Advent calendars and Nativity plays

Today was our first practice in church of our impending Nativity play. Doing it in the school hall is too easy. It's far more challenging to erect the stage in the hall to practice for two weeks, then to dismantle it and take it down the road to the church, walk the children down there each day to practice further, dismantle it again for the week-end's services before setting it up again next Monday morning for our first performance in the afternoon.
However, I digress. My job is the music, which entails manipulating a console which makes Dr Who's Tardis look like childsplay, so I spent most of my time getting to grips with that. "See, you're enjoying it!" says the 33 year old PPA teacher. "Imagine - learning something new at your age," he continued before hopping around in howls of agony as I stamped on his foot. (No, not really - not in front of the children.)
In addition, I was darting out to the front to ensure that the children sang the right verses in the right order, rather than following their natural inclination to repeat the first verse each time.
Where it did get slightly challenging, however, was when the Reception teacher suddenly announced in my ear that one of her children had had an 'accident' and she would have to take him back to school to change him, so would I mind assembling the shepherds and then the wise men in the right order ready to make their entrance? - with my second pair of hands, of course.
By this time, having lost the will to live, I just nodded silently and hoped that enough of them would remember of their own accord.
Oh what fun we had!
Back at school, the children were just getting ready to go home when one of the boys noticed that some little so and so had attacked our Advent calendars (two as it's a large class), ripped open several of the flaps and made off with the chocolates.
A job for Sherlock Holmes tomorrow...


8 comments:

Ellee Seymour said...

Hi Jennyta, I hope your school is not too afraid to stage a traditional nativity. I miss those days now my sons have grown up.

Yorkshire Pudding said...

Actually I found that doing it in the school hall was never easy - especially when the headteacher was whisking by in his academic cape. It rather put one off.

Sounds like your nativity planning/rehearsal is going swimmingly well... Just keep taking the pills - something Mary should have thought of then we wouldn't be having all this palaver.

Yorkshire Pudding said...

You are hereby tagged! See my last post - Thirteen! PLEASE CO-OPerate!

Jennytc said...

Yes, Ellee, it does tell the Nativity story.
YP - what's it worth??? (Yes, of course I will, maybe not immediately though but ASAP)

Rosie said...

Don't you just love it?. The little darlings make sure there is never a dull moment for us don't they?. My school is so big we had three nativity plays this year. Reception, Yr 1 and Yr 2 all put on their interpretations. Thankfully no major incidents.

Jennytc said...

It all went well in the end, Rosie, but I'm so glad it's over! Only 5 days to freedom!

Michelle said...

Happy New Year!
May 2008 bring you good health and happiness :o)

Jennytc said...

You too, Michelle!

Plaster board and dust

So, we're still no further forward on the British Gas smart meter front and I've given up making non-existent appointments with them...