Standing in the playground Kate sighed. This was getting ridiculous. Once again Graces Class was late in dismissal. Turning round she watched Chris as he wandered round after a leaf that had fallen on the floor. Looking at her watch she was just glad that Nicole had rehearses for the Christmas concert.

Looking up she saw the door open and the class begin to run out. Grace as usual was bringing up the rear dragging her bag behind her along with carrying several sheets of paper.

"Grace hurry up please" Kate sighed as grace walked towards her. "why don't you put the papers in your bag as well it makes it much easier" she sighed taking the things off her.

"i got my part in the nativity" Grace said deflated

"that's amazing. What are you?" Kate asked

"a star. But it's not fair I wanted to be an angel or Mary. But Lauran got the angle and Jasmine got to be Mary" she sulked

"Gracie you can't always be the main part. There are no small parts only small actors. And the star is the most important because it showed the way for the Shepherds and the wise men"

"but Lauran and Jasmine always get the main role"

"well Maybe Mr Snape chose you to be the star because you are a bright and cheerful person and nobody can miss you" Kate smiled

"really" Grace looked up grinning

"yes" Kate said nervously hoping she hadn't made her daughters head get any bigger. "come on let's go get an iced hot chocolate whilst we wait for Nicole" Kate smiled

"yay" Grace smiled running on ahead followed by Chris

"wait at the gate !" Kate called trying to catch up with her.

Sitting in the car outside the school Kate was waiting for Nicole to come out after rehearsals for the Christmas concert she was performing in. Looking in the mirror she could see Grace slurping her ice hot chocolate.

"grace I think the cup is empty now. Don't slurp"

"there is still a little left mummy" Grace lifted the cup up there was the tiniest amount left

Looking out the window she could see Nicole running across the courtyard to where she was waiting.

"hey good day?" Kate smiled as Nicole did her belt up

"yeah. I got the solo" Nicole smiled

"that's fantastic" Kate smiled "and we got you a frozen hot chocolate" Kate smiled passing the cool drink back

"thanks mum" Nicole smiled plugging in her seat belt

"right home ward" she smiled pulling off.

Driving down the road Kate looked in the mirror and could see Nicole was chewing on a fingernail and she had hardly said anything since getting in to the car

"you okay Nic?" she asked

"mm-hm" Nicole nodded

"so what song is your solo" Kate asked glancing in her mirror

"silent night" Nicole said not quite looking at her mum

"beautiful." Kate smiled Looking in the mirror she could see something was not quite right with Nicole. Although she was saying she was happy and she wanted the solo but her voice and face were saying she was nervous. "you know you should ask daddy to help you practice he has quite the singing voice"

"okay" Nicole nodded sipping the last of her drink.

Later that evening Kate flopped down on the sofa curling up next to Mike.

"so what's the latest on Smith?" she asked

"so. he has been RNIN'D, so hopefully we won't be seeing him again."

"good" Kate sighed she could feel a weight lifted off her. "anyway, look what I got this afternoon" she said walking over to the sideboard by the Christmas tree. She returned holding out a large mason style jar.

"what is this? A Mason jar?" Mike asked taking it off her

"nope" she grinned "read what it says on the front"

"Elf isolation jar. Does this mean the little bugger is not making an appearance this year?" mike asked hopefully

"nope. They are coming out tonight so they can isolate for a week before coming out" she grinned

"seriously" Mike sighed

"yes. It's a bit of fun and the kids behave when the elf is out." she smiled pulling the Elves out of the draw where she had hidden them when getting the Christmas decorations out. Unscrewing the jar she carefully lifted out the mask and mini bottle of hand gel that came with the jars placing the mask on the elf she sat him in the jar with the sanitizer before screwing the lid back on. Sitting them on the sideboard near the tree she placed the letters she had printed off from each of the elves ready for Grace and Chris in the morning. Nicole had declared last year she was far too old for the elf on the shelf.

"i hate those elves. Its so bloody hard to come up with something new every day" Mike laughed as she sat back down.

"well, they will be in isolation for a week so they can't move. So that cuts down on how much we have to do." she laughed

"by one day" Mike pointed out

"don't be such a grinch its Christmas" she hit him playfully on his arm.

"i shall remember that when you're moaning about the darn elf"

"you not heard of Pinterest. There are lots of good ideas on their especially Covid ones" she smiled reaching for her laptop showing him all the pins she had saved

"wow are you planning to do this elf on a shelf till the kids are in their 30s" he grinned

"shut up" she shoved him playfully putting the laptop in the side. "its best to have some ideas and half of these are way too messy and way too complex" she smiled "anyway Gracie tell you about her part in the nativity?" she asked

"yes she said the most important role. The star because she is a bright spark"

"well I had to tell her something she wanted to be an angel or Mary"

"lets hope her ego fits in to the costume" Mike grinned

Kate laughed "agreed"

She hadn't meant Grace to take her so seriously but it was sort of heart-breaking seeing her daughter so disheartened not to get one of the big roles and she was right every school, play she had been to had the same children in the main roles and it was never Grace. she wasn't one of these over enthusiastic "stage" moms but it would be nice if all the children got a chance to shine instead of the teacher just choosing their favourites.

so hope you like this. i love the Nativity it is the best (and worst) part of the school year (worst because of the time it takes to plan).

Gracie's casting is actually based on my own school play In year 2 i was cast as a narrator (think i was narrator #2) but i really wanted to be a angel as my twin had been cast as a angel. but my mum and my teacher (who was a ledge) said I had been cast as the Narrator because that was the most important as they tell the story and i was the best reader in the class. so my 6yo ego went through the roof :D it was a fun play and same goes it was always this one girl who got the main role because she thought she could sing and act (she would drown everyone else out)

any way that's the background let me know what you think x