Decorating the Tree...and English Competition Pictures

Just as your lives have been busy leading up to the holidays...so too has ours.  We've had volumes of school work, rehearsals, costumes for 7 different H family members to gather...and always dinner guests.  These are a few photos of our kids decorating the tree this year.  Merry Christmas!

Above:  Bub pauses for his holiday shot.

Above:  It is The Bruiser's first Christmas, of course.  We had these little tiny ornaments that were shiny gold and looked like wrapped presents.  The Bruiser, silently but diligently, harvested all those ornaments off the tree, then found a quiet location to begin to open them all.  Of course, each one revealed only a styrofoam center, but he was undeterred.  The thrill of opening present after tiny present.

Above:  Magpie attempts to top the tree...

Above:  Really puts me to mind of the tree at the White House...

Above:  The Singer, not to be undone by the "serial unwrapper" The Bruiser, thought the game of this big decorated tree was to constantly hang ornaments, then take them off and hang them again...over and over...with squeals of delight each time you did it.  He cracked us up.  Then when a few wrapped gifts appeared under the tree...he was delirious with joy!  What a riot.

Above:  Moving on to the city-wide English competition.  The Bug enjoyed reciting her Grandma J's favorite poet's piece Little Orphan Annie, by James Whitcomb Riley.

Above:  This was the best attempt we had of all the young looking at the camera (except The Bruiser's super-smile that occluded his vision)...in front of the decorated tree.  Just after this, The Bruiser knocked over the floor lamp we were using...shattering the glass shade all over the floor...the festive mood, irretrievably altered.

Above:  Two of the competitors at the English competition, and their Laoshi (teacher.)

Above:  Our team this year...we have qualified to go to Beijing again...maybe this year we will?

I've got more to write about life these days...but that will wait until tomorrow...