So, it’s Christmas time around here.

Last night, Molly and I strolled over to the church at half-seven,  and the line of cars was 20+ cars long each way leading up to the round-about next to the Church. The parents of Scoil Mhuire filled the Church around their children who had prepared with the teachers at school and Kurt and Jess’ persistent teaching of Christmas Carols. With Kurt on the trigger at the slideshow computer and Jess on the keys (with accordion accompaniment!?), the kids put on their 45-minute show, a combination of sung carols, carols played by a musical ensemble, and an abridged version of A Christmas Carol. Needless to say, I have never heard so much applause, been surrounded by so much chitter-chatter, or seen so many people packed into our Church of the Annunciation.

After a successful show, we slid over to the Community Centre to join the Clonard Youth Group for a second week. It was the Christmas party night for the senior club, so we joined them for catered food from a Chinese restaurant and the chipper. The girls got a few kids playing board games with them while Kurt and I made friends with a couple of the young lads talking about everything from football to Adam Sandler. It appears that it will be a gradual process to get acquainted with the group because, for better or worse, they’re a high-energy, short-attention-span bunch that is just coming to aimlessly hang out. Stay tuned because we’re gonna keep hanging out with them once they resume after the holidays.

Kurt squeezed another bit of fun into the day yesterday, stopping in at the Menapians Athletic Club’s winter olympic night. He got to help the kids warmup and then spot them as they “long jumped” off a spring board as well as some sprints, hurdles, and relay races. The highlight from Kurt: a young man who during his approach to the spring board exclaimed, “I’m really scared about this!” Kurt continues his quest to outrun the Irish competition in the County Senior 10k race this Sunday. Kurt and I are also planning on entering the Wexford Half Marathon in April, and we will likely have our dear friend Fr. Sean entering with us.

We are going to head out to lunch together shortly and then make our way over to the St. Vincent de Paul hall. I’ve enlisted my housemates’ help in assisting the conference – of which I am a member for the year – with sorting Christmas toys donated by local businesses so that the gifts can be bundled with the food vouchers and other assistance that the organization will be passing on to local families this weekend. Then, after Folk Group rehearsal tonight, Jess and Kurt will join the Scoil Mhuire faculty for their Christmas party.

And perhaps the most important bit of news, our kitchen was ELFed this week. We were vandalized by the infamous H & H jr., who left us the following warnings with their mess:

“Nerds, it’s cold on the windowsill”

AND

“Nerds, feed us gingerbread people, or we’ll tell Santa to stay home”

Here is the evidence of their carnage…