Hey! Unto you a child is born! SHAZAM!

I think most of you know Abby's high school play is this weekend. She'll be playing the part of Gladys Herdman in "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever". Gladys is a mean, bratty, five year old street urchin who plays the Angel of the Lord in the church pageant. One of the final lines in the play is, "Hey! Unto you a child is born! SHAZAM!". Hence the title of this post :-)

I am reading this book aloud to my class at school. It's a funny story about a family of rotten kids who hijack all the main roles in the church Christmas pageant (they got these roles through intimidation and coercion). After all the shenanigans (Stealing from the collection plate, drinking the communion wine and smoking cigars in the ladies room), the pageant ends up being the best ever (of course). The end of the book is very touching and as I was finishing it up with my class today, I got a lump in my throat. I got slightly choked up, but the kids didn't notice. I think if I had shed a tear, the kids probably wouldn't have understood anyway. I'm glad I didn't have to explain why I might have cried at the end of the story.

I'm looking forward to the play this weekend. I must also say I am happy a public school is putting on a play that includes the biblical account of Jesus' birth. It's done in a lighthearted, funny way, but the story is still there.

Merry CHRIST-mas, everyone!

And oh yeah... "HEY! UNTO YOU A CHILD IS BORN! SHAZAM!"

The (not so) empty nest

I'm guessing the parents out there are familiar with the "Empty Nest Syndrome". Parents who have had children to care for most of their married, adult lives, suddenly find themselves alone and staring at each other after their last child leaves home. Tami and I are not quite there, but we may soon take another step toward that empty nest. Believe me, it was hard enough when Jessi went off to college. We knew in our hearts she would never live under our roof again. But somehow her leaving was bearable because we still had two kids left at home. It's kind of like a batter who gets his first strike. He knows he has two more strikes before he strikes out.

For Michael's first semester of college, he has been commuting every day (about 35 minutes each way). He already spends so much time at school, time with his girlfriend and time at work we hardly ever see him. But at least I know he's sleeping in my house. I know he is safe and secure. For his second semester and probably for the rest of his college career, he is talking about renting a house near campus with some friends. As it relates to money, Michael renting a house is not much different than the money we currently spend on gas and food for him. This is very close to a done deal. The offer has already been extended from the owner of the house (a friend of ours from church). Michael will tell you how badly he wants to live out on his own (what 19 year old doesn't want THAT kind of freedom?). This kind of feels like the batter getting his second strike knowing he is down to his last one. If Michael truly does move out, Abby suddenly becomes an only child. She's a sophomore and is already making plans to go away to college. If she follows in her sister's footsteps, she'll be out the house, never to return in two and a half years.

This is frightening! I'm not that old! There is no way I should be less than three years from an empty nest... but in reality I am. This is a splash of cold water to my face! I feel like I'm down to my last strike and the pitcher is winding up to throw me his best pitch. Now more than ever I must cherish every minute with my kids. They are growing up so fast! I know Abby will be in college before I can blink. I can't believe how quickly time has gone.

Here's some humor for the situation:

Delicious Sundays

Tami has started the wonderful practice of preparing Sunday's lunch on Saturday night. That way when we get home from church on Sunday, everything is ready to eat with minimal preparation.

Today she outdid herself. The family absolutely loved the Mini Baked Ham Sandwiches she made. They're a lot like sliders (Think White Castles except ham sandwiches instead of burgers). The buns are King's Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls. The inside of the sandwich is shaved deli ham and swiss cheese. The sandwiches are covered with a sauce of melted butter, dijon mustard, dried minced onions and worcestershire sauce. Bake those babies for 15 minutes and you have bite sized deliciousness.

If anybody wants the recipe, it can be found on the King's Hawaiian website: kingshawaiian.com

Here's what they look like:

Gettin' Cultured!

I've never been what you'd call a refined or cultured guy. I enjoy the simple things in life. I'd rather enjoy buffalo wings and a beer than a fancy dinner at some snooty restaurant. I'd rather go to the ball game than the opera. I'd rather wear shorts and a t-shirt than a shirt and tie. But I'm not a total country bumpkin either. I've been to fancy restaurants and I know how to conduct myself in a formal dinner setting. I've been to the theater and to Music Hall to listen the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. I've been to the May Festival and I've been to a few "pooty tooty" shindigs in my time.

Tonight, I'll be getting a little more "cultured". We're going to the College Conservatory of Music for a ballet recital. A friend from church will be dancing and we want to go and support her.

A Christmas Tradition... Postponed

Our family has a tradition of going to the Metamora Christmas Walk every year. Metamora is an old canal town in Indiana that decks itself out for Christmas. The highlights are luminaries lining the canal, countless shops selling everything Christmas related, an old fashioned steam train and Christmas spirit oozing out of every nook and cranny of this quaint little village. The Christmas walk goes on every Friday and Saturday night during the holiday season.

We were going to go tonight, but unfortunately the weather forecast is beyond cruddy. It is supposed to rain all weekend... YUCK! It is mostly an outdoor activity, so going tonight is obviously out of the question. What's most disappointing is we were going to include Michael's girlfriend this year as well as taking Sveta for her first (of hopefully many) trips to Metamora. We are going to try and reschedule, but with a jam-packed Christmas calendar, I'm not sure we can. it would be a real shame if we didn't get to go this year.

These photos do not fully represent the wonderfulness of Metamora at Christmas time. but you get a taste of what it's like. Add the smells, tastes and sounds and you have a really good idea of what the whole place is like. What a wonderful tradition the Meyer family has!

Feelin' It!

I don't know if my crafty side has come out because I am filled with the Christmas spirit or if I am filled with the Christmas spirit because of my new found crafty side. Either way, when It comes to Christmas spirit, I am feeling it this year! I put up the exterior lights weeks ago. The inside of the house is more decorated than it has ever been (See previous posts about wine cork Christmas trees and reindeer) and last night I even went out and cut some pine boughs to add a little extra touch to the decorations. I must say it looks nice.

I also had the distinct pleasure of hosting and teaching a Bible study last night (Special Christmas Edition, of course!) Tami had an engagement outside the house, so I stepped in and taught the Bible study in her place. We focused on Luke 1 and 2. This covers the time from when the angel delivers the Good News to Mary, Joseph's struggle with the news, to the time of Jesus' birth, the shepherds, King Herod and finally the visit from the three wise men. No matter how many times I read the story, I never get tired of it and it never ceases to amaze me.

I also think there are a few more reasons I am filled with Christmas spirit this year. Abby is in a play at school next weekend... "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever". The book is a short, but must read. Wonderful, funny and heartwarming story! I'm really looking forward to Abby's performance. I also think it's because this is Sveta's first Christmas with us. It's been a long time since we've had a little one around to be filled with the wonders of the Christmas season. I can't wait to see her experience everything!

More Christmas posts to follow...

Merry Christmas! And in the words of Dickens' Tiny Tim, "God Bless us, every one!"

Babysitting!

We received a call tonight requesting that we babysit Sveta tomorrow evening. Ummmm... YES! What time should we be there? Can't wait!

Increasing the herd

Thank you to my colleague and good friend, Carol Umberg. She set me up with a new supply of wine corks today. Where does she get all these corks? Well, I won't say she's a wino, but I can tell you she rates her day at school based on glasses of wine. If she has a good day, she says it's going to be a "one glass night". If she has a bad day, she says it's going to be a "two glass night". If she has a horrible day, well... you'd have to ask her.

Anyway, because of Carol's contribution of corks I was able to make more reindeer tonight. I made a special "Rudolph" for Carol (per her request). I also made a few more of Santa's team. Tonight it was Vixen, Comet and Cupid. Now all I have to do is make Donner, Blitzen and a sleigh.

Havin' fun!

Turkey Tuesday

Kudos to my wife, Tami (aka Suzy Homemaker).

On a Tuesday evening (tonight) she cooked a turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing and dinner rolls made from scratch. Wow! I am set for lunches the rest of the week. Yum! She works so hard around our house. Thank you, Honey!

Santa's PARTIAL reindeer team

I must be a glutton for punishment. I know I'm probably setting myself up for some major ridicule. Why? Because I am now making reindeer out of used wine corks and sticks from the yard. So far I have Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and Rudolph. Not quite half of Santa's team. I would have finished more but I am currently out of corks. If you have some and don't plan on using them, I'd love to put them to good use.

For you observant types... I'm sure you'll notice these reindeer have no eyes. Use your imagination :-)

Here they are... 4/9 of Santa's famed reindeer team.

Ain't I pathetic?