It's that time of year.....

The kids are out of school. For nearly a MONTH. What are we going to do?? Well, let's see what's been going on lately.

Last week I was at the school for the holiday program in the Fine Arts Theater (yes, they shorten it to FAT). I went for the 8:30 program of the ECLC, 2nd and 4th graders. At 10:30, there was another program of the school choirs, and then in the afternoon a program of 1st, 3rd and 5th graders. Well, I should have just spent the day there, because when the kids got home, they were all abuzz about the other programs and how funny some of the songs were and how I really should have been there. How was I supposed to know!? Anyhow, I saw Rebecca on stage doing her lantern song and then the 2nd graders did a song in Dutch. Katherine even took the mic at one point to tell everyone where the name Santa Claus originated.
Then yesterday there was the party for Rebecca's class where they made snowglobes, did a book exchange in the form of a treasure hunt, and played snowball alley. Who thinks snowball alley (2 rows of kids with balls, facing each other while other kids run between them and try not to get pounded) is a good idea? And today was a party in Katherine's classroom, with pass the parcel and a Christmas quiz of questions that I had no clue what the answers were. Katherine guessed more of them right than anyone in our group, but since majority ruled she got outvoted and we lost several of the points. But hey, our team won against the three others, getting 6 of the 10 questions right. how many of you knew that the first Saint Nicholas was from Turkey and that people exchange Christmas gifts in Guatemala on the 2st of January? Nope, we didn't either.
Aside from kid parties we have the typical Embassy holiday parties (no kids allowed) that are in full swing. So far Ian has been to the consular section work party, and tomorrow will be at the Embassy wide work party (complete with skits). We have both gone to the Consul General's party at his home in a spacious penthouse in the center of Makati. Sunday is the Ambassador's holiday party. Monday is the party by the Chief of the Joint United States Military Assistance Group (JUSMAG, yes, like orange juice), but I think just Ian will be attending that one as we have no childcare set up.