Santa is real. Ask the families at Immaculate Conception School in Alphabet City and they'll tell you. Seven years ago, their Santa visited the school for the first time. She watched the students in their uniform plaid line up quietly in the hallway and she waved and smiled as they passed-eyebrows raised towards this stranger. She turned to the principal, a nun in her 60s dressed in full habit, standing tall at 5 foot nothing.
"Give me the names of those children who will have nothing under the tree on Christmas morning."
The next day, this Santa received a fax with a list of 16 names-boys and girls with their ages and sizes beside them. She called a friend or 2 and they hopped in the car. As they drove towards the highway lined with every store imaginable, they made a plan. Each child would get a winter coat, pajamas, sweats and a nicer weekend outfit. Every child would get a book, a puzzle and a toy. At each store, they took their assignments and split up, meeting a half hour later, arms fully loaded. That evening, they called more friends.
"You don't have to shop, but can you chip in to help give these kids a Christmas?"
The bags piled high and it really did begin to look like the Santa's Workshop in those old claymation movies like Rudolph. Each item was tagged with a child's name, age and size, grouped together by family. Teenage sons and daughters wrapped each gift, and in abou ta week, the sleigh-ok, the van was loaded to head back to New York City.
The week after Christmas, this Santa had yet another note in the mail. Parents and children alike were thrilled and awed by this mystery Santa and her ability to provide the perfect gifts.
Over the years, the list has grown from 16 to 30 children. Every year, Santa and her elves climb into the car early in the morning, stop at Dunkin' Donuts for some fuel and share the magic of Christmas with those who need a reminder that Santa is real.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Thursday, December 14, 2006
T13
I am woefully behind in blogworld. I promise to catch up on all of your blogs very soon, but first I thought I'd do a T13 to catch you up on the 13 days since my last post.
1. The b-ball team is 2 and 0. The final score of the first game was 21-18. The second game finished at 28-27 in OverTime! We've only had one practice and it's pure chaos on the court. Tonight at practice, we plan on teaching the girls an actual offense and an inbounds play. We play our third game on Sunday, then we're off til 1/7.
2. I organized a successful scholarship reception for about 200 people. Later that evening, I read at the the College's annual Festival of Lessons and Carols--the night officially makes it feel like Christmas. It helped that there was a light snow swirling outside the chapel at the end of the night.
3. Last Saturday, I chopped down my very own Christmas tree. She's very Charlie Brown in stature...though much fuller than C.B.'s famous tree. 3 feet tall and about as wide as she is tall, but just perfect. Next Friday when I head home, I plan to throw the tree in the back seat for my parents' living room--but first I'll get pictures of my 3 footer next to their 15 footer!
4. Work has been full-throttle. It's exhausting and, at times, frustrating, but we're hanging in there. Our department Christmas luncheon is tomorrow at my favorite restaurant--nothing can top that!
5. I pulled an 11-13 year old girl and a female from the nursing home off the Giving Tree at work. Gifts are due tomorrow and I do not have gifts. Tonight, on my way home from b-ball practice, I'll be stopping at the mall.
6. None of my Christmas shopping is even started. I love love love Christmas, but I am not a good gift person--sometimes I get inspired, but otherwise, it's painful. I hate shopping, so that does not help my cause.
7. Though the last 3 Monday nights have been a bit shorter since I haven't been to Northampton, I do miss my B.Y. friends. I look forward to diving back in this coming Monday.
8. This past Sunday night, I was dead tired and had to babysit overnight. Usually, I try to get the kids to play board games, shoot some hoops, build with Legos, etc. This week, I pulled the youngest onto my lap and we watched the oldest play a handheld video game (he really wanted to show me, but he didn't need an audience of three!). I then let them watch an hour and a half of bad TV before bed. I did read aloud from Harry Potter 6 for a while too.
9. I've been missing new TV. There are some nights I come home and I just want to throw on the TV and find a new episode of a favorite show. No such luck. In the meantime, I have watched several episodes of Sex and the City. Wow.
10. Since I have not seen a couple of my Boston friends since the first weekend in October, we are trying to arrange a get together for this weekend. Hopefully it will happen because I miss them dearly.
11. I've been trying to unpack more in the apartment. The effort has been somewhat unsuccessful as I am too tired when I get home.
12. Today, I spent most of the morning (even though I have a million things to do) editing 2 of my brother's take home finals - one was on British literature and the other on US foreign relations.
13. Last night, I served Midnight Breakfast to students from 11 PM til 1 AM. It's exam week and dining services runs a Midnight Breakfast program and encourages faculty and staff to serve the eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, egg & cheese sandwiches, pancakes, toast and waffles. I came home feeling covered in grease.
1. The b-ball team is 2 and 0. The final score of the first game was 21-18. The second game finished at 28-27 in OverTime! We've only had one practice and it's pure chaos on the court. Tonight at practice, we plan on teaching the girls an actual offense and an inbounds play. We play our third game on Sunday, then we're off til 1/7.
2. I organized a successful scholarship reception for about 200 people. Later that evening, I read at the the College's annual Festival of Lessons and Carols--the night officially makes it feel like Christmas. It helped that there was a light snow swirling outside the chapel at the end of the night.
3. Last Saturday, I chopped down my very own Christmas tree. She's very Charlie Brown in stature...though much fuller than C.B.'s famous tree. 3 feet tall and about as wide as she is tall, but just perfect. Next Friday when I head home, I plan to throw the tree in the back seat for my parents' living room--but first I'll get pictures of my 3 footer next to their 15 footer!
4. Work has been full-throttle. It's exhausting and, at times, frustrating, but we're hanging in there. Our department Christmas luncheon is tomorrow at my favorite restaurant--nothing can top that!
5. I pulled an 11-13 year old girl and a female from the nursing home off the Giving Tree at work. Gifts are due tomorrow and I do not have gifts. Tonight, on my way home from b-ball practice, I'll be stopping at the mall.
6. None of my Christmas shopping is even started. I love love love Christmas, but I am not a good gift person--sometimes I get inspired, but otherwise, it's painful. I hate shopping, so that does not help my cause.
7. Though the last 3 Monday nights have been a bit shorter since I haven't been to Northampton, I do miss my B.Y. friends. I look forward to diving back in this coming Monday.
8. This past Sunday night, I was dead tired and had to babysit overnight. Usually, I try to get the kids to play board games, shoot some hoops, build with Legos, etc. This week, I pulled the youngest onto my lap and we watched the oldest play a handheld video game (he really wanted to show me, but he didn't need an audience of three!). I then let them watch an hour and a half of bad TV before bed. I did read aloud from Harry Potter 6 for a while too.
9. I've been missing new TV. There are some nights I come home and I just want to throw on the TV and find a new episode of a favorite show. No such luck. In the meantime, I have watched several episodes of Sex and the City. Wow.
10. Since I have not seen a couple of my Boston friends since the first weekend in October, we are trying to arrange a get together for this weekend. Hopefully it will happen because I miss them dearly.
11. I've been trying to unpack more in the apartment. The effort has been somewhat unsuccessful as I am too tired when I get home.
12. Today, I spent most of the morning (even though I have a million things to do) editing 2 of my brother's take home finals - one was on British literature and the other on US foreign relations.
13. Last night, I served Midnight Breakfast to students from 11 PM til 1 AM. It's exam week and dining services runs a Midnight Breakfast program and encourages faculty and staff to serve the eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, egg & cheese sandwiches, pancakes, toast and waffles. I came home feeling covered in grease.
Friday, December 01, 2006
And so it begins...
I just got this email:
Quote:
" 'Cue' (or 'Q'?) & E are sooo cool!"
-- Claire , 7:45 p.m. last night.
End Quote.
Our first basketball practice was last night. It was a wild hour and a half and I was reminded that 12, 13 and 14 year old girls communicate in squeals, shrieks and squeaks. Honestly, only dogs can understand what they are saying. 14 of them in a "gym" (cafeteria/auditorium/fake gym) for an hour and a half...exhausting. The girls are cute and most of them have *some* idea of how to play...but our first game is Sunday. I find myself sad that we don't have more time to get ourselves together--I barely know what name goes with what face! (Plus, we have Emily/Elizabeth/Ellen/Ethel/Emily...and Abby/Alysha...and Molly/Michaela/Megan, so it's a constant tongue twister!)
But then this afternoon, I got that email. It's from a colleague of mine with a daughter on the team. Apparently, we're a hit. I'm "Q"--nickname I acquired in L.A. from the kids at school and my co-coach is "E" for Erin. Apparently, we passed the test and we're officially in.
The game on Sunday should be HYSTERICAL...and maybe a little scary.
Quote:
" 'Cue' (or 'Q'?) & E are sooo cool!"
-- Claire , 7:45 p.m. last night.
End Quote.
Our first basketball practice was last night. It was a wild hour and a half and I was reminded that 12, 13 and 14 year old girls communicate in squeals, shrieks and squeaks. Honestly, only dogs can understand what they are saying. 14 of them in a "gym" (cafeteria/auditorium/fake gym) for an hour and a half...exhausting. The girls are cute and most of them have *some* idea of how to play...but our first game is Sunday. I find myself sad that we don't have more time to get ourselves together--I barely know what name goes with what face! (Plus, we have Emily/Elizabeth/Ellen/Ethel/Emily...and Abby/Alysha...and Molly/Michaela/Megan, so it's a constant tongue twister!)
But then this afternoon, I got that email. It's from a colleague of mine with a daughter on the team. Apparently, we're a hit. I'm "Q"--nickname I acquired in L.A. from the kids at school and my co-coach is "E" for Erin. Apparently, we passed the test and we're officially in.
The game on Sunday should be HYSTERICAL...and maybe a little scary.
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