School concert

Tonight was Mikey's last ever school Christmas concert. This time next year he'll be at secondary school so the days of the Nativity play will be over. I didn't feel a twinge of sadness, though, just relief, if I'm honest. The children seem to spend so much time rehearsing and learning their lines that I do think their education suffers a little, even though it probably is part of the curriculum. The teachers always look stressed and most of the tinies in the front row (far too young for school in my opinion) just spend their time looking a bit dazed and confused albeit gorgeous in their angel costumes. All the parents and grandparents were squeezed onto teeny tiny chairs that made our bums go numb, straining to hear the words and follow the story.

For years now I've been saying that I'd love to see the Reception Year do the classic Nativity scene while the rest of the school sing carols (always brings a lump to my throat) and us parents can join in. Preferably while sipping some mulled wine in a church full of candles and twinkling lights on the last afternoon of term. Perfect! But no. We have to sit through some convoluted story that we can't make head nor tail of while our attention wanders to all the things that need doing at this busy time of year!

I always examine the costumes and thank goodness that Mikey hasn't been cast as a King or some weird character that involves a lot of sewing. One year the whole school had to wear Hawaiian clothes - try tracking down leis and brightly coloured shirts in the middle of December! Huh!