New Year's Eve, a.k.a. Patatas Bravas Night

Once again, the Francos agreed to join us in ringing in the New Year (and celebrating Isabella's birthday). And once again, the adults opted to cook a series of "small plates" that are never really that small, but always delicious.

Determined to recreate the fabulous Patatas Bravas that we've enjoyed at a few Tapas restaurants, and undaunted by less-than-successful attempts in previous years, Tim persevered with a new recipe -and knocked it out of the park!

It was a fun night characterized by food, wine, laughter, and VICTORY at cards. The kids had a wonderful time together, too, and we couldn't have asked for a better way to usher out the old year and welcome in the new.

The Morlan-Needham-Seymour Christmas in Atlanta

This year we were honored, and delighted, to host the Morlans and Needhams for Christmas. After our magical holiday in London, it felt a bit daunting to be the hosts for such a highly-anticipated occasion, but our guests soon set us at ease and proved that time together is the easy recipe for a merry Christmas.

A few seasonal outings heighten the enjoyment, of course, like the lights at the Botanical Gardens and shopping at the mall.

We enjoyed a beautiful Christmas Eve mass in the cathedral, at which Tim and the Cathedral Ensemble sang beautifully.

Mass was followed by the traditional meal, hanging of stockings and placing of Baby Jesus in the manger.

The scene just before the present-opening chaos.
It was a lovely, fun, beautiful time together that reinforced our blessings and reminded me that the gift of family is by far the most precious of all.

Kindergarten Christmas Celebrations

 It really is the most wonderful time of the year, but probably more so when you're a child. And when you're in Kindergarten, there are several fun celebrations. Take, for example, Grinch Day - an occasion that Laura was suprisingly gung-ho about. It tapped right into her inner 'tude, I guess.

On the sweeter side of things was the annual Advent liturgy, during which the sweet Kindergarten classes sing several songs that they have sung since Clare was that age (and probably much longer than that). They wear their little capes with great pride and channel their inner angels, at least for a bit. A marvelous way to kick off the Christmas break!

Kings' Christmas Party: Ugly Attire Edition

There was debate (via text, of course) about how many years this party has gone on, or at least how many we have attended - but suffice to say, the Kings' annual Christmas party has been a highlight (or occasionally low, depending on how you look at it) of our season for many years. I will be the first to admit that when they added the twist of ugly sweaters/general attire this year, I was less than thrilled. We don't get all that many opportunities to dress up throughout the year, so I tend to look forward to doing so for this soiree. However, not only was it fun to shop for our pieces, it was *really* fun to observe as people rolled into the party! (You can see by Tim's face how he felt about the wardrobe. But come on - sharks in Santa hats? Pretty awesome.)

This also marked the fifth year in a row that I managed to work a photo of Tim into our gift for the white elephant exchange. While it is generally something that only the Kings and Bergstroms are interested in, this year's pillow became hotly contested among several attendees, including someone who has never met any of these men. Fortunately, if not legally according to the rules of the swap, Amy ultimately prevailed.

How awesome are these suits?

A very fun night with a very fun group. Tim can hardly wait to hear what next year's theme is!

She's a Mean One, Except When She's Not

Today the Kindergarten got to celebrate "Grinch Day." Laura was VERY excited about this. Maybe it was just the prospect of an out-of-uniform day, but there have been moments lately where she has shared an affinity with the creature in green. She regularly asks if she's on the naughty list, and I regularly respond that it's a real possibility.

But she also has moments that remind me how charming this age is at Christmas time. Writing notes to ask Manti, our elf, questions about life in the North Pole; reminding me about the reindeer food they made at school to leave on Christmas Eve; and sweetly singing Christmas songs are things that I know are fleeting. They might even be enough to tip the scales and put her on the nice list after all.

Marist MS Swim Season

Another Marist MS swim season has come to an end, and while I didn't think it was possible, Clare loved it even more than last year. The team clearly enjoyed each other's company, and worked so well together. So much spirit!

This was the first year Clare swam the 500, and she really enjoyed it - and improved her time every meet! Distance events are proving to be her thing, as the 200 was also a solid event for her. Looks like she's on her way to lettering in swimming next year in high school!

Best of all, at least from this parent's perspective, is that fact that she was awarded the Coach's Award at the end of the season. Her upbeat attitude, sincere respect for the coaches, and genuine enjoyment of the team were well noted, and that makes me exceptionally proud.

Tree Time 2016

Various sports schedules, etc. led us to an evening tree hunt this year. I was surprised by how many other tree hunters were at Home Depot on a Friday night - the lighting was not the same, that's for sure! Fortunately, it still looked good the next morning, although the giant split up the trunk means that we're not entirely certain that the tree posted here will be the same one on Christmas Day. Fingers crossed!

The kids all contributed to the tree trimming, too, after Tim put in a long day's work on outside lights. We are eager to put on our best displays this year in anticipation of hosting the Needhams and Morlans, after all!

The kids also all contributed to eating plenty of eats, including the concluding chocolate fondue which Tim graciously consented to do while watching "Elf." We are well on our way to a very  merry season!