Spreading Christmas Cheer?

Our adorable Lukie had a preschool performance this morning at the church that houses his preschool.  I thought I had been to a Lutheran Church before, but maybe this was the first time.  It was an interesting experience.  I definitely believed in what they taught but I had a hard time feeling the Spirit with the loud guitars and drums.  I guess I'm just not a modern worship type of gal.  However, I am SO pleased with the preschool.  I love the thought of Luke attending a religious preschool.  I went to one when I was a kid and I have memories of being in the Christmas program. 

SO, today was Luke's big debut.  I didn't have high expectations.  Luke is anything but outgoing.  He is still very clingy to me and has a hard time parting from me when it is time for school.  He gets "nervous" and so I knew that he would not be the shining star of the program.  I had a long talk with him at home and promised to buy him everything that he finds irrisitable on the planet if he would just put on his costume and stand with the other children.  He kindly declined anything that I offered.  He has been declaring, daily, that he was NOT going to sing in front of any people, so I didn't push the singing issue.  By the time we got there he was holding my hand so tightly and being so defiant that I told him that if he put on the costume he could just sit with me and watch.

When we got into the classroom, little Lukie went right into the back corner and I can only guess that his little spirit was floating above him because it seemed to be just a body with nothing inside to respond to whatever I  (or anyone else) said or did.  He did come alive for a moment to protest the costume, but somehow I convinced/forced him to let me turn him into a shepherd anyway.  And, although all the others were sitting and watching the Little Mermaid, Luke stood like a statue in the same spot.

Isn't he just glowing :0)

I decided to leave the room for a minute and I  hid out in the hall.  I really thought he was just going to end up staying in that spot when they all left the room and that a teacher would have to come tell me to go get him.

But guess what?  I peeked in and Luke wasn't in the corner!  The kids were lining up and he was with them!  I hurried and sat in the church with Barrington and the other boys.  There was an introduction and then a prayer.  The kids proceeded to walk down the aisle in front of A LOT of people.  They lined up in front of the congregation.  Luke was with them!

He wasn't happy or even smiling.  He didn't sing a note or do one hand gesture and he MAY have looked like he was going to deck his friend who stood next to him because he elbowed him every time he made the hand gesture for We Wish You a Merry Christmas.  But, he did it!  He stood there through Away in a Manger, Go Tell it on the Mountain AND We Wish You a Merry Christmas.  He got up in front of all those people and stood there.  I couldn't have been more proud.  I know how hard that was for him.  Then those little guys sat together in the congregation for the rest of a very LONG meeting.  When it was over and I looked for him, he had a HUGE smile on his face and I just knew that he was proud of himself.  And what more could a mom want?

This is a little snippet of the kids singing.  Luke is the third child from the left on he back row.  You may need to view it full screen because I didn't have zoom capability.  You'll be able to identify him because he is the one not moving or singing.




He was willing to allow me to record him at home practicing his songs.  Here is the real Lukie, unfettered by anxiety:


Merry Christmas!