish people joy. [side note: I was shopping on Dec 23rd and I was so happy because it was almost Christmas, I was done with school, and I was almost done shopping. I was smiling so big and nearly skipping on my way to Barnes and Noble (or 'home', as I like to call it). I was deliciously happy. The best part was people would stare at me and then smile back. One group of people stopped their conversations and said, "Merry Christmas!" "Merry Christmas!" I shouted back and then I really did skip. I love that kind of community joy]

So please support me in my effort to relieve my post-Christmas blues by celebrating the Christmas Cooldown. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a wonderful New Year. And for those who celebrate various other holidays (Channukah, Kwanza, Festivus, etc) I hope that you enjoyed those as well.

I am Buddy the Elf

I was watching "Elf" again and I realized that I have so much in common with Buddy (the elf who is actually human, but raised by elves). Here's some ways in which we are similar:

1) I love sugar and I like to put sugar in lots of things (even things that don't usually have sugar)

2) I am usually happy and cheerful.

3) I like to whisper, too.

4) I get distracted by shiny things.

5) I love New York.

6) I don't sleep much (last night I got a full 45 minutes)

7) I love to decorate for Christmas.

8) I like to hug people.

9) I sing in public even when there's no song playing anywhere, even when people are around.

10) I went through the Lincoln Tunnel.

I was not raised by elves, but I do celebrate Christmas in the Reimer family, so that's practically the same thing.

My Love For Christmas Movies Grows Greater With the Hallmark Channel

Yes, Brenda, there is a Santa Claus. Apparently, the cable that comes with our HOA fees for our condo as been upgraded. Julie called me the other day and told me the great news, "Christmas has come early for you, Bren!" "What?" I asked. "We now get the Hallmark Channel!" She giggled into the phone. "Record EVERYTHING!"

To me, there is no better TV than a cheesy Christmas movie. Old or new, poorly made and funded or a beautiful classic; I've seen them all. Julie keeps trying to stump me. She'll name the actors and the title in the latest one she recorded and I can tell her the basic storyline and rate it. Tonight she turned on one and I thought for sure it was one I hadn't seen. But then it started to look familiar, "If there's a lake on the other side of that house, then I've seen this one before. I think it's one of those darker, more serious ones." Sure enough, there was a lake.

Now, I know that not all of them are great, heck, some of them are down right awful. But I love them just the same. I've decided to collect a little list of some of my top Christmas movies. I'm sure I'll leave some off the list out of pure forgetfulness on my part. No slight is intended. They are listed in no particular order.

1) White Christmas - Premise: two WWII veterans meet during the war and form a musical act that leads them to fame and fortune, but sadly also leaves them without much of a personal life. They meet the Haynes sisters and fall for them quickly. They also, unwittingly, follow them to Vermont to ski resort run by their old general who is now retired. The season is slow as the snow has not fallen. The team decided to help the old man out by holding their show at the lodge. Romance, dancing, singing, comedy, misunderstanding, and some of the best costumes in the world follow. How can you beat Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and that really skinny blond chick? You can't. This is one of my favorite movies, period.

Rating and suggested audience: A+, everyone should see it.

2) Holiday Inn - this is the one that started it all! Premise: Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire are an entertainment team. Fred steals Bing's girl (Fred's dancing partner). Bing decides to leave the entertainment world behind and open an inn. It does poorly until he decides to open it on Holidays with a great show about that Holiday. Fred's partner leaves him and he comes to Bing's place and falls for Bing's new girl.

Best Parts: Singing and dancing for all seasons. This has the songs: Easter Bonnet and White Christmas (this is where it first came out). Bing sings and Fred dances...no more needs to be said.

Rating and suggested audience A-, people who love old movies or anyone who loves musicals.

3) A Boyfriend for Christmas - In my opinion, the best Hallmark has ever made. Premise: A young pre-teen asks Santa for a boyfriend for Christmas. He promises her one, but says she must wait 20 years. Sure enough, she grows up and still has not met mr.right. The same Santa sets her up with a handsome lawyer. All goes as it should in a Christmas movie, but some deceit that lingers and an old ex boyfriend threaten to ruin Christmas romance! No fear, it's a Hallmark movie.

Best parts: "Diane sent you a man for Christmas! Where was she when I was single?"

Rating and suggested audience: A+. any girl and some guys. It's a chick flick for sure, but a really good one.

4) Elf - the best Christmas comedy. Premise: Buddy, a human, was raised by elves in the North Pole. He later discovers that he is, in fact, not an elf and searches out his real father in New York. Christmas may be ruined, but by people believing (in some nebulous thing they must 'believe' in) Christmas is saved.

Best parts: So many quotable lines come from this movie...so many! "I just like smiling, smiling's my favorite."

Rating and suggested audience: A+ everyone

5) Miracle on 34th St. - the real one. Premise: a single mom, who works for Macy's, raises her daughter, Suzie, to be very practical and not believe in fairy tales like Santa. Santa of course comes in and changes their minds and connects the mom to the love of her life.

Best parts: When Santa speaks to the little girl in Dutch, when all the letters get delivered to Santa, when Susie runs into the house and her mother says, "Susie, you know better than to run into strange people's homes."

Rating and suggested audience: A+ everyone

6) If you believe - Premise: a book editor sours over time and alienates herself from all of her family and friends. She is bitter and has become bad at her job. On Thanksgiving, she falls and hits her head and as a result, her inner child comes out and tries to guide her back to a time where she enjoyed life and lived it. She discovers a new writer (who is also, single, charming, and handsome) and he (along with her inner child, played by Hayden Pannitierre from Heroes) bring her back to her former glory.

Best parts: I'm a book nerd, so I love the parts where they are editing the book. I don't think other people would like that part as well.

Rating and suggested audience: B-, girls

7) I'll Be Home for Christmas, A Holiday for Love, and A Holiday to Remember: Why are these three listed together? Because they are the same movie, essentially. Premise: Small town desperately needs something to save it (a new Dr, the town plant to not close, children who need saving). Big town character comes to town (sometimes their hometown) and they clash with the equally single and attractive small town character who is in opposition to them. Through the Christmas time, they grow in love and understanding and Christmas, and the town, are saved!

Best Parts: guessing correctly about what the actors will say next.

Rating and suggested audience: C-, people know what Fa La La La Lifetime is.

8) A Season for Miracles: Premise: a young woman is not allowed to take care of her drug addicted sister's two children and they will be split up for foster care. She kidnaps them and drives in her old bug to escape. Her car breaks down in a small town. The night is very cold and they decide to sleep in a beautiful home that in not currently lived in. The whole town thinks she is the dead owner's niece, come to inherit the property. She goes along with the scheme in the hopes that she can take care of her niece and nephew. She falls for the town sheriff and the town falls for her. The truth is discovered and she is still forgiven. The kids get to stay with her and she and the sheriff are reunited.

Best Parts: the cheese of the whole thing

Rating and suggested audience: B+, chicks only

There are so many more: The Christmas Card, The Christmas Box, Time piece, The Christmas Child, Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus and Meet the Clauses (the sequal), Midnight and Mistletoe, Eve's Christmas, A Carol Christmas, Die Hard, The Bishop's Wife (that one's such a great one, A++), The Polar Express, His and Her Christmas, The Perfect Day, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, The Christmas Angel (creepy, don't see it), The Note and The Note II, Silent Night (about WWII), Joyeux Noel (so wonderful and a true story about WWI and an amazing Christmas Eve), and Mixed Nuts, and too many movies!! Oh, yeah the Christmas Story, A Charlie Brown Christmas, A Muppets Family Christmas, The Muppets' Christmas Carol, Rudolf, man, there isn't enough time to watch them all.

I hope you enjoy your Christmas specials this season. Let me know if you have any great ones and I'll add it to my list.

My roommate and I are really funny.

I've written about this before. Julie and I are stinkin' hilarious. I realized this again as we were frantically Christmas shopping today. We are really entertaining shoppers. Seriously, while we shop, people have said, "I wish that I had as much fun as you girls do." Here are some examples of how we have fun shopping:

1) While wandering through Lighthouse (a Christian bookstore) we picked up cheesy christian romance novels and read the backs of them with mocking inflections and laughed at the stupidest ones - and then purchased them. People were looking at us from across the store and laughing with us - not at us. My favorites were "The Falconer" where in one sentence we find out about the main character's nicknames, previous profession, height, build, personality, and goals as an abolitionist in England (that is one powerful first sentence) and one about a girl born into a powerful governor's family and a pirate princess! So great!

2) We sang along to the same Christmas songs even when those songs weren't playing. For example, one song was playing and Julie remembered the song "Last Christmas" so we sang that while an entirely different song was playing. It was impressive that we stayed in key.

3) We went to K-mart because it was close by and then immediately decided to go to Target. We silently understood that we are Target snobs.

4) While at Target we pushed Twilight on people including a woman who works there. It seems that wherever I go I tell people that they should read the book. Julie and I agreed that we should get some sort of commission from the author.

5) We tried to help a woman find baby Christmas dresses in infant sizes. We were unsuccessful, but I think the woman was encouraged by having others agree that it was strange to not have any there.

6) While at Tilly's, we tried to convince the one male working there that he should read Twilight, thus having more to talk about with his female coworkers.

7) We paid for dinner with quarters. (Not entirely, but there were a lot of them).

8) We went to several Game Stops. Nothing fun about this except that we were reminded of Julie's mom who questioned the existence of such stores, "They have stores where they only sell games? Do they close down after Christmas?" After we left, I said to Julie, "What a nice store. It's too bad that they are only open seasonally." To which Julie replied, "Well, games aren't that big a business." Somehow, Julie's mom plays a big part in many of our jokes.

9) The entire time we shop, there is a running dialogue. It's like shopping in an episode of Gilmore Girls or "His Girl, Friday".

I feel like I have not adequately expressed how much fun we have while shopping, but seriously, you should join us. We know how to get it done and have a great time doing it.

Christmas in a small town in a big city

I love my church. There are many reasons why, but tonight was a good reflection of how great my church is. We had our annual church play tonight and it was everything our church play should be: kids sang songs, people played instruments, costumes were made and edited at the last minute, lines were recited (some with feeling others with fear), and the little kids sang "Away in a Manger".

I love to watch Christmas movies and especially ones about small towns. I've always wanted to live in a small town. I am drawn to the idea of living in a place where everyone knows you and cares about you. Where everyone pitches in to take care of each other. Where we're not afraid to discipline each other's children or take action to help when help is needed. Where people can be a little kooky, but they are loved for it. I feel like this is what our church offers.

I get nervous every year about the Christmas play. I hope that the kids have a good time, that the message of the birth of Christ comes through, that the costumes will work out. I am always sure that the previous year's was better and that people will tell me so. When I get to a semi-meltdown state (usually the Saturday before), my dad always reassures me with this conversation, "What is our mantra?" he asks. "Everyone will love it no matter what. They don't care if it's bad," I reply in monotone. This year my dad reminded me, "It's not that they don't care, it's that they are going to love to see those kids up on the stage and that's what they'll get."

You see, in our small town of Faith Presbyterian, each kid on that stage was known and loved by the people in the audience. So when Josh says his lines with exaggerated enunciation and heartfelt emotion, we all smile with joy over the fact that this dear boy has a place in life where he can flourish and be quirky. And when our multitude of the heavenly host (all four of them) say "Glory to God in the highest" in a flat monotone, we all fill with pride over the fact that these little ones (first graders) knew their lines and came onstage at the right time. Dakota can pull on Eddie's lamb ear and say that she wants to sing "This Little Light of Mine" instead of "Away in a Manger" and we are reminded of a time when people thought she wouldn't walk or speak.

It's the fact that these kids are loved for who they are and that they are really cherished that makes the play so much fun to watch. But you know what my favorite part is (besides the fact that it's over successfully)? I love to see these kids say boldly that Christ is the Messiah. They've been in the plays enough times to know that if they have the lines that tell the truth of the Messiah they have the most important lines and they say them loudly and clearly. "The Messiah has come!" they shout with joy. Or "He will come to bring peace between Men and God," Josh whispers with the heaviness of such truth.

And then, as if that wasn't enough, we have the orchestra made up of members who play all year long and some who only play once a year. And then we sing along - loudly and with joy. And afterward we have food prepared by many different hands and candy distributed to the kids (but if you make a pouty face and ask nicely, sometimes the big kids get a bag too).

It's on this day that I feel like I live in a small town in a Christmas movie. There is no shortage of love on this day and I am so thankful that I get to be a part of such a fun and worshipful time. I am overwhelmed by the gifts God has lavished on me and I am thankful for the church that helps me see it.

My Parents are Awesome!

You know how things that you are surrounded by every day just start to fade into the background? I have a neighbor upstairs whose pipe we can hear as he drains his shower. I don't pay any attention to it anymore. Yet when I had guests over, I was suddenly aware of how loud it was. Even now I have a fan blowing on my recently flooded kitchen wall and I have to remind myself that it's there.

This is how it is with my parents. They have been amazing for so long that I have grown numb to how insanely great they are. Not that I take them for granted, no I am thankful for them every day. It's just that I no longer take a step back and think of how strange they are. My mother has severe pain in her body from various ailments. Her back aches, her hip goes out of joint, her arthritis and gout flair up at inconvenient times, and she's an insomniac. My mother just put on a nine course meal for 40 or so people. She carefully crafted dishes like an amazing mozzarella and roasted red bell pepper rollade, shredded chicken on a bed of harvest cous cous and cream, slow roasted lamb on a bed of creamed root vegetables, and pumpkin rolls garnished with a pumpkin caramel glaze. She did this with an oven that barely works and a full time job (good thing she has insomnia!).

My father supports my mother in her crazy food ventures. He samples and edits flavors, he diligently shops for just the right ingredients, he made all of the place cards, led the carolling afterward, took photos, encouraged conversations, set-up, cleaned-up, served the food, and helped forged the bonds between the hodgepodge of kids that are in the youth group.

I need to take a step back and look at these two people. Who does this? What a legacy I have in my life of sacrificial love and using your talents to their fullest. Now, I know that I have a tendency to go over the top like my mom and I hope that I can balance so that insomnia doesn't rule over me, but if I did half the things my parents have done I would be a good servant indeed. They give of their time and energy freely and joyfully - and they're just plain good at it.

So as I dream of the leftovers and take off my heals to rest for the evening, I'll think of my mom and dad and then get back on my feet and make cookies until 2am - because that's what we Dempsey's do!

The Christmas Rush

It seems that I have Christmas denial right now. It is exactly two weeks until Christmas and I still think that it's so far away. I look at my to do list and think "38 presents, I have time" and then I proceed to plan away all of my weekends and have no time to shop. I have a beautiful tree, my classroom is decorated, I've been listening to Christmas music, the play is this Sunday, but still I don't feel like it's really Christmas time.

I think I need to blog about Christmas to help me feel more like this season is truly upon us. Last year I made a complete list of all of my favorite Christmas songs: both secular and Christian. I would love to just copy that here since I wrote better then, but I should do something current to help me get in the spirit. So I have decided to do an in depth analysis of my favorite Christmas voices and their songs.

Karen Carpenter - I love the Carpenter Christmas album because my mom always played it during her Christmas botiques. Her deep voice is so soothing and rich, it instantly calms me. I especially love her rendition of Sleigh Ride and her singing the intro to White Christmas. There's this note she sings when she says, "There's never been such a day in Beverly Hills, LA" the LA is so low, I could never hit it. She reminds me of my mom in that respect too. She sings beautifully and could be a baratone - just like Mom :)

Bing Crosby - White Christmas is just perfect. He's in two of my favorite Christmas movies (Holiday Inn and White Christmas) during which he sings this song. But there is another song that Bing sings that is more about Christmas to me than any other, and that's "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas". That song is one we sing often in my family. Grandpa Dempsey used to play it on his player piano and sing it with us. I've always associated my Grandpa with Bing because of it and that makes me love it. Plus, it's fun to sing "a pair of hop-along boots and a pistol that shoots is the hope of Barney and Ben. Dolls that can talk and will go for a walk is the wish of Janice and Jen" It took years before we got the words right.

Nat King Cole - This man could sing anything and I would love it. But "The Christmas Song" is all Nat. Others have covered it, but it is only Nat King Cole's smooth tones that make the intro "Chesnuts roasting on an open fire" thrilling.

Those weird singers who sing the Drummer Boy song - You know the one that sounds like an all boys choir singing "Come, they told me, pa rum pu pum pum". I just love it.

Amy Grant - she's great and Christmas songs kind of belong to her, but "Mary's Song - Breath of Heaven" is truly genius. It is such a beautiful peice of music independent of words, but then when you add in the perspective of a young girl who is willing to sacrifice all comfort for the plan of God, but still has fears and is looking for the strength of God to pull her through! Wow! What a song! "Do you wonder, as you watch my face, if a wiser one should have had my place. Still I offer all I am. Holy Father to your plan. Help me be strong. Help me be...help me." Great song!

Josh Groban - He was made to sing Christmas songs, any and all. Especially in other languages. Yet "O Holy Night", one of my two favorite Christmas hymns, will make me cry when Josh sings it. It's sad that a boy can sing higher than I can, but that boy can hold a note!

The Muppets - yes, they qualify as a singing group and they happen to sing on one of the best Christmas albums ever! I especially like their version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas." This is because Beaker, the lab assistant who doesn't speak, but 'meeps' sings on one of the days. I laugh every time.

Andrew Peterson - Matthew Begats is one of the funniest Christmas songs and I'm still memorizing it. Andrew basically took the geneology of Jesus from the book of Matthew and turned it into a song. "Abraham had Isaac, Isaac he had Jacob, Jacob he had Judah and his kin." The best lines tell a little bit about the person in the lineage like "Amon who was a man who was father of a good boy named Josiah, who grandfathered Johoiachin who caused the Babylonian captivity because he was a liar." So clever.

I love Christmas. I love singing. I love that I get to play my favorite Christmas music in my classroom and it's ok. Think of all of the words that I play during my class that are ok because it's Christmas! Well, off to bed where I'm sure I'll dream of sugar plumbs or other delights.