Seasonal Update

I have had this week off work, so really there is no excuse as to why I haven't put this post up earlier, except to say that I haven't been feeling well. No, no, please don't feel bad for me. I'm getting better! I went to the doctor, but as it turns out I got hit with 2 or 3 different virus (thanks a lot students!) and my body has been fighting it for about 2 weeks. Anyway, I'm on the road to recovery now, and I realized a new post is long overdue.

So, to finish up Christmas at Pointers School, here is a bit of report on our last day of the term. That entire day was devoted to having a party - from the magician in the morning, to party food for lunch, games, and Father Christmas bringing presents. What a day! Below is a short video of two games the kids like to play... one is muscial statues. Basically, the kids just dance until the music stops. They have to freeze immediately and whoever moves or doesn't freeze quickly enough is out. They were quite funny! The other is a game called Pass the Parcel. A gift is wrapped in multiple layers, with each layer have a sweet (piece of candy) in the middle. As the music is played, the parcel is passed like a hot potato around the circle. Whoever has it when the music stops, gets to upwrap a layer and keep the sweet inside. When it gets to the last layer, the person gets to keep the gift!

For a few other updates... On the night before Micah's birthday, we went to a special ceremony at the Tower of London at 9:30pm. It is called the Ceremony of the Keys - tickets are free, but in order to get them you have to write by post (no e-mails or phone calls) at least 2 months in advance, stating the date you wish to attend and including a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Talk about a process! Anyway, I was quite interested and went throughth formalities of getting us a couple of tickets. What a cool ceremony! It has been going on for over 700 years - no one is quite sure when it started. But they do the same ceremony (words scripted and everything - only the secret password is changed) every night to lock up the Tower of London, where the Crown Jewels are kept. No photographs or videos were allowed, so if you'd like to see this special event, you'll just have to come on over!! By the way, this ceremony has continued without fail every day, regardless of weather or war - it was only late one night - by 6 minutes, when the Tower was bombed during WWII. The beefeaters (the wardens of the Tower) immediately sent a telegraph to the king apologizing for being late! They take their job seriously! It was fun to be a part of that tradition.

~~

Unfortunately, we don't have a lot of Christmas decorations up this year... but what we do have warms my heart. So far, we've received some Christmas cards, which are up on our table, some of which came with photos - those go straight to the fridge! We LOVE photos because they are visual reminders of the people we love back home...

We also have one strand of Christmas lights above our sliding door... we found them brand new, still in the box, when we first moved into this flat and it was fun to put them up.

Thankfully we don't need decorations to share in the Christmas spirit and to be reminded of Christmas' true meaning! Besides that, London has decked its streets and set up trees in all of the squares, so we have much to look at and enjoy when we head into the city this evening...

I won't likely have another chance to post before Christmas, as tomorrow morning Micah and I are catching a flight to Italy! We'll be spending a few days in Rome before heading down via train to the Amalfi Coast. Then we'll be back up to Rome for New Year's Eve before flying back to London. We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Love, Micah and Becky