Christmas Concerts

Last Thursday was a busy one for our family. Price's kindergarten class had a holiday musical so we were treated to a 15 minute performance and then ate lunch with him. He got all shy and quiet during the show but apparently, the day before during rehearsal, he had refused to say the lines at all so the class was quite happy he said them during the actual play.

Then Thursday night Evan and Brynn had their preschool Christmas performance while Caleb, at the same time, had his musical show (grades 3-5). Doug went with Caleb and said it was excellent. I went with the preschoolers... Evan spent most of the time holding up his pants (really he was being overly dramatic; they weren't that loose) but once in a while would get into the songs. Brynn looked like she never knew there were hand motions at all and spent the whole first song picking her finger and then asked for a bandaid from her teacher when the song ended. I did get a picture of Evan yawning and one of Brynn itching her nose (I am sure that is what she was doing). Overall, they did a great job!! And after, they got to eat the goodies and chat with Santa.

Brynn's Ticket

Today Brynn received her Certificate of Citizenship along with 137 other children, from preschool age through the teens, and from many different countries. The ceremony was held at a children’s museum close to our USCIS office, which for us is 2 ½ hours away. The idea was nice, but the 45 minute ceremony didn’t have a big impact on Brynn, not even when a local Congressman addressed the crowd. She just wanted her “ticket” and to go play! She did at least hold her hand up to take the oath. Since the museum was only open for the ceremony (we didn't know this ahead of time), Brynn celebrated afterwards with a sweet lunch... a chocolate chip, whipped cream covered pancake!

Caleb and Evan came along on the day's adventure. Price chose to go to school instead... there is nothing that would make him miss a single day with his teacher! While it would have been great to have him along, I am very thankful that school makes him that happy.

I Love My Elves!

We did this last year and it is still just as much fun this year!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1442393839

And while this year you can have more than one elf dancing at a time, the limit is four so unless they add a few more spots next year, Doug and I won't be sharing our dancing talents.

Brynn's Holiday

“Decorated”

“Not decorated”

“Decorated”

“Not decorated”

“Decorated”

“Awesome”

Candles in a window does not classify a house as decorated by the way but the taillights of hundreds of cars headed home from Christmas shopping does. Yesterday in the car she announced the need for us to decorate our car because it would be “cool!” She wants to know when we are going to decorate our house like the houses she sees where the electric bill must be thousands of dollars for the month of December. She wants to decorate her preschool.

She is loving the holiday season. And I am loving her loving it.

I am also thrilled that in 7 days, at her preschool Christmas performance, I may know more words to the song she has been singing when she is not on her decorated/not decorated kick.
“Mary had a baby, Oh Lord” repeated over, and over, and over, and over, and over is almost all we get. Once in a while we get a “Name him Jesus, Oh Lord” thrown in. Not that she would let us sing with her if I even learned the rest; she lets you know she is a solo act.

And have I said before how loud Brynn is, all the time? I often think I need to get her hearing checked because I don't think she understands the term "inside voice." At least this season she is sharing a wonderful message to everyone within ½ a mile when she is singing her carols and not bringing on evil looks with her tantrums.

Kate

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas... finally!

Well, the new carpet we had installed a few months ago was finally replaced with our new new carpet (I wasn't willing to purchase carpet that had unremovable stains when installed... imagine that!) and finally, we could put up the tree. So after battling the lights on Friday night, the kids decorated it Saturday morning. They did a splendid job! It is quite a collection of old and new, handmade, purchased, and gift ornaments. Since the picture we have the train up and running around the bottom so the battle for that remote has begun!

We then headed up to the town Christmas festival. Gotta love a small county parade... lots of local fire departments, church groups, scout groups, the local high school band, people just walking down the street and you are not sure why, and this year, in addition to the port-a-potties on wheels that can spin and do wheelies, that same company had a bicycle rider whose seat was a toilet!

Funny of the day: We hiked the mile or so to the parade... Caleb rode his bike, I pushed the younger two in the double stroller, and Price walked and rode the scooter. All of a sudden I notice he has fallen (I think) onto some one's lawn and I asked him what happened and with his cute, 5 year old missing-two-teeth grin said "I tripped over the invisible doggie fence."

Not-so-funny of the day: Thanks to Evan, we now all know that M&M's also melt in your nose! At least the blue ones do. Not sure we wanted to know this though...

Kate