Christmas 2009

We had a great Christmas week, opening presents at our house on Dec. 20th and then a few days later driving 13 hours through the night (easier with the kids) to Palatine, IL, arriving at 3am on Dec. 24th. Our 3.5 days in Palatine included 2 Christmas celebrations, our nephew Drew's birthday party, Megan and our niece Lily's baptism, and some indoor sports in Libertyville. Then we drove back (12 hours)and arrived home at 5:30am on the 29th. It was a whirlwind, but we had a great time. For LOTS of photos (thanks to the Shripka's for many of them), click on the collage above.

When preschoolers perform

A couple of weeks ago, Megan and Tyler had their holiday show, complete with performances of 4 original songs and a surprise visit from Santa. Below is the night captured on video. If you only have the time (or desire) to watch one of them, I suggest "Using Rudolph's Light". Ty has improved since his first show (at 15 months) during which he stood like a statue and stared at everyone without opening his mouth. However, I think the greatest entertainment value comes from his classmates to the right of him. If you want to see some photos of the event, click here.

2009 Holiday Show: S-A-N-T-A from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

2009 Holiday Show: Using Rudolph's Light from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

2009 Holiday Show: I have a little Dreidel from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

2009 Holiday Show: Play the drums, It's Christmastime from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

Tyler talking to Santa from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

The whole world is white!

Those were Ty's words when he looked out the window yesterday morning. And he was right--everything was covered by about 4 inches of snow...but that was only the beginning. By the end of the day, we measured 20 inches on our deck. Just like 2 weeks ago, we had a great time sledding, building snow forts, and having snowball fights. For more pictures, click on the top photo.

I'm in trouble

Conversation between Tyler and me tonight after I incorrectly said that a) the figure in the red robe in the Little People Nativity Set was one of the kings and b)the figure with the staff was in fact Joseph:

Tyler: That's not a king, it has long hair and doesn't have a crown.
Me: Yes it is. Not all kings look the same. Plus, he has a gift for Jesus.
Tyler: No, it's not a king. And that's not Joseph; it's just a shepherd.
And on and on for a few more rounds...

Me: Ty, you're just like Daddy; you always think you're right.
Tyler: I'm awesome.

Happy 1st birthday Megan!!

We can't believe it's been a year already since our sweet girl was born. We all had fun celebrating her big day. She ended the day by surprising us with her great appetite, polishing off almost a whole cupcake. We're so thankful for such a smiley, expressive, laid back baby and can't wait to watch her grow and develop over the next year. For more photos, click on the photo above.

PS: For the record, she's 18lbs. 9 oz. (10th percentile) and 29 inches (50th percentile).

Snow day!

The forecast called for 1 inch of snow today and I was doubtful that we'd get any. Afterall, we live in the "south" now. Boy, was I wrong! The snow started falling (in huge flakes) at 10am and didn't stop until about 5:30pm. Ty was thrilled as winter is his favorite season. For pictures of the snowball fights, snowman building, and hiking and sledding in the woods, click on the photo.

Just like Macy's (okay, not really)

The day after Thanksgiving, Tyler, Megan, and I ventured out to Reston Town Center for their annual Thanksgiving Parade. Although it was a little chilly, we enjoyed seeing the floats, entertainers, and Santa and Mrs. Claus. For more pictures, click on the photo below.