This is with our friends at a Chanukah party Dec. 26. We had a very nice time and James had the most chocolate at the end of both dradle games. Our friends are off to Bangkok and we won't see them until we make a trip from China to the army store there. They also had some friends visiting from Russia at the party. 

Fashion shot #4. 

Fashion shot #3....can you guess how many times they changed clothes that day? 

Fashion shot #2 

This is the unfinished basement where we set up the tents the girls got from Santa. This is Zoe in fashion shot #1. 

My beautiful girls all dressed for church on Christmas morning. It is safe to dress them alike because no one ever asks if they are twins which makes Marlo a lot more willing to comply. 

The girls got James nerf guns and extra darts for Christmas and they spent a good part of the morning running around the house shooting each other. 

Merry Christmas morning!! Santa was very good to us this year and the girls were so excited to open presents. We even received a sled... but it rained all day... it has been in the 50's almost every day since. We have several hills around our house that look perfect so we are hoping for a good snow. 

We had Christmas by ourselves this year for the first time. It was suprisingly fun. For Christmas eve dinner I attempted a leg of lamb that my grandmother is so famous for. I called her for the secret receipe and she told me she never does anything to it, she just washes it off and puts it in the oven. Go figure. So I put garlic cloves in mine and a little seasoning salt. It came out fabulous. We are still enjoying the leftovers.
That morning I did another first and made cinnamon rolls all by myself. I made the first batch too big and they didn't cook all the way through but they were still delicious. The second batch with nuts was very good and I cut them a more reasonable size. The girls helped me and they each got to make their own that they kneeded and pounded and filled with sugar. Good memories. 

Paper angels on high. Marlo thought red dresses would be prettier. 

Marlo insisted that our tree have an angel on top so we made three out of the things we could find around the house. 

I am going to have to collect some boy dress up clothes so that the princesses don't dress him up like them. Aren't they so dramatic. 

A little construction paper goes a long way for making Christmas decorations. 

The week before Christmas we made Santa puppets. Marlo insisted hers was Mrs. Claus and so she needed a more colorful outfit. 

I sent this to the listserv back in Oct. but in lieu of sending out a christmas card this year, here is our family portrait. I am planning to send out a picture after Jr. is born so that you can all see our beautiful little family even while we are far away. Until then, Merry Christmas everyone. 

Marlo took this picture of my very pregnant belly and our cute little christmas tree. This is my favorite outfit these days. Most people can't believe I am due in two weeks. I can't believe I have that long to go. What does it say about my self esteem that I am willing to put this picture of me online..... 

Easily the best dressed ladies in the audiance. We weren't sure how traffic would be... you never know around here... so we had plenty of time to relax before the show started. 

One of James' classmates at work received 4 free tickets to Sesame Street Live after he had already had 4 of his own for his family. We took the girls straight from church all dressed up to see Super Grover. I think they really enjoyed it. Can you imagine paying $8 for a helium filled Elmo head balloon? Neither could we...I mean why not just ask for the whole $10? I guess with a crowd of 3 year olds you can imagine how many $8 balloons were floating on the ceiling by the end of the show. 

 

Marlo and Zoe acted out the nativity story for me one afternoon while we were having school. Marlo of course was Mary.... won't Zoe be glad when there is a real boy around so she doesn't have to be Joseph or prince charming all the time! 

We are enjoying our new residence in Warrenton. We all made a gingerbread house (from a kit) and have been baking and making goodies. Zoe likes the frosting much more than Marlo does 

Update from the Doctor

Well, I went to the doctor yesterday, and he says nothing is happening. I am not even dilated. So, I am thinking I definitely have to wait until after Christmas until this guy is born....but stranger things have happened. I suppose there is still a chance I could go into labor but the chances are slim and discouraging. Oh well. Just means we have more time to get ready for Christmas with the girls.
Michelle

Hiccups

So here I am trying to study Chinese in the lab and Jr. has the hiccups. It would be one thing if he could keep it to himself, but he just can't. I feel like I should be playing dance music because he is using my diaphragm and my rib cage as the dance floor....oh just a few more weeks. :)

Michelle

Getting dressed for the cold is still a novelty and fun for the girls. If we lived in it all the time, I don't know if they would still be so enthusiastic about it. I am so proud of my girls who are such good buddies. 

After lunch we walked around the food court and watched them perform while making fudge. They sing and groove while stiring and mixing. Zoe conned Mark into giving her rides most of the afternoon. On our next trip to Baltimore we are definately going to have to go to the aquarium which was just accross the bay. 

We drove to Baltimore with Ruth and Mark. In the background is the Science center which is a very cool hands-on place for kids. We looked at the boats in the harbor and had crab for lunch. It was a chilly day! 

The view of the mall and the capital building from the top of the Washington Monument. (Zoe and Marlo's heads.) 

We fnally made it to the Washington Monument. I went early and got tickets, only to have the day be so cold that we didn't need them anyway. Oh well. The girls had a great time anyway.