Merry Christmas!

All ready for Christmas morning

Christmas Day

Starting to open presents

Elizabeth in her new owl hat and new coat

We're a bit behind in sending Christmas greetings, but I may just give up and wait until we actually have news. April sounds like a good time for a friendly spring hello and we should have baby news and graduation news by then (fingers crossed).

We had a lovely weekend with the M family here in town. On Christmas Eve, everyone gathered at our house for our traditional lasagne (French traditional meal representing the swaddling clothes) and reading of the nativity. I stayed up way too late after everyone left, wrapping gifts, stuffing the stockings, and making a few gift coupons for the kids. Christmas morning I was up at 5:30 am to preheat the oven and take the cinnamon rolls out of the fridge to finish rising. The kids woke up at 7 am, looked at their stockings, and by 8:20 am, we were out the door to church.

The whole family participated in the meeting. I was part of violin, flute, piano prelude music and directed the ward choir. Craig and Jessica both sang in the choir AND spoke. All the kids sang with the Primary, which Jessica directed. Mr. M, Grandma M and Grandpa M watched kids in the pews. Mr M had to chase Elizabeth in the choir loft when she escaped in the middle of one of the talks. It was a lovely meeting.

After church, we came home to open gifts and get ready for dinner at the cousins' house with some honorary M family members.  We spent the day together, eating, eating, eating, and watching the cousins open their gifts. I was so tired that I went to bed as soon as we got home and I was asleep at 8:15 pm.

Tonight, we gathered again (!) for more gift-giving, leftovers, and general mayhem. When the kids were upstairs playing, Grandma M pointed out that we were all staring at our portable technology (smart phones and ipods). Ah, family togetherness:)

Happy birthday, Ethan!

Ethan turned 9 a few days ago! For his birthday dinner, he requested tacos, and rather than cake, he chose fruit platter pie. The cousins and grandparents came to celebrate with us. He received a magic kit and a $25 gift card to Target.

Blowing out his candle

We hosted a birthday party for friends (Ethan's first) in November to avoid holiday madness. It was a Harry Potter theme and involved wand-making, dueling, muggle Quidditch, potions, and hamburgers. Everyone had a fabulous time, and Mr. M did an amazing job of finding just the right dowels for wands and keeping things going smoothly.

Happy birthday, Mr. Schmeath!

December update

This is what happens at our kitchen table most days after the boys get home from school. Our favorite snack is popcorn - it's inexpensive and high fiber!

Elizabeth has amazed us by being self-potty-training. She is wearing pull ups and insists on doing just about everything herself. When Mr. M goes in to the bathroom to help her, she points to the door and says, "OUT!"  I'm glad we started with boys because they were much more difficult.

Scott is maintaining a steady campaign in favor of homeschool for the rest of first grade. We will be attempting a 2 week trial during our Christmas break. I was really excited about it before our Thanksgiving 1 week trial; now I am apprehensive. Am I ready to embrace this major lifestyle change? Homeschool friends, I need your support. I am nervous about planning (and implementing) the curriculum.

Ethan continues to be ultra-responsible. He gets himself up every morning at 6 am, gets his own breakfast, gets dressed, and usually reads for a few minutes before getting himself on the bus at 6:45 am. He is a role model for me:)

Mr. M is finishing grades for the semester and then working like a madman on his dissertation. We got a lovely desk off craigslist for $25 and put it up in our spare bedroom/office (the Room of Requirement). He has made good progress, but still has a long ways to go. Those of you who are praying folks, please pray for him that he will have clarity of mind and purpose. You can pray for me, too, that I can be a support rather than a distraction.

As for me, I am feeling enormous. 4 months to go in this pregnancy, and I have gained 20 lbs.  Mr. M reminds me that I am still about 10 lbs lighter than what I was at the beginning of the year before I started living the life.  I need to pull out my old pregnancy dvd workout, walk around the block, and break out my new Christmas hand weights. I know that will make a huge difference in the way I feel.

Child's play and political speeches

You may remember Harvey and Snortey, our resident super pigs. Evidently, there was a recently-held election. I found these speeches (written by Ethan) on a sheet of crumpled notebook paper upstairs in the playroom. Transcribed as written (spelling and punctuation).

Snortey:

It is an honor to be before you today. I will be honored if you pick me for President. I say that I should be president of the small club that we have formed and these are the reasons why. I am an expert in leading, I protect pigs, and I would like it if someone would get me a popsicle.

Harvey:

Hello pigs and piglets. It is a pleasant day to vote. Please pick me for president. And not because I want a popsicle. (pause for laughter) This is the real reason why. I am a good worker and I clean more than Snorty (blow raspbery at Snorty) and I am older and more mature. Please vote for me, Harvey.

I've got so much honey, the bees envy me...

19w2d

If you live far away, you haven't seen my burgeoning belly. Be excited with me that my hair is in a bun. A BUN!
 
Today was the exciting day when Mr. M met my o.b. and we had the big ultrasound that is supposed to reveal whether our growing baby is a boy or girl. It seemed at first that "the lemon baby" as it has been called by the boys was not going to cooperate; those legs were really close together! Eventually, though, our tech was able to determine that we are having a GIRL! We're thrilled! The boys are thrilled! Elizabeth is thrilled, although I'm not sure how much she really understands. We have been considering names, too.

Mr. M asked, when we were driving home, "Who wants to call the baby Emily Carmen?"

"MEEE!" called Elizabeth, raising her hand high.

"Who wants to call the baby Carmen Chantal?" was his next question.

"MEEEE!" was her answer.

"Who wants to call the baby Sasquatch?" was his final question.

Enthusiasm not diminishing one bit, her hand shot into the air. "MEEE!"