The School Carol Service

It's one of the highlights of the year, isn't it? Any school production is lovely, seeing your little ones up on stage, brings a lump to your throat and a tear to your eye doesn't it? But there is always something extra special about the Christmas plays or services. Everyone is winding down after a long and tiring term, the halls are filled with decorations and twinkling Christmas trees. It is a special time.

Well tonight was my two boys' Carol Service. The school always puts on a nice show; a mixture of singing, poems, readings and the Reception class always shout their way through a small nativity. They get parents to buy Poinsettias and dedicate them in memory of lost loved ones and use them to fill the hall, which is truly beautiful.

This year, the children all came in hand in hand in small groups lead by an older pupil carrying a candle. It was a lovely start to the service and then in swaggers L my youngest son. No, he can't walk in quietly and slowly, he charges up the aisle dragging his poor partner from Reception like he's a rag doll and then the entertainment begins.

I love my son very, very much, but whoever put him at the front on the stage, was crazy! All of the other parents are sat dewy eyed and transfixed by their children, me and my mum on the other hand were in hysterics pretty much for the whole service.

I wish I had been able to video him and show you. He is not capable of sitting still. He rarely sits down at home, preferring to play pretend rugby with himself, which is an art in itself.  He managed to sit quietly on the stage for about fifteen seconds and then he starts leaning at an almost right angle to the side to nudge his friend. He starts pushing said friend who is stony faced and trying to ignore him.  Then they have to stand up for a song.  Well, he had obviously been told to lift his shoulders and open his mouth wide.  He starts off quite enthusiastically and then drifts off, realises what he should be doing and spends the whole song lifting his shoulders and eyebrows dramatically and opening his mouth as wide as he can.  I don't even think he's actually singing.

Second song and out comes the dance.  He is a very enthusiastic little soul and loves wiggling and jiggling and so now he is gyrating his hips round and round to the rhythm of the song.  Not quite the intention by the writer of Once in Royal David's City methinks!

During one of the readings, he evidently has an itchy nose and so spends the whole time (very) dramatically rubbing his nose and finally starts punching his nose and then falls backwards off his bench!  His older brother, who is in the year above and is much more mature and sensible, had a reading which he has been practising so much over the last few days that I know it off by heart, had a mental block in the middle of it.  The whole room held its collective breath and I could here L chuckling in the background.  Always the supportive brother!

The child is a comedy genius without knowing it.  He is quite famous for it as when he was in Reception, he had the important role of a donkey and kept playing the air guitar through all of the carols and songs, which amused all of the parents that time, not just me!  I don't think anyone really noticed him this evening, but he is definitely one of life's more colourful and entertaining characters!