Snow!

Another one bites the dust…

Yep.  Grace has chicken pox too.

Smarty Pants!

Grace loves writing her letters.  So far she hasn’t intentionally written a word on her own, not even her own name.  However, a little while ago she called me into the playroom saying, “Mommy, I wrote cat!”  I got up to see and the first time it said A – backwards C – T.  I told her how great it was that she got all the letters.  I showed her the correct way to write it.  She erased the board and then went on to play with something else.  Maybe 30 minutes later she asked me to come look.  When I walked in, she had written cat all on her own!  I took a picture of her with her big accomplishment.  Her very first on-her-own word!

A New Haircut

I finally got too tired of fighting Grace about brushing her hair and pulling it out of her face, so we went and got her a “real” haircut.  I’ve trimmed it several times, but it has been a long time since she has been to get it cut professionally.  She has been asking to get a haircut for awhile, so she was very cooperative while it was being cut.  We all like the result, and it’s certainly an easy cut.  I think it’s definitely a good change!

A picture (or two) is worth a thousand words…

Grace’s Ballet Recital

Grace did so well in her recital!  I was a little worried that she might not want to go out on the stage in front of the audience, but she did fine.  It was so cute to watch!  Grace is the 3rd from the right.

Ballet Recital Rehearsal

Just got home from Grace’s ballet recital rehearsal.  Looking forward to tomorrow and hoping to be able to get a good video of the actual dance.  Also hoping everyone behaves long enough that we all get to watch.

Pic Heavy

I know, I know, I haven’t blogged in forever.  I’ve been busy with the usual day to day stuff, but nothing *really* interesting has been going on here.  Here are a few random pics that we’ve taken since Christmas.

Going to a bowl game

National anthem

Where’d he go?

Clare sleeping for Daddy while Mommy was at a book club meeting.

George and I on a rare night out without the kiddos.

The Occasion of the night out:  A St. Thomas High School Class of 2000 mini-reunion

Clare in Grace’s Ariel bathing suit, if you’ve seen us in the past month, there is a good chance she was wearing it.

Yes, apparently I let my kids play with fire

 

Wearing dress up shoes and a sheepish grin

…and goggles?

Laughing at the neighbor while playing “Star Wars” – his latest obsession

She laid back in an attempt to avoid the camera, I got her photo anyway.

This one is from this afternoon.  She has a little bunny teething toy wrapped up in a baby bath towel.  She carried it around outside for an hour and was even rocking it in the patio chair.

Still on the trike even though he has the big boy bike thanks to those short legs.

Christmas 2009

We had a busy but fun Christmas this year.  Gree Gree got into town on Christmas Eve midday.  Aunt Kelly came by to drop off gifts and the kids got to open one each.  Jake absolutely loves his T2 (a remote-controlled Star Wars R2D2).  He’s had an ongoing obsession with Aunt Kelly’s Star Wars figurines for awhile, and R2D2 is his favorite.  He’s never seen the movies, just loves T2!

We headed to 4pm Children’s Mass and even though we got there a few minutes early, both the main church and the overflow Mass in the gym were  full.  We ended up watching Mass from the narthex.  After Mass we went home and opened Christmas PJ’s, changed into them, and drove around looking at lights.  We got home, got the kids to bed, and got gifts ready for Christmas morning.

Christmas morning we got up before the kids and were waiting for them downstairs.  Clare was the first one up.  She curled up in my lap for a bit.  Jake was next and he needed some snuggle time in Daddy’s lap.  I finally had to wake Grace up.  She came downstairs and went straight to her new bike.  I swear that girl can go from 0 to 6o in no time at all.

We opened presents and played for a bit, ate breakfast, and then Daddy set up the new bounce house.  The kids jumped for a bit and then went in the front to ride bikes.  Gree Gree and I got started in the kitchen while Daddy cleaned up some of the mess and kept the kids occupied.

George’s family started arriving shortly after 4pm.  We ate dinner around 7 and then opened more presents.  Everyone left around 9, I cleaned up a bit, and we all went to bed tired and ready for good night’s sleep.

In Christmas PJs and ready to look at Christmas lights

 

Who needs presents?  The dog’s cage is fun enough!

Clare on Christmas morning

Jake on Christmas morning

Grace heads straight for her new bike

Jake opens a new Leapster game.

Gree Gree helps Clare open her presents

She can’t wait to go for a ride

He can’t either

I love this face!

In the bounce house

Gree Gree and Mommy

Tina and the kids have some fun

Kids’ Christmas Party

Last Saturday, George’s work had a Christmas party for all the employees’ kids at the Houston Zoo.  The kids each got a special gift delivered by Santa himself.  We had some cupcakes and popcorn then wandered around the zoo for a bit.  Grace cracked me up the whole time.  We’d rush to see an animal, she’d look for all of 5 seconds, and then tell us she wanted to see the next one, and off she’d rush.   Jake was more content to amble along, and Clare took some goading to keep up.  She was happy to just la-dee-dah along at her own snail’s pace.  George and I ran 6.5 miles that morning, so we were a bit dead on our feet.  After a couple of hours, we were all ready to go, and everyone was excited to play with their new toys.

Waiting to be called by Santa

 

Clare goes first (she got twin baby dolls)

Then the twins

Grace got a Disney Princess Aquadoodle

Jake got a remote control Thomas train