Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!  Though for you it is now the day after Christmas...and for us two days after!  I have some photos to post over the next two days as this season is full of photo ops.  We celebrated a quiet (well as quiet as it can get with 7 kids in an apartment) Christmas, focused on family and remembering Immanuel.  The day after Christmas was Bub's 5th birthday...and today is Daddy's 50-ish birthday.  We've got zillions of photos to post here.  I beg your indulgence as you wade through them...and please remember...we do it for the grandmas!  ;)

Above & Below:  We spent an entire day making sugar cookies.  My bakery assistants had a blast, though I'm certain we had some "product shrinkage" due to the amount of raw product strewn about.

Above:  Magpie shows some funky attitude...and Brownie reveals again that she's got a real penchant for crazy faces...we may start calling her Carol Burnett Jr.!

Below:  Potato sports some white-flour gloves.

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Below:  The Bug, a very serious baker, focuses on more dough.

 

Below:  Brownie shows another wacky face.  Generally, she is a quiet kid.  She very seldom will make eye-contact with strangers...and can play peacefully for long periods of time without being managed...but she has a zany side that comes out once and awhile...and she's the life of the party...recently I cannot get her to take a serious picture...in a series of 20, in every one she was crossing her eyes or contorting her face...she cracks us all up!

Below:  On Tuesday, the 21st, the school put on a Christmas Show.  We had not seen most of the performance pieces...when I walked into the auditorium...The Bruiser greeted me with this smile (and hairdo, courtesy of the Kindergarten Teacher stylist)...his personality continues to bloom, as I'm sure you can plainly see!

Above:  Once again, Blogger is conspiring against me as I can't right this photo so you can view it properly...but the photo above...so many potential captions.  Daddy thought he resembles a young Thurston Howell III, from Gilligan's Island.

Below:  "Look at me, I'm impervious to their negative vibes!"

 Below:  Bub, putting on the Ritz!

 Below:  The Bruiser struck a pose at every opportunity...we've watched this guy go from being "zoned out" 80% of the time...to this.  Daddy said he thought the Bruiser was like a baby in a box, trapped, unable to develop beyond basic functions without stimuli.  In June, we got him out of the box and introduced him to the concept of family...and look out...he's a man on fire!

Below:  The scene.  Our little school is growing!

Below:  The Singer charmed us and delighted us with his performance...he is the constant observer...we watched him take in the whole event, then once he'd studied the appropriate reactions (clapping, laughing, enthusiasm) he joined right in...he told me afterward, "Momma, that was fun!"

Above:  Again, no luck with getting this photo to load correctly....he's evoking a "Hollywood: Days Gone By" mood for me here...

Above:  Potato flashes us a confident look before taking the stage...

 Above:  The Bug and her BFF Miss Wu from 4 sang "Enough" recorded by BarlowGirl...they won the prize for best performance...and showed some mighty-fine microphone technique, while executing some fine dance moves, and excellent vocals too!  (Side note...the backdrop was designed and assembled by Daddy...the man has not yet found a piece of construction paper that he cannot compel to do his bidding!)

Above:  The Bruiser (center) and The Singer (center left, with arm raised) do their duty bringing smiles to the fans!  Check out the girls dresses!

Above & Below:  Magpie danced a Rumba for her contribution to the show...

Below:  Then Bug joined her to dance a Cha-Cha

Below:  This photo shows all four girls dancing the Cha-Cha with their partners, Brownie is second from left, and Potato is at right, in red.  They came Here to learn Latin dance...and they love it...it is the rage 

Above:  Magpie & The Bug with the Wu Girls from 4, in their classes' Chinese-language rendering of the "Goatherd" song from Sound of Music...yodel-he-yode-ley-he-yode-ley he-hoo

Above:  Bub, center, danced with his partner to show his showbiz side...that flashed and burned out like a Roman Candle...he left the stage in tears...(no nap = no reserves to emotionally put on the show!)

Above:  A Santa we know and love was recruited to hand out gifts to the children after the performance...

Below:  Magpie, after the performance...

 Below:  Brownie hugs Santa Claus (with the too small hat...and suspect beard)

 Below:  Our Principal just HAD to have her photo taken with Santa(s)...Upon viewing this photo, Daddy said, "Hey, wait a minute!  His beard looks white and new...and mine looks like a public health hazard!"

Below:  The Bug after the show, models the copious amounts of glitter used Here for every performance!

We have some more Christmas morning photos to post.  In general, we've enjoyed thoroughly the sweetness of family and first Christmases for our Two New Guys.  Though this year, the song "I'll Be Home for Christmas" nearly flattened me as it played while I prepared the turkey...but just in the nick of time...all my little chef helpers descended upon our little kitchen, singing, laughing and eager to help me...and I remembered...that I am home.