Sunday: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and I Swam 5000 Meters

So this morning, I had a cup of tea by myself before the baby woke up, and then commenced getting us all ready so that we could get to church, and Ivan could be a star in the Christmas pageant. Now, we all knew that this would be a raving disaster, but that was hardly the point. It was a really lovely event. Now the older kids, had speaking parts, which were mainly the prophecies of Isiah and the words of the angel bearing the good news and the words of Mary. In between readings we sang Christmas carols. Now the star, was a large construction paper star on a stick which Ivan was supposed to hold above his head. Now Ivan was so pleased to brandish his star for a brief period of time. After he bored of star waving, the older children tried to herd him into the proper position, which he was willing to maintain for a while, but then the show was over for him. Ivan wandered about looking at the other children and looking far too interested in the ladder that was reserved for the child playing the North Star. Now, I am posting a few pictures that are not great. I was so frenzied as I fast-walked back and forth across Otey Hall trying to keep close enough to grab Ivan should he get too out of hand. It made it hard to get in very good pictures.

Overall, the pageant was just wonderful, and I hope that Ivan will be involved every year. The pageant was followed be a lovely church service and then some breakfast at Starbucks with my parents.

At home, we put Ivan down for his nap and had some lunch and I left for swim. Today was a big day in the annals of swim. We were assigned to swim fifty 100 meter intervals at a sub-two minute pace. I dove in a 2:30 PM and swam for one hour and 48 minutes. This was over three miles, and I am proud to say that I actually held 1:50 to 1:45 minute intervals the whole time. It was quite intense and crowded, as lots of great swimmers showed up to swim such a distance.

I stopped by Yogurt World on the way home. It is definitely my new after-swim thing.

Watching Cranford, maybe the best mini-series ever!!!

Now, my favorite picture from the pageant is the one where Ivan is looking at the camera and the great boy in the background has thrown his head back and put his hand over his face in frustration that Ivan will not stay in his spot!