christmas fun with 30 kids

Christmas morning did not provide the relaxed, leisurely breakfast we usually think of (and have!), nor did it leave us walking around the house in slippered feet sipping hot chocolate or cider.  No, Christmas morning this year was hurrying our kids to scarf down some cereal so we could hop in a taxi to make it to Emma's school by 8:50am.  Oh my.  8:50am on Christmas morning....

But anyway, we were all excited so it was ok.  We started this quasi-tradition last year when we visited a preschool and talked about the Christmas story and did a little craft and passed out Christmas "gifts".  It was really fun, though last year we didn't do it at Emma's school (she wasn't yet in school at that time) and it didn't really lead to as many relationships as we had hoped.  

This year, we were looking forward to doing it at Emma's school, and even though we had heard that no parents were coming, I was excited about meeting more of Emma's friends.  

We actually made it to school by 8:50 and I started unpacking my things.  I started out by telling a version of the Christmas story that can be 1)understood by four-year-olds who have not ever heard a shred of the Christmas story before and 2) can be said by me, in Asianese.  =)  You can tell they are all listening with rapt attention. Why don't my kids do that?  hee hee

In case you missed it, I'm the one in the front with the big fat red sweater on...

We brought out the visual aids next -  a manger scene where every child (yes, every one of the 35 children) got to contribute and add something to it.  I had done some serious cutting in the last few days!)
Here's our completed manger scene - hey, the Book says the sky was full of angels, right?  This is the most angels I've ever seen in ANY rendition of a manger scene.  I do have a knack for biblical accuracy....  hahahahaha  There also happen to be lots of shepherds who look amazingly alike, as well as lots of fluffy sheep.  But hey, that's how it goes when you've gotta give something to 35 kids.  
The visual aid was great - it gave them a much better sense of what I was talking about.  Our next activity was to make angels from wooden spoons.  This is an interesting activity for Asianese people because you are using a wooden spoon for nothing other than a craft.  I have one friend who liked the idea so much, she made the same craft with kids at a birthday party...except several of the moms took the spoons home to use to serve rice with instead of letting their kids make the craft!  (aim, it was yl!! hahaha!)  So there was a bit of surprise that I had bought 35 wooden spoons just for the kids to color on, but whatever.  It was fun and it cost like, ten bucks.  All the kids lined up at their little tables and started coloring the wings and angel dress.
Then we needed some serious tape to attach wings, halos and clothing.  Here is the tape station, manned by red-sweater-lady and several other helpful moms.  (I had not expected any parents, but seven or eight moms showed up - it was the perfect number for me!  Just enough people to get acquainted with and make friends with!)
Paper plates cut in half made the wings...
pipe cleaners were the halos, and with the clothing taped on, this is the finished product:
This is Emma's best friend (they sit next to each other at table #3):
The kids were SO proud of their angels!
Ok, now everyone!  Show us your angels!
Then all the angels got laid down because the school had provided a big fat honkin cake...
...isn't it interesting?  all lime green with some kind of brown house-structure on top?  That's how it goes at the bakery here, I tell ya...
But what kid at 10am is going to refuse cake?  They had a great time eating and playing and smearing icing all over their faces and getting to do things that were out of the normal routine. 

Here's Emma and Mantha with the three teachers in her class.  She was not thrilled about those puffy white things in her hair (some mom gave them to her as a gift and forced her to wear them; I think emma thought they looked weird.  I agreed.)
All in all, it was a great chaotic morning.  Everyone had a good time, I've already met up with several of the moms that were there, and almost all the adults commented to me - "It was so great to hear the real meaning of Christmas. We've never really known why christmas was celebrated!"  I'll take that over a leisurely christmas breakfast any day!