A little catch-up **UPDATED**

Last night as I was telling Glen everything I needed to do today, I mentioned taking a picture of the kids for our yet-uncreated Christmas card. He told me to check out the pictures on the camera--he was thinking ahead and took pictures of them last week when he was getting them ready for the Christmas program. I would LOVE to know what he was saying to them to make them laugh in this picture:

and this one:

**um, I asked Glen, and he said that he told them to say, "Mom has a big butt." :)

I had been waiting for Chase's crusty nose and Tate's red area around his mouth (darn winter) to clear up before taking a non-flash picture, but Glen got me several great ones where all I need to do are fix the red eyes and the aforementioned blemishes. I probably wouldn't have even taken the picture until Friday (first day of Christmas break), so I can maybe get way ahead of myself!

The Christmas program was wonderful--aren't all of the shepherds and angels cute? In Cono tradition, they recited Luke 2:1-16 between singing their songs. We've been working hard with Tate--I watched him closely, and I'm pretty sure he was reciting along with the others every time he was supposed to. This was the first time that neither of the girls were in costume (that's for 3rd grade and younger). Britta just reminded me she's going to be in 7th grade next year, and I immediately thought about my mom crying when she didn't need to buy me crayons. I'm afraid I might do the same, but only because Mom gave me the idea--otherwise, I doubt that I'd even think of it. :)


We went to Ames yesterday to see Eric and Holly in their church's Christmas production. I can't say enough good things about this production. It was AMAZING! Holly did a wonderful job performing and as assistant director, and Eric was hilarious as a Scottish guard and an old judge (who reminded me of the old banker in Mary Poppins) and he SANG! Very well! I must throw out my old perception of Eric's not being a singer, because he was GOOD, and I've always considered myself as being able to sing and have never done anything like that. The entire musical was written by a good friend of thiers who I am so thankful decided to share this gift. The only way that I could have enjoyed it more would have been if Tate had not decided he wanted to sit on my lap during the entire show (but then he wouldn't have been able to see over the big guy sitting in front of him).

When we got back, Kenji was not in the garage where we had left him. The only thing we could figure was that he ran out the garage door as we left for Ames. Glen looked in the usual places he visits, but he must have found a place in out of the cold already. The temperature dropped like 50 degrees during the 8 hours we were away--crazy! This morning he was in the yard when Britta went out to do her chores. He went straight to this spot in the living room after she let him in and has lain there ever since. He wasn't even interested when I put his bowl of food in front of his face to try to entice him to the kitchen, and he had no reaction when Bob greedily started to eat his food before I snatched it out of his reach. Poor dog.