Christmas is coming?

I hope you are all well.  We are fine over here in Muscat but all of a sudden things are getting busy.  Mostly this is due to choir.  On a daily basis I change my mind as to whether I will quit after this concert.  Today, I'm sticking with it but only because at last night's rehearsal the Muscat Brass came to practice with us (for the big concert on Lulu's birthday) and they were amazing.  I was especially impressed by the trumpets (two of them!) but I am predisposed to like trumpets.  Trumpets are my favorite and yet I have a hard time thinking about Tommy or Lizzie playing one.  At least, in my house.

My choir conductor is Tommy's music teacher and when he saw me last night he said, "Tommy says you can't make the concert because it's Lizzie's birthday?"  As tempting as it was to tell him that Tommy had it right, that I'm skipping the concert, I just couldn't.  So I'm going.  At least the Muscat Brass will be there.  (There are some amazing musicians in Muscat.  And it actually makes me overly sentimental and borderline weepy to think that they are all here and still able to play and practice together and perform.   It's not what I imagined of expat life, somehow.)

Choir consumes a lot of my life these days and I am just so ambivalent.  I love it some days; hate it others.  Feel free to send me an email if you have an opinion as to whether I ought to keep doing it.  Eli commented that I didn't seem to enjoy it too much but he has to come home early on Sundays so I can go, so I believe it is fair to say that he is biased and his opinion is entitled to very little consideration.

This morning in the car, I asked the kids if it feels like Christmas is coming.  They were emphatic that it does -- and both emphasised that they eat chocolate every morning before breakfast (from their advent calendar).  Of course.  But to me, it is a very strange time.  It is in the eighties here although in the late afternoon at the beach park two days ago, I got goosebumps because it was so chilly.  So I alert you here and now that I have turned into one of those irritating people who is going to have little more to talk about than how freaking cold I am all Christmas long.  I am sorry in advance.  

Anyway, choir helps with the Christmassy feeling and for that I am thankful.   So does my "Christmas playlist" which was jazzed up considerably by one of our London friends.  For example, Tommy's favorite song on the play list is about a guy who only wants to see Santa do the Mambo for Christmas.  It's catchy!  We also put a date on the calendar to make Christmas cookies with Grace, so that should help as well.  Email me any other suggestions for assistance in the Christmas mood department.

The lady with blonde hair next to me is my favorite person in my choir.  She is English and very sarcastic.