Here are the Christmas lists our boys wrote out for Santa this year:

Calfgrit7, (our first-grader):

Calfgrit10, (our fifth-grader):

All of us in the Grit family hope Santa brings you all you wish for this year. Have a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

Bullgrit
Wifegrit
Calfgrit10
Calfgrit7

Wifegrit suggested I post this photo. She didn’t explain why she thought it would be good to post, but the more I sit here and look at it, the more it just makes me smile.

This is me and Calfgrit6, (obviously), taking a break from walking around a local park back in August. We were watching squirrels run around on the ground and up into the trees. (That’s why he’s looking down and I’m looking up).

It has taken me a few minutes of looking at this pic to figure out just exactly what about it I like. I mean, it’s pretty plain, with no action, and we’re not even facing the camera. But I’ve finally grasped what is so interesting about it, to me: it’s the contrast in our sizes. With CG6 standing up on the bench, we don’t just look short and tall, we look small and big. He’s like a little mini me, (no reference to the Austin Powers movie intended).

Bullgrit

Calfgrit10 will be going into middle school, (6th grade), starting this summer. The school we’re assigned to had its open house for incoming students this week, and we took our soon-to-be 11 year old over for a look into his next big step. We left Calfgrit7 with his grandmother so we could give CG10 our full attention.

We sat through the welcome and introduction by the school principle, watched a short video about the school, and then walked around in the school. The various clubs had tables and rooms set up to present their subjects, and the visitors crowded the hallways. There were a few clubs/organizations that stood out to me.

The military, (at least the Marines), have a JROTC in middle school? I thought military recruitment didn’t start till high school. I don’t remember it in my middle school years. I don’t have any problem with the military, (I have respect for it/them), but middle school just seems a bit young to start officer recruitment.

There are two reading clubs: Guys Read and Chicklit. Yes, it’s actually called “Chicklit.” We, of course, had to check out the Guys Read club. It’s funny, but Calfgrit10 has already read all but one of the books the club had out on the table as examples. Hanging from the wall beside the table was a t-shirt with, “The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword. But Sword Fights are Pretty Cool.” I wish I had thought of that for a t-shirt.

We also checked out the Science Club. This club had an entire room for its displays. There were several experiments for the kids to play around with, a video showing on the wall screen, and the teacher was the “very excited, so cool” cliche. He waved his arms a lot, danced, sang, and did his best to make “Science!” exciting. This was funny too, because Calfgrit10 is already very interested in science, but he is not at all interested in anyone singing and dancing and making it “Cool!”.

After visiting the clubs, we three walked around to find the cafeteria and gymnasium. CG10 wanted to compare everything to what he was used to at elementary school. He seemed satisfied that middle school wasn’t some strange and terrifying institution that he’d be lost in.

Later, he asked why there were so many clubs and activities at middle school. Wifegrit explained how they are for learning more about interests, and then she added, “It also helps kids stay out of trouble.”

Calfgrit10 asked, “What kind of trouble?”

Wifegrit realized she probably said more than she needed to with him, (we have no worries of him getting into trouble), and she didn’t want to put any ideas into his head, so she kind of . . . oh, well . . . just . . . nothing you need to worry about . . . avoided giving a direct answer.

Calfgrit10 looked at her sincerely, and reassured her, “Don’t worry Mom, I’m never going to drink soft drinks. I know they’re not good for me.”

Bullgrit

A church in our area holds an interactive play each year during the Christmas season: Journey to Bethlehem. We’ve gone four times over the past several years; last night was our fourth annual visit. It’s become a bit of a family tradition that both our boys look forward to.

We get to the church “campus” around 6:00 in the evening, stand outside in the long line waiting to get into the fellowship hall for hotdogs and snacks, and then wait some more for our turn to enter the event. Once our group is called up, (everyone is divided into groups of a dozen or so), we hook up with a guide who explains the premise of the event.

The cast and set throughout the church depict the ancient people and town of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. There is a rumor going around about the birth of a new king and savior, and our guide takes us through the Jerusalem marketplace where we can hear some of the rumors. We can also buy little stuff, (small snacks and trinkets), here with the “shekels” given to each visitor for participation.

Then the tour goes on to King Herod’s court where we witness the king’s distress over the rumors.

The path to each scene is through the corridors of various church buildings — it’s a pretty big campus — hung with curtains to look like the stone walls of ancient streets and paths.

The story takes travelers out of Jerusalem, and on to Bethlehem. On the road, we find the magi camped outside the small town.

After hearing the wisemen, we go through a few scenes in Bethlehem, all directing us, eventually, outside to the fields to look for the shepards…

where we witness angels in the sky.

After another couple of scenes, tracking down the rumors of the new baby, we eventually end up in the stables where Joseph, Mary, and the baby everyone is talking about are found.

(Each year, it looks like they have a real baby, but how they manage to keep it peaceful and sleeping through every group’s visit, I just don’t know.)

After this last scene, the group exits the church, and we go home.

Most of the cast, (all volunteers from the church congregation, from what I’m told), do pretty well with their parts. And all the staff outside the actual scenes, (mostly before each tour), also do a really good job. Overall, it’s a pretty cool event. It’s run smoothly and professionally, and we’ve never had a bad time. The only unfun part is the sometimes very long wait in the line outside to get inside. But the discomfort there is purely due to the December weather — was 55-65 degrees the day before our visit, but 35-45 degrees the day of.

Bullgrit