It's Christmas time - traditions and such

Posted this on the "Front Porch" of Kentucky Sports Report, so I'm double-dipping, I guess. But just seemed more appropriate here than there, anyway. The question was asked about the various holiday traditions, and this was what I wrote about my own family's holiday traditions at this time of year.

We load up the RV and head to cousin.....no, that was a movie. I think having the septic tank pumped Monday made me think I was cousin Eddie.

Our traditions are pretty basic, but they work for us.

On Christmas Eve, we head to a children's church service at 4:30. Would love to go downtown to the Mass Mick mentioned, but somehow we're always preoccupied right now at midnight. Probably anxious about Santa, I guess.

Afterwards, we have dinner with close friends of ours at an Italian restaurant. Has been Macaroni Grill for several years, but this year it's a new place over by where Mick lives that is supposed to be very good. Reservations for 13 (my family of 7, and theirs of 6).

We arrive back home--kids are always anxious to get this done very quickly--because when we come back home, we have "family" Christmas exchanging of gifts. The big day is still Christmas Day and Santa, but this is a good warmup act, with extended family gifts being opened, the kids who drew each others' names (one for each) give their gifts, and my wife and I give the kids our one--and only--gift that we give them each Christmas. I give my wife heck about this, but I am very proud of this tradition.

We give each child an ornament. It's a nice ornament, usually something from Waterford, Lenox, something like that, always dated, sometimes signed, whatever. My oldest child has 20 of them from us, and this year will be # 21. Each year my wife spends weeks looking for the perfect ornament, and we buy 8 of them--5 for our kids, and 3 for godchildren. Our stupid ornament bill is crazy each year (they can range up to about $40 each!), which is why I give my wife heck, but the kids look forward to what theirs will be each year, and they are put away so that they will have them for when they begin their lives away from ours, and hopefully continue that tradition.

Christmas Day is for Santa, and contrary to when I was growing up, Santa generally wraps all the gifts. I'd be interested in seeing what Santa does at your house--I know he varies from place to place. When I was a kid, it was like "excitement overload" coming into our den, and seeing all the gifts immediately. Our kids are like those time-controlled capsules, where the excitement is parcelled out gift by gift.

The kids and their parents have a deal we strike on Christmas Eve on what time they will get up. A few days prior to Christmas Eve, we try to acclimate them to staying up late and getting up late. You may note that last night I took my 9-year old and 10-year old to the UAB Butler game. Then took them to have blizzards at Dairy Queen thereafter, and they went to bed at 11. They slept in a little today, and will stay up late tonight, and then again, on Christmas Eve, with church, dinner out, then presents, it'll be a little late again.

Christmas Day we have sausage balls, Dr. Pepper (well, for some), cheese balls, and any holiday fare you'd want for breakfast, including cake, because, hey, it's Christmas. The kids don't overdo that because they think anything like that is a treat anyway. For me, Santa usually brings me a box of chocolate covered cherries. I've always loved them, never buy them, and only get it once a year. So guess what I'll be having to accompany my breakfast?

At some point during the day, naps will ensue--I usually read a book beginning at this time, or sometimes, I'll take a drive out myself just to enjoy 45 minutes or hour driving around with almost nobody else out. I usually combine it with finding a place that has a newspaper, or getting batteries Santa forgot to get, or whatever. If somebody wants to ride with me, they can, but usually toys or naps prevail over getting in the car, so it's time I have to myself to think about everything, give some private thanks and appreciate the many blessings that have been bestowed. My heart will be a little heavy this year without the normal telephone call to my Mom, but I'll probably have a little chat with her during that drive, too.

We'll have turkey, broccoli cheese casserole, green bean casserole, and some normal family favorites for "dinner," which will be around 2:00 usually. Turkey is a Bates house of turkey fully cooked smoked turkey, courtesy of the place I teach on Tuesday nights. They have one delivered to me each year, Fed Ex'd in dry ice in a styrofoam cooler, and it is greatly appreciated by my family.

This year we'll add some packing for the trip to the Music City Bowl, as we'll be leaving the next morning.

That's about it. I miss the old time trips we used to make to either my parents or my wife's parents, but as time evolved, with all of our kids and their activities, friends, etc., it just seemed that it was time for us to create our own traditions.

A performing week from Monday through Friday

OK, so I lied--my next post is actually.....right now. Waiting on my daughter to finish work tonight so I can pick her up, so why not add some lagniappe--a little something extra, like that fist-bump fireworks on the McDonald's commercial?

Side note--is it sad that I can't remember watching television, but I remember a TV commercial? Sad.

Anyway, Monday night was the Oak Mountain High School Christmas Choral performance. Much fun and joy spread in that show, which I have attended seven consecutive years. This year is special for us, as Sarah is performing in Chanter (the women's show choir) and Con Brio (the mixed show choir), as she did last year, but Andrew is also performing in the Craftsmen (the men's show choir). What a joy it is to have a child in all 3 performing show choirs!

Chanter is doing a tribute to ABBA, "Mamma Mia," and they have a lot of fun. I love that music, particularly live--I have a Dream, Mamma Mia, S.O.S., Take a Chance on Me, and Dancing Queen were all performed Monday. The Craftsmen have a Pirates theme--interesting to see them weave in songs like "Shake your Booty," "Larger than Life," "Everybody, Rock Your Body," and "Come Sail Away." Con Brio's is a modern theme--Black Eyed Peas, Katy Perry, Coldplay, Bush Kevin Rudolf, etc. Love seeing the girls sing hot-n-cold; the entire group singing Boom, Boom, Pow (wasn't sure about it until I saw it, then loved it right away).

First competition is January 16th this year, I think, in Montgomery. They also do Albertville and Homewood this year. They competed in Montgomery last year--their first time there--and Albertville and Homewood will be new venues for them, dropping longstanding Auburn and Opelika competitions. Closer for us, but I will miss the Auburn show choir festival especially. We had some great trips down there, and a lot of family fun.

Collin stepped up to the plate today and had several songs he acted as "cantor" for today at the Children's Mass in school. He auditioned for it a couple of weeks ago, and was selected, and had a lot of "mike time" today. He has a very good voice, but is a little tentative right now. You could see his confidence growing with each song, though. He enjoyed it, and felt proud later.

And then we finished off tonight with the Alabama Stage Door performance (see my post from long, long, ago--maybe 30 minutes).

The one thing that I missed that I enjoyed last year was Caitlin's voice jury at Alabama. She has been lucky to find a spot each semester to take voice classes at the University. Had to audition to get in--it's for non-music majors, but there are limited spots--and I believe she has had these lessons, or classes, each semester, or maybe every one except one. Basically "free" voice lessons, which she enjoys. Her end of semester voice jury this year was Monday at 4:15, and we could not get to Tuscaloosa and back in time for eveerything, so we had to miss it. Hopefully she will get more chances to do that before she graduates, and we will be able to fit it in.

Tomorrow we're back to sports, as Rachel's basketball team attempts to bounce back from an opening 50-10 loss last week. They played a WNBA team, or so it seemed. I'll have to post a pic of Rachel attempting to guard a player more than a head taller than her, or being sandwiched between two 7-footers. When I post the picture, you'll know there's not much exaggeration.

Hope to have more blog posts through the rest of this month. Would like to get 1-2 a week in, but it seems I can never do that, so I end up making these monsterously long posts that nobody would want to read, anyway. Doesn't matter, I still enjoy writing them.

Til next time.

Premiere of Alabama Stage Door - The Red Nosed Revue

Had a very nice time tonight at an unusual setting, the North Shelby County Library. Tonight was the official opening performance of the Alabama Stage Door, a brand new community theater company organized by friends and catering to the talent in Birmingham, but particularly, North Shelby County.

Expected to enjoy a little light Christmas fare tonight, with low expectations. Instead, was treated to a night with some very heavy-hitters in talent, and a show that zipped by oh-too-quickly.

Yes, it had moments of home-spun, "we're family, and we're kinda putting this together as we go along." But all in all, just a great bunch of people, with some extraordinary voices and talents being shared to put all in the Christmas Spirit--and hopefully, give a nice boost to Alabama Stage Door and their goal of their first full-fledged show in June, 2010.

As usual, my blog wouldn't be complete, it seems, without a reference to my children. And today was no exception, as Rachel had the distinct honor of being the first performer ever to perform for the fledgling company, as she took center stage with her sweet rendition of "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Yes, she just got music this afternoon for it. No, she did not rehearse it until today. Yes, she gave Donner a son in Santa's team, as she mentioned Donner twice (Sr. and Jr.?) and sat Comet out for this ride. But proudly went front and center in a small room (is there any more nerve-wracking?) and did a terrific job.

Her friend Casey (Colin-The Secret Garden; Chip-Beauty and the Beast Annie-Annie, Jr.) was in the show and did a great job, too. But the show wasn't a "kid's show," although there were a frew sprinkled here and there. Great Birmingham adult talent, emceed by Mike Bridges, was wonderful. I don't mean to leave anybody out, but will mention a few--Susan Cook, who we met when she played the lead role in Beauty and the Beast with Rachel and Casey, had a couple of numbers that were excellent. An acapella group of seven--the Augmented Seventh, a group of UAB Singers, were tremendous. David Coker and Tommy McDowell did a duet of "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" that would do broadway and the big screen proud. The show ended with a flourish, with "Santa Baby" from Susan Cook, "Merry Christmas, Darling" from Emily Lunsford and "I'll be Home for Christmas," sung a capella by the powerfully-voiced Clay Boyce, was a terrific way to end the show. My apologies to all of the other wonderfully talented performers who contributed to the show as well.

I especially enjoyed Mike Bridges and a "special guest" in which he and Kermit the Frog sang, "I'll have a Green Christmas." I remember him doing that way-back-when my oldest child--now a junior in college--was in middle school or so. Haven't seen it since then, but it was as good as I remembered, and a big hit with the little ones in the audience.

Terrific show, certainly got the money's worth, a mere pittance of a donation for 2 hours of live entertainment at 1/4th to 1/3rd the cost of a typical show.

I wish Alabama Stage Door the very best. Good people involved, including Donna Corneil, who has such a great part in insuring successes of shows at OLV, and now Alabama Stage Door, Kathy Ellis, MikeBridges, Dava Fant and others. Community theater is tough, and right now may be especially tough. But if somebody can make it work, these people can. Support your local theater groups the best you can, all of them, but keep your eyes out for Alabama Stage Door. They can use a little extra special boost to get started. Then again, can't we all?

Will have another post tomorrow. Stay tuned--more music and performance stuff.