ConEamDes: December 2007

pre-Christmas 2007

Here are Eamon and Desmond playing, and looking cool, in a really big box that was previously the home of a bunch of Christmas presents from Grandma Margaret and Grandpa Craig.

Conor, Eamon, and Desmond, making cards on Christmas Eve.

Here are Eamon, Conor, Allison and Desmond having fun while making Christmas cookies on Christmas Eve.

Eliot Church Christmas Pageant 2007

Here's Eamon, dressed like a shark for the pageant.

Conor played the third wiseman, number 1. Since there were so many kids this year, he played the third wiseman with a speaking part, the famous line, "I bring you frankincense." Another kid actually carried the frankincense.

Conor as wise man.

Eamon as a shark again.

A visit with Santa... and more!

Eamon was very enthusiastic about the visit to Santa and was sitting in his lap telling him what he wanted for Christmas before I had time to finish paying $5 for the privilege. Conor seemed indifferent to the experience, and Desmond was dead set against sitting in the lap of an unfamiliar grownup with a long white beard and an eccentric red and white suit. I'm holding him because he clung to me when I tried to put him down anywhere near jolly old St. Nick.

Here's Eamon posing charmingly for the camera.

Eamon, Conor, and Desmond at an ill-conceived lunch at an overpriced Brazilian steak house that we ended up walking into under the misconception that it was still the mexican place that used live there. It wasn't until we walked in and sat down that we realized our mistake. Luckily, the boys all liked the popcorn shrimp appetizer.

Desmond has been trying to get his hands on this Red Sox vs. Yankees chess set for months. He spent many happy moments (at least a half an hour) setting them up as if he were playing. Eamon was a good sport and moved the pieces around occasionally to give the impression they were playing a big kid game together.

The Great Christmas Tree Hunt 2007

We went to a cut-your-own Christmas tree farm in Marlborough this afternoon, www.houdetreefarm.com. It was something of a last-minute plan, but the place ended up being a beautiful little farm on a hill in the midst of a mostly residential area. Here are Eamon (who forgot his gloves), Conor, and Adam (in his customary role as The-one-who-actually-does-the-cutting-and-heavy-lifting). Adam also forgot his gloves and hat and is wearing my too-small polartec gloves. Of course, we didn't arrive until the sun was going down and the temperature was about 23 degrees.

Here's a shot that also includes Desmond. I think you can tell from this picture that the tree is gigantic; it now lives in our tv room and takes up about a quarter of the space.