Christmas Parties

This week was the beginning of the campus party season. On Tuesday there was the President's party for the entire campus. Long and drawn out with lots of door prizes--I didn't get one this year. But it was held in the brand new student center and was in fact the first event to be held in the new building.

Then yesterday I had a whirlwind of three parties--first over to the children's center for a party with Henry, where I ended up staying for 45 minutes. It becomes an ordeal to leave him because he gets so upset. He is happy to get there in the morning but if I go during the day and do not take him with me he is very distressed. As always he prefers a routine and the routine he knows is that when I come I take him with me. So I ended up staying longer than planned. Four clarinet players from the music department came over and played Christmas songs, and at the end of their performance Henry finally crawled out of my lap and started playing with the other children so that I was able to leave with very little fanfare.

Then there was the party in the English department, which isn't one of my assigned areas but since I am working on a doctorate in that field I am connected. And finally the College of Education party, which is one of my assigned areas so making an appearrance was actually in line with my job.

Next week there are two more parties--College of Arts & Sciences and the College of Business. Then the week after the library is having two Christmas parties.

Meanwhile tonight Henry and I are dropping by church for a living creche exhibit and some songs by a female barbershop quartet called the Sweet Adelines and another church choir as well as our church choir. It will hopefully make for an interesting evening and get us in the spirit of the season.