Time To Catch Up

No, I didn't take time off to catch up.  Heavens, I don't think I will ever feel caught up.  No, I think I need to do a quick catch up on the blog.  And, because I am about chronology, I will try to put things in order.  Mostly pictures which are harder now, as my nice camera officially broke. Very very sad day.

• Lucy is up first, and she began a new adventure: Atrium!  One day a week, and this girl has loved every minute of it.  Don't call it school, just call it Atrium.  My sister teaches the older grades and has poked her head in to watch (Lucy says, "Aunt Jenn sat in the chair and did not talk") and says Lucy has great concentration.  My most favorite thing of all is hearing that sweet voice sing all the songs. 
  
• Tommy turned the big 4-0 in October, and I will do a blog post about that. :)
• Lucy turned 4!  We went all out with her love of unicorns, and I made her a special cake.  I think she liked it.  
  
  
  
  
• Halloween was fun with friends and good creative costumes.  As the kids get older, we have found that going out trick-or-treating is more fun in a group and Emma has found the sweetest girls and we are more than happy when she is able to have some outings with them.  Lucy spent the whole day in her costume.
  
   Emma is Cordelia Biddle from the movie "The Happiest Millionaire", William is a Pokémon trainer, James is Harry Potter, and Lucy is Violet from "The Incredibles."  
• Patrick had his first Homecoming/Enthronement Dance.  He went stag, though he had tried to ask a young lady, but it didn't work out.
  
  
  
  
• James  lost a front tooth!  Even pulled it himself.                                                                          
• Our family celebrated Thanksgiving at our home with all the locals on the Gregory side.    I was so happy we could accommodate Joe and his wheels, and everyone else.  :)       
  
• William is officially an altar server, and had been doing an amazing job.  It is a joy to see all the boys serving together some days.
  
•  December brings Saint Nicholas cookie making.  I need to remember to double to batch next year.  I never make enough for all of us to enjoy.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Our family went into DC for a very cold, and muddy ALS walk for my brother and his family.  It was a very different feel this year, as you see the progression of the disease.  It was a joy to see all the love and support of Joe and his family.  Please keep praying for him! 
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Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real: December Posting

Linking up (after a brief break) with Like Mother, Like Daughter.

{Pretty}


I was more excited than the children.  Our local ballet academy offered some tickets to the Nutcracker ballet at the Auction night for the school.  We were able to get tickets at half price, and I was so tickled to bring my oldest 3.  It was the first time my kids had been to any kind of ballet performance.  They had to listen to me tell them the story on the way, and during, as well as try not to sing along to every song.  Some, as you can tell, were more thrilled than others.  I was happy to have a night when we didn't need to have a stroller, or wiggly toddler on my lap. 

It was a beautiful evening, and those kids worked so hard!  It was even better to be able to see so many of my friends' children on stage!
 
(And NO, Emma is NOT taller than me.  Yet.)

{Happy}



This year, we spend Thanksgiving with my side of the family.  We have tried to alternate families, since we are surrounded by so many and have the option to spend different holidays with each.  But with health issues, surgeries, and busy schedules, it seems that we have gotten off the rhythm. I was so happy to be close to home, to be with my parents and some siblings.  Lucy has decided she is ready to walk, and it was so nice to spend time at a family friendly home, where she could wander and be loved in each room, by every person.  As her shirt says, "Everyone is thankful for me." 

(While I feel I should clarify, that Lucy walking doesn't exactly make me happy, her joy at her new found talent makes me happy, and, really, who can't be happy when that sweet face looks up at you?)

{Funny}


The day after Thanksgiving brought Fr. Juan to our home again!  He let us cook for him this time, and we did not have anything even remotely resembling Thanksgiving meal.  (Being from Venezuela, Father didn't have that meal with his family the day before either.)  We played Apples to Apples, the Disney version, and Father beat us all!  He had fun with the kids, when it was their turn to judge, and he would look them in the eye and say, "We are friends, right?"  And they would giggle. 



Yep.  That's us.  :)

{Real}



We tried for a nice shot on the timer setting, and even with the heads cut off, I love the lighting, the smiles and the joy that shows through in this one.  Father always is so "yoyful" and brings it with him.  He always tells the children that there are no "donkey faces" allowed.  Only smiles and love. 

End of Summer Vacation Craziness

These are just for me, but this is what our house felt like in the last few days before school started.  My kids love this song from Mary Poppins.  I also love this stage that James is in, where he imitates everything that the big kids say and do.  It's so stinkin' cute.

Just Dance 4

I finally figured out how to upload these videos!  Sorry it's chopped up, but I was laughing so hard.  We are only missing John and Danny to make this perfect.

 

 

Just Dance

No Reynolds gathering is complete without a little "Just Dance." We know where this boy gets his moves!

Christmas Fun

What's a Reynolds family holiday without a little dancing?

Emma's class

When I got up yesterday morning, I found Emma all ready for her first dance class. The class wasn't until after dinner, and it was 7AM. It took a lot of convincing to take it off to keep it clean, but we managed. The whole family went to the Freedom Center to watch the first class, and while William walked up and down the hall, we watched all these adorable little girls learn first position, skipping, and just overall cuteness. The class was in a Racquet ball room, so we could see but not hear anything. Emma was the tallest in the class, and did AMAZING. She waited patiently for her turn, followed directions really well, and was so cute to watch. I was floored by how good she was, and how quickly she learned the steps. Class was only 45 minutes, but she learned a lot. She came out all excited, and informed us that there were princesses in her class. I said of course everyone is a princess in their tutus, and learning to dance. I asked Emma to tell me some of the girls' names in the class. The two she remembers? MULAN and AURORA. Seriously.