Play Update

We had our Christmas pageant this morning, and we all more than survived the experience. A few of the poinsettas decking the front were plucked sparse by busy little fingers. The readers took turns from the choir loft. My son woke with an upset tummy this morning, and had such potent gas, I feared that should it come upon him in the choir loft, those in close proximity might be dehabilitated. But the 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders read their Scripture verses, and the Biblically clad characters stiffly mimed the actions on the stage.
"But he had no union with her until she had given birth to a son," read by my 8 year old boy, caused me to hold my breath for the ensuing questions. (no miming of this part) I've been bracing myself for the "what is have union with her?" mean. We are in the clear so far.
We were short on boys so we decided to have a burly Gabriel the archeangel this year. Alaskan daddy of 3, Isreal, was a hit, dressed in a rusted purple choir gown and sporting wings made of a coat hanger and white nylons. The baby Jesus doll turned up missing 5 minutes before starting, so Mary improvised, I learned later, and wrapped her webkins poodle in the swaddling clothes and laid it in the manger. A stray lamb gleefuly made laps around the group of angels and shepherds during the reading of Scene 5.
So despite my early angst, disorganisation and feelings of inadequacy, I've discovered, you really can't ruin a Christmas pageant. We had lots of new faces in the sanctuary, children got to read and reread portions from the Bible for their lines, and the beautiful caroles are now on their tongues ( or at least 2 verses of Away in the manger, the chorus to O Come all ye Faithful, and Go tell it on the Mountain). Some of the moms of teens looked dewey eyed watching the play. "I miss this," Eileen told me with earnestness. I felt incredulous at the moment, but I expect one day I will too.