The Christmas Story

One of the joys have having a little one at Christmas is being able to pass down the Christmas story.

We have several nativity sets. My favorite is a set my roommate from grad school gave to us as a wedding gift 14 years ago. It is lovely, and graces the top of my piano downstairs.

/

I never thought I would love a nativity set more than the one we had growing up. My mother passed that one on to me last year, for which I am eternally grateful. It resides in my bedroom, where I can see it every night when I go to bed and every morning when I wake up.

Then we have the plush nativity set, perfect for baby hands and toddlers with grabby hands.

A few years ago I purchased an inexpensive set from the dollar store. They are quite breakable, but actually pretty (an additional virtue to their $1-per-piece-price!). This set was for the religious ed classroom where I taught 2nd grade. I firmly believe children need to be able to touch and feel things of faith and things of beauty. Well, you obviously shouldn't hand a priceless artifact to a teething 8-month-old, but an elementary aged child should be able to handle statues and items of faith! Even a two-year-old can be taught to be respectful of a nativity set.....Hopefully!

ArtGuy and the Mad Toddler set up the Cheap Nativity Set this past weekend. Since I no longer teach religious ed in the classroom, we placed it in our schoolroom. While they set it up, ArtGuy explained the nativity story to the Mad Toddler. Several times. It was cute.

"Mary and Joseph traveled a long way"

Baby Jesus appears

patting the three kings

Mary, Joseph, Jesus, and angel, three kings, and... a winged lion?

I cannot really explain the extra toy. It is from an Imaginext set, but ArtGuy and I think it looks like King Moonracer (from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer).  Notice the wings? How do you think the Three Kings got there so quickly? (The Young Adult gave me that line.)

King Moonracer's brother?

There were three other kings that showed up. Why not King Mooonracer, too?

The Mad Toddler retells the nativity story

And that reminded me of Mr. Bean. We love Mr. Bean (the real Mr. Bean, not the stupid American movie version). Please enjoy this version of the nativity story.

I think it rocks.