While By Our Sheep

To those keeping watch by night,

Every year, us kids would perform the Christmas play.

We were always inspired by the performances at church; I have many memories of us pulling the couch cushions off and propping them up to create a stable, rehearsing our blocking (there were few, if any, lines), borrowing ornaments for gold and myrrh and frankincense.

We'd wear our "jeans dresses," skirts that were far too long for us but that had been given to us by somebody, and we'd drape our heads and shoulders in blankets to represent the Biblical period outfits.

I think once I was Mary, and we used a pillow to make me look nice and pregnant for the travel scene.  Then we had to screen me behind the stable so we could whip out the pillow and I could be seen again miraculously holding Baby Jesus, a baby doll chosen from our ample supply (I remember the doll I used, and I wish I still had him - he was so cute!).

Eventually we'd run downstairs and shriek, "Mom and Dad, Mom and Dad we're ready to do our play now!"  Our parents would drag themselves away from whatever they were working on and compliantly sit on the dining room chairs while we dimmed the lights, cued the person with the tape player, and then solemnly marched about in our processionals.

I wonder how Mom and Dad kept from laughing?  I can't even imagine how ridiculous we must have looked, so grave and serious about it all, sometimes standing and reading passages from Luke to add to the gravity of the situation.  Sometimes Reb would play a tune on the piano.  Sometimes she'd play on the little wooden flute our aunt gave us one year.  We always used the Christmas lights for effect; sometimes we'd put a wad on the floor for our campfire.

I am sure it must have been annoying for Mom on some level to see her house and decorations be completely ripped apart for our entertainment, and I am sure we never put it back exactly the way it was supposed to be ...

But we had a lot of fun, and I suppose it kept us out of the way!

Signed,

Mary
a.k.a. Mrs H

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Free Download

Adorable printable Nativity ... download and print this fun, colorful Nativity for the kids to arrange and re-arrange!  Maybe they'll tell the story in a less destructive manner than we did! Download the pages here.  

Christmas Cards to color ... you can also download and print these simple, delightful Christmas cards for the kids to color in!  I admit I am a sucker for coloring myself, and wouldn't mind coloring a few of these in!  Download the cards here.