WE HAD CRIBS INSTALLED AT VARIOUS POINTS AND THE CHILDREN LOVED TO DRAW PICTURES OF THE CHRISTMAS STORY.
AS USUAL, WE PLANNED A PARTY WHICH WOULD PROVIDE TREATS OF VARIOUS KINDS WHETHER AS TOYS OR THINGS TO EAT.
OUR PLANS WERE LIFTED BEYOND ALL OUR EXPECTATIONS WHEN A WONDERFUL ROMANIAN BENEFACTOR CAME INTO THE PICTURE AND PROVIDED HUNDREDS OF “JOYS”. FIRSTLY CAME A HUGE CHRISTMAS TREE SPARKLING WITH ILLUMINATIONS. THEN CA ME
THE BOXES OF DECORATIONS WITH A REQUEST THAT THE CHILDREN SHOULD PLACE THESE ON THE TREE. CLUSTERS OF
HELIUM-FILLED BALLOONS FASCINATED THE CHILDREN AS THEY WATCHED THEM STAY ON HIGH!
NOTHING SEEMED TOO MUCH FOR THIS BENEFACTOR. TOYS WERE DISTRIBUTED TO ALL AND THE SENIORS HAD SPECIAL JOY IN RECEIVING WALKMANS.
THE LAWSIDE PROJECT PROVIDED THE CAKES AND JUICES!
THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE WHOLE AFTERNOON CAME WHEN - AS THE CANDLES WERE BEING LIT ON THE TWO LARGE CAKES -SANTA CLAUSES APPEARED (A FAMOUS GROUP “LOS PLATANOS” PLAYING ON TRUMPET SAXAPHONE ETC. SUCH A VARIETY OF CAROLS. OUT OF EVERY ROOM FLOCKED THE CHILDREN WHO WERE ABLE AND WHEN LATIN/AMERICAN MUSIC FILLED THE AIR MANY WERE BEATING TIME OR DANCING (AND PRANCING)!
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN TWELVE YEARS I HEARD CHORUSES OF LAUGHTER IN FLOOR 5.
MOTHERS AND CHILDREN AND STAFF TOO HAD AN AFTERNOON TO REMEMBER!