More Christmas and More Loot

This picture didn't make it into the other Christmas update because it was on my camera, not Bill's. But look how happy Eva is to receive a purple light saber from Will!

On the 26th, Frank and Cristin and their family drove up and we had more Christmas at Grammy and Coach's. It has been a fun week!

Cherie, Kevin, Sydney, and Porter, we miss you! New Baby, where in the heck are you? We want to see you too and I am getting Very Impatient now. 

Here is Josie, North Carolina's youngest cheerleader, opening her little pink tea set. I was so worried about the camera delay that I snapped the picture early. 

It was a book Christmas for everyone. Frank III and Will both received Johnny Tremaine. I think Big Frank is going to enjoy rereading that one with Little Frank. 

There is no such thing as too much Lego, is there? Frank and Will are completely engrossed. Even food was not a lure away from the Lego table. Well, not until the cupcakes came out! The cupcakes caused all children to listen very carefully and cooperate immediately. I wish I'd had the video camera to capture that because I have never seen general chaos becalmed so quickly. 

Emily missed the present opening because she was napping. She's just woken up here. Isn't she a cutie-pie??? 

Let's Get This Party Started!

In the DeRonja family tradition, it would not be a holiday without a children's performing arts presentation of some sort. The kids took turns performing on the piano and dancing about. Everyone had fun and nothing was broken. 

Emily wanted to be part of the special piano and dance recital going on here. The picture is out of focus but you can see how much fun she is having dancing with Josie. 

Merry Christmas 2005!

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house Mommy & Daddy were stirring and Santa too, so the tree and the presents would be ready for the good boy in girl in the soon approaching morning. We were so lucky this year to find a tree - on our first attempt - that exactly fit the pocket door opening between our living room and library. 

A light saber of my own at last! Eva has been frustrated that she did not have her own light saber for duels with her brother and his friends. Now she has one – courtesy of Will. 

Eva has a new baby doll and beads for her hair. Eva is really a girly girl at heart, and loves to dress up. She also can’t wait for her the imminent arrival of her new baby sibling, and spent much of the afternoon nursing and diapering her new doll to practice for helping Mom care for the new baby. 

7:45AM – Getting Started. Will spotted his 566 piece Lego model of the Harry Potter Durmstrang ship right off the bat. He did a quick survey of his other presents, then settled in for a serious building session. 

10:10AM – Almost there… Will has pretty much been working non-stop on the Durmstrang Ship. He stopped – once – to get a drink and go to the bathroom, but skipped breakfast entirely. We sometimes worry about his powers of concentration when he takes an hour to complete a 15min homework assignment, but assembling Lego shows that he can really concentrate when he wants to. 

11:00AM – Done. After the three hour marathon, the ship is done. Will is really proud and can’t wait to start letting his stuffed animals play on the ship. 

Who's the Baby?

KC discovered the pack-n-play. Actually, I think he discovered it some time ago but it is attractive to him only now because I finally put a sheet in it. Back to the laundry... 

O Christmas Tree!

Here's the finished product! I am including it because we have never before managed to find such a perfectly sized and shaped tree in such a short amount of time. It literally took 10 minutes. Usually, we have to drive from place to place and wander around in the freezing cold to find a tree that only sort of works. 

KC found a home under the tree as soon as we had it up and decorated. We thought he'd spend more time un-decorating it like he did last year, but he seems to have gone back to his "forest cat" roots. He just enjoys curling up under there for a cat nap. 

Now that we have the piano, there is only one place left to put the Christmas tree and that is in the doorway between the living room and library. The "grown up" side of the tree faces the living room where Will is decorating here. The kids' side faces the library. The kids' side is the side with all the stuffed Star Wars ornaments on it.

"I can barely reach...." 

Daddy's Princess

We were on our way out to a Christmas party and I snapped this photo. Since Bill bought his new camera, there really aren't many photos of him with Will and Eva any more. 

Come Dancing!

Kat and Eva were playing "wedding;" Kat is the bride and they used 45 barrettes and bobby pins plus a whole bottle of hairspray to glue Eva's hair up so she could be the groom. Here they are, enjoying their first dance to Suzanne Vega. Thankfully, I had the camera handy! 

Food Art

Will and I took a holiday baking class at DC Coast. Will learned how to make meringues, gingerbread ornaments, sugar cane snaps, and lots of ways to decorate a cookie. It was a ton of fun. The cookies disappeared quickly. 

Will's First Piano Recital

Here is Will outside The Lyceum, where his recital is about to begin. I think he looks very handsome! There were a lot of children performing and I was surprised how many of them I knew. This was the first time I've seen Will nervous to play the piano for people or to stand up in front of a crowd. I suppose that means he is growing up! He did a very nice job and we are all very proud of him. Eva will get to play at the next recital. 

Will looks very dashing, doesn't he? Eva is wearing a sweater I just finished knitting for her. You can't tell from the photo but it makes her eyes look even bluer. 

Will is waiting for the recital to start and is looking for his friends. He asked several of his buddies to come lend him moral support. Thank you all who came to see Will play his first piano recital! It meant a lot to him. 

King of the Cushion

"King of the Cushion" was one of KC's nicknames even before he was old enough to leave his mother. He has had a hard day exploring and needs his catnap, though Will and Eva never permit those to last for long.

I realized after I took this photo that my big belly is there in the bottom. Someone had asked where the pictures were of my belly. Being the photographer much of the time, there really aren't any except this one. And I think this might be enough!