Father Christmas and the 4th wise woman

So, today, big excitement, was Kitty's Christmas play and a party with a visit from Father Christmas.

The day started rather earlier than strictly neccesary as a certain visiting grandparent closed the toilet door with a resounding wallop and woke the kids at about 6.15. An exciting visitor outside the kitchen window provided the first excitement of the day. I'd estimate about 14cm across.

Grandfather, Kitty, the Mancub and I then piled into the car, picked up some school friends, and set off for the school assembly at 8.30.

There was time for a little excercise while costumes were being donned

For some this proved a bit much

And then we were into "The Fourth Wise Man", ecxept that it was actually a wise woman. Kitty narrated beautifully - a serious business

most of the time

Here is the wise woman, from Egypt

She isn't as rich as the wise men (obviously there were glass ceilings in wisdom careers in 1st century middle east) so she had to travel more slowly, on a donkey. She also gets held up along the way on several occasions, helping out lost sheep, travellers beaten up by thugs and lost and hungry children.

So, tragically, she arrives at the stable in bethlehem just 3 days too late and no one knows where the Holy Family have gone to so suddenly. Dejected she returns home to Egypt. Her son rushes out to greet her and tell her that a foreign family have unexpectedly taken up residence in their home....and so she gets to greet the new born King after all.

Which joyous news promted the 4th wise woman, the wise men, the angels, shepherds, inkeepers, sheep, lost children, narrator, Holy Family and all to burst into "Away in a Manger" and "Jingle Bells".

Phew. We needed a coffee after all that, so Grandfather, the Mancub and I headed off to the coffee lodge with my friend C and her two kids, including miracle baby Y, who seems as cheerful and active as ever

Revived, we headed back an hour later to join the Christmas party, complete with Father Christmas, who was very jolly and spoke with a strong Dutch accent. This one a great improvement on the Chritmas fair disappointment and Kitty was only too happy to chat to him

A wonderful morning.