working woman (alternate title: christmas comes early)

three days in and i'm still going to call them my little angels. i have preschool baby loves! we have one tantrum thrower, a couple of hitters, and plenty of snotty noses, but so far i love being around these little darlings.

monday and today (wed) we had seven kids. tuesday there were only two little girls (should be more next week!) i actually enjoy the more hectic activity. i've been singing silly made up songs, washing hands, changing dress up clothes, and eating fake food.

there have been multiple moments where it's felt just like babysitting. but today was a really good day. and i listen to them sing the little blessing i taught them on their own. i hear a parent tell me that his little two year old girl remembered my name at home after one day. i have one little boy make a beeline for my lap when he's eyes got droopy. and i know it's a ministry, that i'm getting to shape little ones. and gosh, i just love to be around them :)

sad news though--the lead teacher i'm working with was offered a full-time job elsewhere (in another career) so she'll be leaving after next week. i feel like we worked well together so i'll be sad to see her go. another change. i guess it just proves that old adage that the only constant thing is change. i'm learning to handle it.

monday was a long day since i went to the bookstore after preschool. it was a uneventful first day--i spent most of it reading a training manual. i'm looking forward to this weekend when i'll get a bit more training in. i hate that initial adjustment phase of learning how everything works and being the question-asker, but i think it will be a great work environment once i settle in.

and finally, christmas had indeed come early this year! last night was my first rehearsal with Carolina Voices, the community choir i decided to join. it was fabulous to sing again! i have this huge delicious folder of christmas music to learn, and gosh i haven't sang choral christmas pieces since high school (still love ya women's glee) and it's going to be fabulous! i also haven't memorized music since high school, which hopefully be like riding a bike--but we've got a lot to do. oooh and we're going to open the program with "O Come, O Come Emmanuel"--the lights gradually rising. when i was a high school freshman, our chamber choir did that and it was so haunting and beautiful and mesmerizing to watch that i've always wanted to open a concert with those deep sounds echoing in the darkness, then slowly growing warmer and lighter. by the time i made it to chamber in high school, that was off the program, but now it all works out anyway! (if you're still reading this senseless rambling, you truly are a friend :) the program will close with a simplistic version of "Silent Night." we closed our rehearsal with it last night, with everyone standing in a circle, listening to the harmonies, singing softly. we weren't even using the lyrics, but i noticed that they were not the traditional ones. i think that will let people really stop and listen to what the song is saying, and send them off with a reminder that the birth of Christ is what all the celebrating is for.

and with that aim in mind, i might let it slide that these alternate lyrics include a Euro-centric reference to baby Jesus's "golden" locks...riiiiight.