Merry Christmas!

For a wonderful Christmas, cue tree...

Cue gifts...

 Cue lights (with a remote control that eliminates a trip out into the cold)...

Cue family (here are some of the Mayor's family, meeting up and sneaking presents under the tree in the lobby of the Mayor's office building downtown)...

 

 Cue snow!

 

 

 ...and finally, cue LEGOs and Christmas morning joy!

Not a complete chronicle, but you get the general idea.  Merry Christmas from Michael Delving!

snow day

at mommy's urging that he remove one of his many, many bundled layers rather than become overheated:
"super-good idea mommy!  otherwise i might get too warm and melt all the snow around me."
-boookie, age 7

upon losing her first tooth

"mommy, are teeth famous?  because, you know, everyone knows about teeth."
ela, age 5

"wow, that's an odd and disturbing question."
boookie, age 7

Cozy!

The hobbitlings are pictured here in November 2010 with new footie jammies.

 And here we have another round of footie jammies to usher in the cozy winter of 2012!

Carving Pumpkins

The Mayor carved pumpkins for each of the hobbitlings.  The pumpkins were grown for them by the next-door-neighbor.  Boookie decided that he wanted Commander Cody (one of the Star Wars clone troopers).

 Ela decided that she wanted a My-Little-Pony, but not just a regular pony - a princess unicorn pony.

 The Mayor didn't have to ask Seimi - he knew that the littlest hobbit would want an "air-pee."  As soon as he saw the finished pumpkin, he announced - "Air-pee Seimi!"  (He likes to add the modifier after the subject)

Here are the wonderful, yet odd young residents of Michael Delving eating lunch.

The Hobbit Wife has resumed school, and one of the curricula is exploring outside.  Here is the youngest pupil down by Lyon Creek, with one of his favorite instruments of mayhem - a stick.

 Here is the second-youngest resident of Michael Delving with her favorite instrument of mayhem - a flower.

 And here is the eldest hobbitling, doing nothing suspicious at all.  This lad has been a trooper in helping the Hobbit Wife and the Mayor keep the household running smoothly.  It's not every seven year old who will remember which night the trash goes out, or go downstairs to refill the T.P., or push the shopping cart and pick out produce.  He will be richly rewarded next Friday, when "LEGO Friday Family Fun" brings us to the LEGO store to get him Weathertop.

 And here are the beautiful students at Michael Delving Academy.  We are blessed indeed.