hang your stockings and say your prayers, ‘cause santa clause comes tonight

on friday, december 7th, i woke up around 8:30, and walked over to SUB at around 9:15 to buy some breakfast (fruit and yogurt) before heading to dinwoodie lounge for the volunteer orientation for the students' union kids christmas party. i was put in a group with three other girl volunteers, and the class we were in charge of was a grade 1/2/3 split class. the kids arrived at about 11:15. we took them to the myer horowitz to take off their coats and mittens, and then we led them back to dinwoodie. first, we fed everyone funky pickle pizza and juice. then our group did cookie decorating. each kid got a big cookie, a few smarties, and more icing than they knew what to do with. most of the kids decided to decorate their cookies as santas. after cookie decorating, our group decorated "christmas tambourines" (two paper plates stapled together, with some split peas inside). my group was very, very noisy, so i got them to shake their tambourines as hard as they could, and then be totally quiet, and then shake like crazy, and then be quiet. they were pretty entertained by it. there were some possession issues surrounding the glitter glue, but nothing too serious. finally, we went to the myer horowitz theatre to sing christmas carols with some of the u of a mixed chorus. in my opinion, christmas carols are always kind of a disaster, mainly because nobody actually ever knows all of the words, and when you find out the words they are pretty ridiculous (for example, "let's give thanks to the lord above that santa claus comes tonight." what!?!). anyways, my kids were too young to read the words on the screen for most of the songs, but i got them to sing extra loud for the chorus of "jingle bells," which they all claimed was their favorite christmas song. during the last song, "here comes santa claus," santa jingled some handbells offstage, and all the kids saw his hand and got really ridiculously excited. at the end of the song, he came onstage and the kids were allowed to line up and talk to him and get a rad treat bag. all the kids were pretty excited, but one boy in particular kept saying, "he's here. he's actually here. i get to talk to him. i know just what i'll say," and his eyes were really big and bright. a-dorable. we got the kids their coats and mittens and saw them off to their buses, and then helped clean up a bit. i walked home and crocheted/napped for a bit. at about 5:30 i drove to bonnie doon mall so i could buy a big fat needle for working in the ends of my crocheting. then i went to claire's house and had a really, really nice hangout with her and a girl named jenna. claire and i made chocolate-dipped pretzels while jenna made origami. then claire made shortbread cookies while jenna made some book art and i crocheted mittens, and we all watched "a charlie brown christmas." it was so low-key and warm and cozy and nice. claire is such a little hostess. she lives for that kind of stuff. what a funny girl. i was delighted to learn that jenna is as introverted and crafty as claire and i are, and that she plans on being in edmonton for the next couple of years. new crafting friend!!! i drove home at around 11, and dropped jenna off at her place on the way back.