Everyone at school is preparing for our Christmas pageant, each teacher deciding what their grade will perform. Seventh grade has been practicing "All I Want for Christmas is You." It's such a difficult song to sing that I have been rehearsing it with them during my resource periods for their class. After trying to teach the song for 45 minutes, I think it's safe to say that I've become quite familiar with Mariah Carey's voice. Besides that song, which I've decided I do like, every grade is working on something. Third grade is singing "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree," and eighth grade is dancing to a pop song. In Prepa we are singing a reindeer-themed version of the hokey pokey, "The Reindeer Pokey," that I found online. I figured it would easy enough to learn since we regularly sing the hokey pokey, and then we'd dress all the kids up with antlers and tails and red noses. Now I get to make 30 sets of antlers this weekend. The kids are having trouble saying hooves and antlers, though, so worst case scenario they'll just look like lost little reindeer.
The thing about all this Christmas is that I've never done it before. I have never actually celebrated Christmas to the extent that is expected here. I feel fairly under-qualified to be planning the Prepa portion of the Christmas pageant, to be decorating and hanging the stockings that I decided we'd make in class, and to be explaining American Christmas traditions to eighth graders. That said, I'm also definitely under-qualified to be a teacher. And since I seem to be pulling that part off okay, I think I'll probably be able to manage this Christmas thing. I have to admit, though, that the stockings I cut out for my class to decorate were a bit misshapen. I then (joyfully - Christmas spirit?) spent an hour hanging them across my room.
Tomorrow we'll be making paper snowflakes. Snow is a topic that I feel much more prepared to teach to my children - maybe because of my Minnesotan upbringing or something. Last week we started talking about snow. I showed them photos of my house in a snowstorm and then we drew pictures of houses upon which we painted snow. The kids had a great time, especially when I got silly and started painting some of their noses white. And then they got sillier and started painting their own and each other's faces. It ended with a bit of yelling, but cute as ever.I did consider teaching my kids about Hanukkah - for about half a minute. I even thought about having them be a menorah for the Christmas pageant. Then I realized just how confused they would be, especially on top of learning about that abstract concept of snow. That and the Honduran staff might've all had cows. So I've come to embrace what is likely my only chance ever to lead Christmas.
I have thirteen days left in Honduras. I can't really comprehend that right now. I've told my kids that I'll be leaving, and every day they ask me, "tomorrow you won't be here, right, Miss?" Learning a sense of time has not yet appeared on our curriculum. Some of the kids are sad at the news and express that every single day, some of them are excited, some of them could care less. I'm so going to miss each and every one of them. Their energy literally brightens my day every time I see them. I'm not quite sure how I'll manage without that. I'm now trying to stock up on cuddles every chance I get.
** Rat update: last week the rat was spotted in the kitchen one afternoon. Kris and Sebastian chased it out into the courtyard with a plastic badminton racket and a broom. They smashed it to death. Standing on chairs on the patio, Liz and I screamed loads. The rat was then flung out the front gate. As of now, no longer sure of the current rodent situation in our home.
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