Since we last talked, continued

Okay, so I left off with our trip to DC mid-December.  We also visited the Udvar-Hazy Air & Space Museum-- a location that we hadn't seen before, and it was awesome!

After DC we were home for two days before the craziness of Christmas.  I somehow managed to squeeze all of the last-minute shopping and preparations into those two days, and then Christmas Eve was a flurry of birthday brunch with Auntie Bethie, two "kid" pageant services at our home church, and then a 10 PM mass.  Grandma and Grandpa came to the pageant and then stayed home with the sleeping kiddos so both M and I could sing at the late mass (Victoria O Magnum among other things... delightful).  The last-minute wrapping of gifts took place in between all of those things, and somehow we managed to be in bed by midnight.  Not too bad!

Christmas Day was absolutely lovely-- pure relaxation.  And blissfully happy children.

(...and they didn't wake up until almost 7! Sure beats the 4:30/5 of most years past!)

A wonderful, wonderful day.  So blessed.

Christmas week was spent doing not very much... M had to work.  We did a few friend playdates with school friends who had the week off, and a trip to OSV to see a marionette show there!  We got to see Aunt Beth with G & G one last time before she made the trip back to DC.

On Friday (New Years Eve Eve as she kept telling everyone) L had her second gymnastics meet of the year.  We all traveled to the Cape to see her compete.

(They had a professional photographer at the meet and gave us a CD of the photos free of charge!  Nice perk!)

She really had her game face on for most of these but cracked a smile for at least one. :)

She won two medals (second place on floor, third place on beam) and a participation trophy!  We were so proud and she had a great time!  She was especially excited because our dear friends Missy and Kirk were able to come to the meet!  We joined them at their house nearby for dinner and a sleepover afterwards.  So refreshing and fun to hang out with these lovely folks.

New Year's Eve day we spent the morning walking on the beach and then headed back home.  After all the excitement of the trip we were in bed early on New Year's Eve... M and I were definitely asleep by 9:37.

IDK, I think I was always the 9:37 type, even in college.

(photo courtesy of How to be a Dad)

Monday (New Years Day observed) we had a lovely brunch with Grandma H and Mike, Auntie Bethie, and Adam.  And I didn't take a single pic!  I was a little worn out by that point, methinks.  But the girls loved the second round of gifts and enjoyed the time with family watching the Rose Parade.  L especially loved the weaving loom she got and has been churning out potholders like nobody's business in the last few weeks.

C's 5th birthday (WOW) was in early January but since this post is LONNNNGGGG I'll save that for another time.

After C's birthday our schedule slowed down considerably and I have really been enjoying these last few weeks of staying home, doing school, maintaining the housework and laundry, and otherwise cozying up on cold winter nights and vegging out.  I *finally* feel like I have a handle on our homeschool trajectory for the  year, now that we are halfway through it (my plan early on was a little vague and we've been flying by the seat of our pants kinda).  I got some good chunks of time last weekend looking at and thinking about the best way to teach the remaining skills of 1st and 3rd grade.  Perhaps some curriculum posting soon, I hope.

If you're still reading, I congratulate you.  Thus ends the post.  Goodnight!