It was an interesting week this week with our Christmas Carol Challenge. Unfortunately the week started off with one of Matthew’s fish dying. Poor kid was very upset and said he did not feel like singing. He had just gotten his fish tank in November and was slowly adding fish to his tank. He was up to 6 and Tuesday morning when he went to feed them before school he noticed that one was on the bottom of the tank on its side, unmoving. I heard sobbing from upstairs and ran to see what was wrong. He was lying on his bed, head in his pillow crying for the little fish that had died. It was so sad.
Of course fish die, but Matthew is a really sensitive young man who gets quite upset when any animal is hurt or killed (he had a caterpillar earlier in the Fall that didn’t make it and was quite upset then as well). I assured him that we would find out what happened and get him another fish. This did little to console him but there was not much else I could do. I encouraged him to get up and get going to school but he turned to me with tears in his eyes and said “How can I go to school when my fish has died?” My heart went out to him.
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
I took him to the bus anyway encouraging him to sing Santa Claus is Coming to Town with me, hoping that would lift his spirits a little. He did not join in but that’s ok, he needed to be where he was at and I hoped that at least my singing would make him feel better. Plus I love that song and know all the words!
I’m finding it quite fun to be out in the dark early morning singing at the top of my lungs. Except for this day, Matthew has been joining me as well. The odd time we run into someone else out there who smiles and waves as we go by, but usually we are out there alone ‘dancing’ our way to the bus.
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
This week we sang Joy to the World, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, and Baby it’s Cold Outside (it was a lovely duet!).
Usually I ask Matthew the day before what song he would like to sing in the morning, so if we need to learn or print off words that we can do so. Matthew did comment on the way to the bus on Thursday that it was hard to read the words in the dark! (come on Winter Solstice, then it will start to get lighter in the mornings) I laughed as I knew this was why I had suggested that we learn the words prior to the morning of. Either way it’s all good and we are enjoying ourselves, laughing and singing in the bright morning air.
It’s hard to believe that this is the last week of school before Christmas and that our challenge is almost done. I think we’ll continue our daily singing up until Christmas as we have some long car rides to fill, plus it’s fun, and I want to see how many more carols we can come up with!
Joy to the World
