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.