Christmas morning, 2013

We had a wonderful, joyful Christmas. Gramma Grace, Lise, our French au pair, and her friend spent Christmas Eve and Christmas day with us...

I was up at 6 to help Santa place gifts under the tree (he always makes such a mess, Santa and his elves!)...Terence helped bring the enormous doll house in from the garage. For once, Julia had not 'discovered' her gift before Christmas...she is a tough one to surprise, she figures things out!

Here are photos of my sleepy heads...opening presents...

On Christmas Eve, I could not get Graham to fall asleep...so I told him that Santa would not come until we were sleeping...Terence took some bells and rang them outside.

I wish I had a photo of Graham's face! He looked surprised, then squeezed his eyes shut and said to me "Mommy, we better go to sleep. I heard Santa!"

sweet.

 Still dreaming of Santa

 The tree and the gifts

 Julia works her sleepy self down the stairs

 Looks like Santa drank the milk and ate a little of the cookie we left out. The children's notes to Santa are on the table.

 Julia's doll house (thank you, Mothers of the Hill forum! I found this, already assembled, with all of the furniture...and it was even delivered to me, since it didn't fit into my car...)
Terence and I now have a strict "No Assembly" gift rule...2 Christmas's ago, Terence was up at 5 a.m., assembling a battery-operated fire truck for Graham...the fire truck THEN sat in the kitchen for a year, as I was a bit concerned that Graham wouldn't know how to 'drive' it.
Terence also put together a pink kitchen for Julia that year...and a baby sitter put together a 'fire station' for Graham.
We vowed to never again have to assemble things...thus the MOTH forum and Craigslist, where I like to buy things 'used' AKA preassembled!

 Julia's American Girl doll.

 Graham and his new crane. He took the box, opened it, turned to the French girls and said "This cost $100 dollars!" So funny.

 Cookies from our kind neighbors, Carol and Carolyn. Thank you!!

 Hello...Kitty? Enormous Hello Kitty gift

 My boys...xoxox

Julia carrying her American Girl doll...

Merry Christmas 2013

We went to the Elipse, in front of the White House, to go to Santa's workshop...the elf looked out the window at the children and said "Where have you been all day? We've been waiting for you!" -- exactly what I was telling the children to get them to 'move along' all day...amazing, less than a week until Christmas, the weather, 60 degrees, and No Lines to see Santa! Then again, who knew Santa had a workshop on the Elipse? I surely didn't, nor did many of my friends with children...

Better yet: Trains under the Christmas Tree! And trees representing all of the states plus the territories...all in all, a great night...

 

 "where have you been? We've been waiting all day for you!"

 Elf

 Christmas Tree -- White House

 There were numerous trains and 'stations' surrounding the enormous Christmas tree...

Yes, it's the White House...

Lesson: The meaning of Eccentric

 

Today, in Georgetown, Julia and I saw a woman riding an old  bicycle. No big deal--except that she wore a mink coat and wore a silk scarf over her head. No helmet, of course.
Naturally, I pulled over and took a photo.

Jules: Why did you take a photo of that woman?

Me: Because she was riding a bicycle while she was wearing a mink coat, and I thought it was eccentric.

J: What’s eccentric?
Me: Something out of the ordinary, not something you do every day. For example, if a person  walks a cat.

J: I walk Kitty.

Me: Well, or if someone has a Parrot on their shoulder. That’s eccentric, it’s not normal.

J: Yes it is, Pirates have parrots on their shoulders all the time!

 

I looked in the rearview mirror, and Julia had a straight face, she was not kidding and was a sweet as ever.

=

 

Typical annoying Georgetown eccentric.

And...hmmm. What is this? 5 year old, wearing her brother's inventive hat..

Graham, modeling his hat, made of construction paper/poster paper...there's a secret opening under the red square...

Thanksgiving 2013

Thanksgiving was so nice...Thank you, Wagshal's, for cooking...well, I take that back: everything needed to be warmed up ... which translates into dirty pans...and hand wash china...etc.

But it was heavenly, the food...the company..the children! Oh, how they entertained themselves so we could chat and eat and enjoy...since Graham and Julia aren't huge 'meat eaters' (Um, except those cheeseburgers they love to scarf down every other month or so...need I tell them it's from a cow? Julia claims she won't eat anything from a pig...I guess my non meat eating has rubbed off on them.)

 

I digress...after T-day, we drove to the Eastern Shore (what a mind numbing drive that is! Egads...flat, flat, boring...then the amazing ocean!)...

Just chilled, saw Gramma Dot...and got some book store time as well as some beach time...

 

 Julia, after her bath, sans shoes...

 "Come buy something in our store!" Graham and Julia kept themselves entertained by creating a store in the kitchen while Terence, our friend Caitsby and I enjoyed our Thanksgiving meal ... Graham then shut the store down, and had an 'advice' office...for 5 cents (thank you, Lucy from Peanuts!)...I told him my problem was "oh, I am dropping everything! I sometimes forget things!" and Graham looked ever so serious as he told me his diagnosis:
"I think you need to see a doctor."
ba-da-boom.
When I told him I'd paid him 5 cents, he became quite serious and took out a piece of paper...and proceeded to write me a prescription.
Priceless.

 Graham, most likely thinking of his next invention or building he'll create

 At Bethany Beach, Thanksgiving weekend.

Sand castles

Halloween 2013

 Is that a fire I see?

 Julia, the Movie Star, strikes a pose

 G-Man, with a chocolate mustache...at the Tudor House Chocolate house making workshop

 Julia, at Tudor House, taking a break from the tour

 Contemplating "her" Tudor Estate in Georgetown

 Chocolate House, eat some, build some!

Washington International School Parade...

Pirate Cruise on the Potomac

Ahoy Maties! We had a great time in August on a Pirate Cruise with Mame and Andy ... followed by lunch at Sequoia.

What's amazing about the cruise is for a mere $10, you get an hour or more on the Potomac...complete with pirates 'chasing' the boat on a powerboat...which the children then 'shoot water cannons' at...then, the children got the key to the treasure chest after 'catching' the pirates in the boats (by shooting them with water cannons, naturally)...Got that?

 

All in all, a great day...and view of the Kennedy Center from the Potomac!

 

 Our Mame!

Baltimore Aquariaum, August 2013

Baltimore makes for a great day trip, especially the Aquarium. Graham and Julia and I went in early August to check out the newest Reef...sharks galore. The children and I prefer the playful dolphins.

 

 Julia...and Kitty

 Scary!

 More our speed...a wonderful view from beneath thte tank.

 A highlight for Graham involves the 'workings' of the dolphin tank.

 So odd how an iPhone can capture the perfection of jelly fish.