Christmas Photo Snappin'

A whole series of Christmas photos, in that annual attempt to get the perfect Christmas card snapshots.

Thanking Our Teachers

Every year, we try to thank our teachers in some special way at Christmas time. I am so grateful to the wonderful teachers in our children's lives.

Problem is... We have lots o' teachers and lots o' kids, equalling a crazy number of gifts. It can be challenging to come up with a gift plan that is do-able and doesn't absolutely break the bank.

This year, I actually managed to direct the making of a gift from each of the kids to each of the teachers. Some years, it doesn't quite come off as planned, but this year it worked out pretty well!

For those who think we couldn't possibly have so many teachers, given our status as homeschoolers, let me quickly relieve you of that impression:

Kathleen's piano teacher
Andrew's piano teacher
Therese's piano teacher
Anna's band director
William's reading tutor
Anna's Latin teacher
Kathleen's Latin teacher
Andrew's gymnastics teacher
Anna's literature teacher (HFH homeschool co-op)
Kathleen's literature teacher (HFH homeschool co-op)
Anna's gym teacher (HFH homeschool co-op)
Kathleen's gym teacher (HFH homeschool co-op)
Anna's Schola teacher (HFH homeschool co-op)
Kathleen's Schola teacher (HFH homeschool co-op)
William's Science Lab teacher (HFH Homeschool co-op)
Andrew's Science Lab teacher (HFH Homeschool co-op)
Therese's Science Lab teacher (HFH Homeschool co-op)
William's Art teacher (HFH homeschool co-op)
Andrew's Art teacher (HFH homeschool co-op)
Therese's Art teacher (HFH homeschool co-op)
William's Schola teacher (HFH homeschool co-op)
Andrew's Choir teacher (HFH homeschool co-op)
Therese's Choir teacher (HFH homeschool co-op)

Next year, we will add a band teacher and a flute teacher for Kathleen who is planning on majoring in music and wants to expand her musical knowledge into new instruments.

This doesn't even count the cross country coaches, the football coaches, and the swimming teachers who teach our kids in other seasons, meaning they miss out on the thrill of those Leone Christmas gifts. ;)

In addition to giving these gifts to teachers, we also give them to grandparents and Godparents. So that's two more gifts per kid at a minimum, multiplied by five big kids, and that makes ten more gifts. So you can see how Christmas gift-giving gets a little zany around here. And we haven't even started gifts from the two little girls yet...

Somehow, we did manage to stay sane in the process of it all. "Sane," of course, is a relative term.

Christmas Day Photos - Part 2

Kathleen gets her requested t-shirt.
How apt.

Therese snuggles up in her new Christmas sleeping bag.

A new scooter, just for me!
(She was getting tired of sharing the boys' scooters.)

Anna Marie hopes to play her violin for weddings.
She already has quite a beautiful wedding repertoire.

We will all be able to track the NFL playoffs with this new magnetic playoff chart. 

Marguerite gets a kick out of Lucia's new top!

Christmas Day Photos - Part 1

The first mad rush to the gift pile. 

Marguerite with her chocolate.
This was the theme of the day.

Excitement!

This is one excited boy. Santa listened to his request for a Donald Driver jersey. 

Striking a Clay Matthews pose. 

Elizabeth and Lucia chill, amidst gifts and wrappers and Christmas trash...

Christmas Mass

We attended Mass on Christmas morning this year, rather than on Christmas Eve, as we have many previous years. We are finding this to be much easier for us at this stage in our family with all the little ones. 

We have our Christmas Eve festivities: 

• Sprinkle the yard with Reindeer Dust
• Write letters to Santa
• Read Luke's account of Jesus' birth
• Read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas
• Have a giant feast unlike anything else we eat all year
• Put out cookies and milk for Santa
• Track Santa on Norad radar

And since we do not do Mass on Christmas Eve now, we can go to bed. Well, some of us can. ;) 

On Christmas morning, we get everyone up and dressed in their Christmas finery, and we shoo the kids out the door to church without letting them peek into the family room where all the gifts are located and the stockings are stuffed. This is no easy feat, mind you, and I'm not about to reveal here the bribery and threats that it takes to get these polished little children into the van without so much as peeking at the surprises under the tree. 

After a beautiful Mass, we always take the children to the front of the church where they can view the Nativity Scene. 

Going to Mass first and stopping to see Baby Jesus in the manger puts the whole day in the proper perspective, I believe. 

Of course, once we arrive home, the kids can hardly be contained, but it's all good.

Below are some photos after Mass at Holy Redeemer.

Lucia and Marguerite (middle) with their friends, after Christmas morning Mass. 

The Munchkins 7, after Christmas morning Mass.
(Why did I not pull down Lucia's dress?)

Christmas Eve 2011

I did not manage to snap many photos on Christmas Eve, but here are a few.

Some happy campers, some Christmas caroling music-makers, and one wee Packer fan.

Andrew and Marguerite on Christmas Eve.

Christmas carols on the piano, concertina, and violin. 

Note that Joe is in his apron. A sign that very good things are happening in the kitchen.

Football baby celebrates Christmas Eve in style.

Christmas Card 2011

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

Nativity Play

The kids have begun a tradition of putting together a little family Nativity play each year close to Christmas. I believe this is the fifth year running.

This year's play was excellent, as always, and—for the first time—we had a photographer (Miss Anna Marie) putting together some nice cast shots prior to the play. (Yes, Lucia—who appears not to have a cast photo—took the starring role as Baby Jesus.)

What a high-quality play the seven Leone kids performed for us this year, complete with program and great costumes—all found in closets and dress-up buckets.

William as Angel Gabriel

Therese, as the Blessed Virgin Mary

Therese and Andrew, as Mary and Joseph, headed to Bethlehem.

Shepherd Marguerite 

Marguerite adores Baby Jesus.

A shepherd and her many lambs (in interesting array).

Marguerite (double-cast) as the Star of Bethlehem.

That is one shiny, happy star.

Andrew as St. Joseph, letting the donkey rest.

William, as the Christmas angel.

Merry (early) Christmas to Andrew

Andrew has an amazing Godmother (who is married to his amazing Godfather)... Godmother Claudia decided that this year was the year for an "experience gift" for Andrew for Christmas. And not just any experience, mind you. Artist Claudia took him to this amazing art studio in the woods where Andrew was able to create his only paper mache rhino on a wire frame. Andrew reports that it was "the best gift ever."

Just take me back to my childhood and set me up with a Godmother like Claudia Daniel, please.

Andrew and the art instructor work on the rhino.

Adding the paper mache.

A rhino masterpiece which now resides in our kitchen.

Scenes from Christmas Morning

Now she's smiling!

The kids made Joe a wooden bi-plane for his office.

Andrew & Marguerite with Andrew's stocking stuffer slinky.

Santa did not forget about Kathleen's special diet.

From Kathleen to Marguerite. She wrote one of these for each of us. So sweet! 

Marguerite & Kathleen check out Therese's new "styling head."

Anna Marie and the boys enjoy a book about the NFL.

Anticipation...

Therese, in her new princess costume, with her Matryoshka dolls and book—all the way from Russia.

This scene is so 1970's.

Christmas gifts this year included snow skis (which we had to try on again and again in the family room, of course).

Sorry, Marguerite. Boots, not snow skis, will have to do for this year.