Merry Day After Christmas

It snowed a bit last night and more this morning! Avery wasn't interested in going outside, but here are a couple of pix of Audrey and Kai having fun.

Merry Christmas

My best Christmas present ... all 3 kids slept until 7! Sweet! =)

We had a super time opening presents and eating breakfast. After Kai's nap, we took the Metro to DC to see the National Christmas tree at the White House (lots of fun trying to throw coins into a train that was going around the tree ... of course, we hadn't actually brought coins ourselves, so we all looked like monkeys trying to reach our arms through the bars to pick up other coins that hadn't quite made it).

We tried again to go to the model trains at the Botanical Gardens, but the kids were having too much fun at some bike racks next to the Washington Monument that we didn't make it to the trains.

We missed everyone on Florida! Love you guys!

Merry Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve eve eve, we went to the Botanical Gardens to see the model trains set up for Christmas. We got there too late to see them, but were able to see the Gardens. The girls' favorite plant was one named a Lollipop plant. =) Our friends were borrowing our van, so we went in the Explorer. I really liked it ... the kids weren't spread so far like they are in the van, so we could all have an easy conversation and singing together.

On Christmas Eve eve, we went to the National Cathedral for a Christmas Eve eve service. It was packed, but we got great seats in the side balcony, right over the stage. We only stayed for a couple of songs, but it was a fun experience. We left there and stopped by the zoo to see ZooLights (it is what is sounds like .... Christmas lights everywhere at the National Zoo). Again, a short stop because it was freezing and let's face it ... how many lights in the cold do you really need to see?

On Christmas Eve, we made cookies for the Christmas Eve service at church and just played around the house.

Church Christmas program / Audrey's kindergarten party

We go to a small church. Last year, there were 5 kids in the Christmas program. 2 of them were ours. This year, there were 24! The pic at the top was taken before the 2 & 3 year olds lined up in the front. anyway, the kids did a great job!

All 5 of us went to Audrey's class yesterday for her kindergarten party and Iain and I did a station making Baby Jesus ornaments. I was afraid the kids would finish long before the 15 minutes of time they were given at each station. There was no need to worry ... we were instead having them fly through the end to try to finish! =)

Paw stuck in the honey jar...

He put down his spoon and tried to eat his yogurt with his hand. This is what happened ...

Fun Tonight

Bunny nose

Yesterday, I tried to teach Kai how to wiggle his nose like a bunny. Here's his interpretation.

Christmas tree

We put our tree up last weekend! Kai was admonished many times by his sisters not to break any ornaments ... he was the ONLY one in our family who did NOT break something during the tree decorating. =)

After the tree was up, Audrey and Avery came downstairs, dressed as an angel and Mary and asking if we could play Baby Jesus. It was so cute. Also a quick pic of them raking leaves this week. =)

Thanksgiving

Short, but VERY sweet trip, to Florida for Thanksgiving!

For Grandma

Good morning Grandma,

We hope you are feeling okay this morning. We love you!

Audrey, Avery & Kai

Karaoke

From last week.

Halloween

Dorothy, Glenda the good witch (or a queen butterfly, depending on the day), and the lion, plus a CG pilot. =) Not really the best pic of any of us, but since both of our cameras were broken on halloween, I have only this one pic that a friend took of us at our church's harvest festival, so it will have to do. =)

Quiz

Which McConnell girl is this? I had to do a double-take myself.

Christmas wreath

So I know this doesn't look like a backdrop in the Land's End catalog, but the girls and I made this wreath yesterday out of our extra Christmas tree branches and we are quite proud of it. Audrey designed, drew and cut out the ribbon all by herself.

Sugarbowl

Ths morning, while getting my coffee ready, I dropped the lid to the sugarbowl on the tile floor and it shattered. The kids and Iain were sitting at the table and they asked what happened. I told them the lid had broken but said don't worry. I was about to give a little sermonette on how things don't matter and how I was glad my family was all safe. So I said, "It's okay. Sugar bowls can be replaced. But you know what can't be replaced?" Avery confidently piped up with "LIDS to sugar bowls!" :)

Zipline

One of our neighbors was giving away a zip line so naturally we took it. =) Here are the girls on Sunday. They have since become very proficient and only need help to reach the handle ... when they swing, they kick the tree to stop themselves and then drop to the ground. Two little Doras. =)

 

 

Boys

So I've posted about this before, but Kai really is different than the girls. They are both taking tennis lessons and he uses their rackets to, um, hit them in the head. I don't think I've ever been hit in the head by either of the girls. He does it frequently.

Two days ago, he kept hitting Audrey in the head with his hand. I tried to distract him, move him, tell him no. He kept doing it. Finally I put him in the corner for about 3 seconds. When he came out, he walked straight over to Audrey, hit her in the head, then walked himself right back to the corner, turned around and grinned.

He also likes to throw things in the trash can. Yesterday, he brought me one of his shoes. I put it on his foot then started looking for his other shoe. Couldn't find it. Avery and I looked all over and couldn't find it. He had to go barefoot yesterday. This morning, I started thinking, "hmmmmmm, yesterday Kai brought me one of his shoes. That means there's a good chance he was holding the other one. Which means there was a good chance he threw it in the trashcan."  So I started digging. Under fish cartons. Through cantelope slimy seeds. Around broccoli stems. And yep, sure enough, there was his shoe. I was tipped off that it might be in there after I first found one of my own good shirts in the trash. Nice. =)

This morning

Watching "I Stink" together ... Avery's new favorite movie. =)

Random thoughts by Avery

Yesterday we were playing airplane and Avery said to Kai, "Kai, we are about to land. Where do you want our home to be? Florida or Idaho?" Um, Idaho? Kai wisely chose Florida, but I am still cracking up about Idaho as a choice.

Garteners

On Friday, Audrey's school had an assembly and all of the classes did a short performance. As Audrey was telling me about it, she said, "First, the 5th-garteners went, then the 4th-garteners, then the 3rd-garteners, then the 2nd-garteners, then the 1st-garteners, then the kindergarteners!"

Kindergarten Update

Audrey has finished 3 days of kindergarten and, by most of her accounts, is having a good time. She still says each night that she's not going back the next day, but all stories between the time we pick her up and bedtime are full of, "...and Mommy, do you know what else, ...."

She starts her day in English, then moves to Spanish, and then has her specials in the afternoon. Music, Library and PE are in English and Art and Science are in Spanish. On Tuesday, she followed directions well in art class and got to be the line leader to leave class, so she was happy about that.

I have asked her many questions about lunch. Today, she told me the cutest thing:

Audrey: Well, you know, I sit in the same seat at lunch every day and it's the perfect seat for me. It's on the corner of the table and no one else ever takes that seat so I sit there. The wall is painted black behind that seat.

Me: What makes it the perfect seat for you?

Audrey: Well, you know, it's on the corner. That means there's only one seat next to me. That way, in case a boy sits there, there's only room for one boy to sit next to me. If I sat somewhere else, maybe a boy would sit on both sides of me and, you know, boys might be crazy at the table, so this way only one boy can sit next to me.

Me: Did a boy sit next to you today?

Audrey: No, it was a girl. The same girl sat next to me every day. I guess that's the perfect seat for her.

Me: What do you talk about with her?

Audrey: We don't talk. We have to eat our lunch. We have a lot to eat and not much time. But we did go to the bathroom together in music today.

Me: Super. What's her name?

Audrey: I don't know.


While Audrey was getting the full interrogation after her first day on Tuesday from Iain and I, here is a little excerpt of what was going on with Kai and Avery.

Audrey's 1st Day of Kindergarten

Um, is anyone else as shocked as I am that Audrey is starting kindergarten today? Does it seem to anyone else that she was only recently born and learning to walk and talk? These 5 1/2 years have flown by, and we are so proud of her!

I was a blubbering mess last night as Iain and I were going to sleep, just wondering if we had prepared her well for this day, what should we have done differently, will she make friends, will she like school, will she remember to choose chocolate milk since she doesn't like regular milk, how am I going to manage every minute of her life if she's not with me every minute? You know, rational kinds of things like that. =)

Iain was fine until after we walked out of her classroom, where she happily put her backpack in her cubby, found her name at a table, and started coloring on the contruction paper shirt at her spot. She barely looked up to tell us good-bye. As a matter of fact, I don't think she ever said good-bye. She was completely happy and content (I know this because I've been managing every minute of her life for 5 1/2 years and I know her very well .... see above). Seeing her happy was such a relief and joy to us. Iain expressd his with tears all the way home. =)

Here are some pix of the big girl this morning. We took many more pix so if you'd like more let me know.

Guess who knows how to ride a bicycle!

My dad died 13 years ago today. He was an amazing person and the best of the best in the dad category! Dad, I miss you! I wish you were here to see this ... you would love it! I can even hear your laughter and see your smile, as if you were standing on the street to watch it.

Santa Claus Has Skills and Other Things

Yesterday, we watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas and as the Grinch was going back up the chimney, Audrey asked me how Santa got back up the chimney. I told her that going down was the easy part, but getting back up must be more difficult. She said very matter-of-factly, "Santa has skills." =)

Separately, Audrey now knows how to tie her shoes. I am so proud of her! I intentionally bought her new school shoes with laces instead of velcro so that she would learn to tie. She hasn't actually worn the shoes yet (saving them for the first day of school), but she put them on last week to practice tying. We went through it about three times with me still pretty heavily involved in the process. Today, she put them on again and I tried to show her. She said, "No, no, Mommy, I can do it." And she did. Amazing!

On Monday, we went to Sesame Street in Pennsylvania. We stopped to see Iain's Aunt Siz on the way (the Grinch movie is courtesy of her; thanks, Aunt Siz! =) ). We had a great time, as always, and Kai would walk toward her and throw himself on her. He does this with us regularly but I've never seen him do it with anyone else. Very cute!

We had a great time at Sesame Place, but the rides were closed a couple of time due to crazy thunderstorms that would roll through and then disappear as quickly as they arrived. Here are a few pix.

Kai pushing the girls; he's very strong

Kai was happy until the horse started moving

We meet the Count!

The girls' favorite ride of the day

Kai's fave part of the day: the kids' pool

Leaving the park; it was a bit wet

From tonight, just before getting ready for bed