Sunday, December 10, 2006
Another incredibly busy weekend has come and gone. Every Sunday night I mentally review the weekend and I am amazed we didn’t get more done. And I review all the things we didn’t have time to do.
We got the house interior decorated. We finished the Christmas trees – both of them. We have a tiny tree upstairs, the one I had at the condo. It’s a cute little tree with a patriotic theme – blue and white snowmen, red stars, white snowflakes, a red bow on top. We have three nativity scenes. We have Mother’s Santa Claus figurine collection. The stockings are hung on the mantel. We got a Christmas thang happenin’ - Yeah Baby!
Alesia is really getting into the Christmas spirit this year. She helped me decorate the tree the other night, and is intensely curious about all the boxes coming to the house for me. [I do most of my shopping online] She is also learning Christmas carols to play on the piano.
Last Thursday, Alesia came flying into Mother's room just before bedtime. Mother and I were talking. Alesia had a look of great anxiety on her face.
"Granny!! I need you to give me your list!"
Mother looked amused. "My Christmas list?"
"Yes! I need it right NOW!"
I stepped in. "Alesia, I told you I would take you shopping and we would buy Granny and Uncle Bruce something nice. Don't worry about it! Now go to bed."
Alesia wailed in anguish "I need a LIST!! I don't know what OLD PEOPLE like!"
After Mother and I finished laughing, Mother reassured Alesia she would give her a list.
* * * * * * *
I took Alesia to see The Nativity Story today. Terrific movie – really seemed authentic. Mary seemed pretty anxious – but then, she would’ve been, being pregnant but not married, saying the baby was God’s – yikes. The audience could see her awkward social position. Good lesson to remember, the culture of the era, and why it was such a miracle. The only thing that marred it was the actress who played Mary was only 15 when the movie was made, and she seemed sort of wooden.
Alesia managed to make even a movie about the birth of Jesus comical.
When they showed the first shot of Joseph, Alesia turned to me and said “Do you think he’s cute?!” I didn’t know how to reply. A little later, they showed Herod’s son, in closeup, and Alesia scowled and said “He is NOT cute.”
At one point, there was a scene of the circumcision of John The Baptist. Alesia was afraid they were killing the baby. I found myself trying to whisper an explanation of circumcision to Alesia in the middle of the movie. Her eyes widened when she noticed the explanatory hand gestures I felt compelled to use.
“And they do that to the poor baby EVERY DAY??!!” she gasped in horror. I suppressed a laugh. “No, once they cut that little piece of skin off, it doesn’t grow back.” She still looked confused. “But WHY would they do such a thing?” she insisted. “It has to do with cleanliness, and not getting the thing infected, and God told them to do it. I’ll explain later.”
So, in the car after the movie I explained better - I think. I’m not sure I remembered all the details from bible class. I said something like “Well, God told the Jews to circumcise the male babies so they’d stay clean and everyone would know they were Jews. There was a covenant between God and the Jews. Circumcision was how the Jews were different from everyone else. I don’t know all the details. We just all do it now – even Christians – because it’s cleaner and better.”
She didn’t say anything for a minute. I could see the wheels turning. I sighed. I knew she was thinking of her brother-to-be.
I tried to put her mind at rest. “I don’t know if Matthew has been circumcised or not. Kazakhstan is a predominantly Muslim country and they don’t circumcise their babies. I’ll get Bruce to find out, and if he isn’t circumcised Bruce will tell him how to clean it carefully.”
“Is Bruce circumcised?” Alesia asked. She couldn’t quite pronounce the word, and it sounded more like “circumscribed.”
“Yes,” I answered quickly, thinking surely he is…?
It was an awkward conversation, needless to say.
Tonight after dinner I made pumpkin bread to take to work tomorrow. I asked Alesia to sift the flour for me. She did a good job. Thinking we should explain to her why flour needs to be sifted, I asked Mother to explain it to Alesia. Mother was sitting at the kitchen table.
“I’m balancing my checkbook, Dee, you explain it,” was Mother’s reply.
I swallowed hard and looked at the bowl of flour. “Well, uh, I don’t know if I could give you a really good scientific explanation for the need to sift flour. Granny knows that stuff a lot better than I do.”
Alesia said, completely without sarcasm. “You explained that baby cutting thing pretty good, Mom.”
I felt a laugh welling up in me. "Yes, but I understand circumcision a lot better than I do sifting. Isn’t that sad?!!”
I could hear Mother laughing.
