Merry Christmas

The presents are all opened, Les is back at work, and I have a little time to sit back and reflect.
This year we decided to keep things simple.  Let's begin with the tree.  This was our monster kitten's first exposure to a Christmas tree.  We knew that he would be filled with a sense of wonder and adventure as soon as we put up the tree.  So, we gave him a couple days to explore the bare tree and get to know it.  He didn't disappoint!  Consequently, we decided to hang only nonbreakable ornaments this year.

Heinz in the treetop

Cassie told all the cats to be good or Santa wouldn't remember them!

Cassie made one last attempt - she read Heinz the story of the nativity.

Right after Thanksgiving, the girls began perusing the toy catalogs.  Aunt Susan had sent them several that promised to be full of creative and brain-stimulating toys.   In early December, Lacey presented me with her list - a lined piece of notebook paper, filled from top to bottom.  I suggested she go back and shorten the list a bit.  Lacey promptly returned, having scratched out a few items.  I told her to spend a couple days thinking and then to make a list of the five things she really wanted.  Eventually, I studied her list.  Number one was something called, "Zing Shot."  Hmmm, this sounded like some kind of rebound toy.  I paged through the catalogs until I found the circled item.  "Whoa!," I exclaimed to Les.  "Lacey is asking Santa for a slingshot.  I sure hope Santa uses his common sense."  I continued down the list.  Item number two was called, "Kids Take Aim."  Not having learned, I mused that this sounded like some kind of architecture set.  I flipped through the catalogs again and was startled to discover that this was a bow and arrow set.  Well, at least Lacey was consistent.

Les and I made a solo flight to the toy store one evening.  The first thing he picked up was a rapid-fire Nerf gun.  "How 'bout this for Lacey," he asked.  

"What will you do when she shoots you in the face?" I replied.

"Take it away, of course," said Les.

"Then," I recommended, "don't waste your money!"

As we watched frantic customers shoving through the aisles and grabbing at toys, we decided we really didn't want to be a part of that.  We ended up going home and ordering a Kindle for Cassie and a Nintendo DS for Lacey.

In mid-December, the girls helped with the toy sorting and gift giving at church.  The adults marveled at how efficient the girls have become.  But, after all, the kids are the toy experts.

Sorting toys at church

The weekend before Christmas, the Dale City fire station brought Santa aboard a fire truck to visit Gaby.  Because Gaby has been receiving chemotherapy, she has to stay at home to protect her immune system.  Santa's arrival was a very special treat for the neighborhood children too.

Santa and Mrs. Claus

As Christmas break approached, I felt a little frantic.  I still had baking to do, a house to clean, and gifts to wrap.  I just wanted to get through the last couple days of school and tackle everything that waited at home.  I had agreed to let my students have a party the last day before the break.  I was very impressed with their resourcefulness.  They called around town to find a restaurant that would have pupusas and saltenas prepared by 9:00 a.m.  Then, they tasked the one student in the class who has wheels to pick up the food.  This student owns a motorcycle, not a car.  So, I'm not sure how he managed to get all the food to school.  The students presented me with a card that read, "For a Priest Who's a Special Blessing."  Clearly a little something got mixed up in translation.  But, the sentiment was genuine.  

Later, I was telling Lacey about the party.  "But," I concluded, "my students are sad about the holiday break."

"Why?" asked Lacey, thinking my students must be insane. 

"Well," I explained, "most of them don't have family in the U.S.  They will miss their friends and teachers at school."

"I think you feel sad for them," Lacey said.  This became the "wow" moment for me, when I heard the angels singing and felt the heat from the star that was shining so brightly.  Lacey had demonstrated genuine, sincere empathy!  This was my greatest Christmas gift.

We spent Christmas Eve with Gladis, Julio and Gaby.  As you can see by our masks, we were working hard to protect Gaby from any possible sniffle or cough, because she was preparing for surgery on the 26th.

Cassie and Gaby playing

Me with Gaby

The girls setting up the table we got for Gaby

Gaby thought Les was Santa.  She kept pointing at him and saying Ho! Ho! Ho!

Gladis, Gaby and Julio

Lacey and her electronics

Cassie and her electronics

 The girls responded well to our desire to keep things simpler.  Cassie wrote and illustrated poems for us.  Lacey used her alphabet beads to make a necklace that spelled Cassie's name.  "Now," Lacey explained, "all of your teachers will know your name!"  The name thing has been so troubling for Cassie that I even blogged about it.  How very clever of Lacey!

Yesterday, Gaby had her surgery.  The doctor removed the tumors from her kidneys and was able to save the remaining healthy pieces of her kidneys.  We are now anxiously waiting for her kidneys to heal and start working.  Gladis and Julio are grateful for all the prayers from friends and family members.

Gaby wearing the hat that Cassie made for her