Christmas Concert Survival Tips

I finally got it right this year.

My son is almost 19 and we have another child in middle school so we are old hands at the seasonal - cram the gymnasium festivities.

Its only this year that I feel that I finally have a failsafe system.
It involves letting your child know ahead of time that you are leaving as soon as they are done. If they can safely walk home and want to stay - yeah!

• Arrive early, bring water, cellphone, ipod and smelling salts or vicks. I admit to forgetting the vicks this year and regret it. More on the vicks after.
• Find seat second or third row back, aisle seat is optimal. Take off coat, get comfortable that space is going to roast once the bodies start pressing in. I like the aisle seat because you can adjust your space out a bit.
• Get programme to find out where child is and when to best leave. The other classes worked very hard I know but I've seen it, done it and your grandparents are there to watch you, so you don't need me.
• Apply MP3Player. The nice thing about having longer hair this year is that I can hide the earphones and wires but for those that sensed my innerpeace waiting for my child to appear - they were envious.
• Have cellphone ready for textmessages to spouse about how its their turn next year and you might let them in on your new strategy.

I guess I should have mentioned I did this year alone since my better half had a teaching commitment - no really he did :)

Have vicks or scented dryersheet at the ready to black out other people smells.

Why is it people think its acceptable to deepfry in an unventilated kitchen in the winter and then go out shortly after.

Au du fish sticks and french fries is nasty.

It could have been worse though, it could have been: year old wino, pee pant smell, roll sweat, or cigar breath. I was lucky but still regreted not having something to save my nose besides popping double amounts of breath mints in my mouth.

It did got relatively well. I saw my daughter play trumpet first thing for Band and her class sang the Zamboni song which was cute. Plus I won't be scroogy and not mention how adorable the Jr & Sr Kindergardens always are.

I may be a bit scroogy but Christmas Concerts - been there, done that. Everyone has to do their time but why not do it with some comforts.

In the years past we always arrived close to start time, stood at the back of the gym, jammed in like sardines, where smells totally intermingled and not nicely. Parents seemed to send their hyper kids to the back fo the gym to annoy us. It was a like an unwritten rule.

Well I broke the code, survived and enjoyed.

Merry Christmas to all.

My people observations will follow at a later date - you get all kinds.