science 1

Always fun at the science center!  Love their new tag line of Stay Curious!  The train exhibit was a fun spot where we could've spent a ton of time.

science 2

They had a really fun rug skating setup - low pile carpet and those furniture movers for your feet to slide along! The National Parks Imax movie was a really fun way to kick off some travel adventures.

chillaxing xmas edition

That smiley guy! The giant two story swirly slide brought big smiles from everyone. The huge crossword puzzle even Austin wanted to help out ;)

I wonder why I don't have a lot of pictures with all the grandsons with their grandparents... it's tricky!

My parents gift to all of us was dinner and babysitting. It was wonderful - thanks!

xmas cousins

All the cousin buddies on one big couch! The ornament exchange was fun for the whole family and especially the kids who got fun animal and minion ornaments.

xmas morning

Santa did not mess around this year! The Brennan brothers both got laptops and tons of other treats that mom and dad don't buy like giant pixie sticks (so of course, Santa works his magic!) Mom and dad did deliver a big family present of a Nintendo Switch which was a big surprise!

There were so many presents! Hand knits in orange :)

xmas eve

Look at those giddy guys writing Santa notes and leaving treats!  They were ready to go by just before 5am the next morning...

snow

Getting a chance to use those snow pants I packed ;) A white Xmas in a winter wonderland full of cousin buddies with rosy cheeks! So Merry!

wings

Earning some wings with a quick trip to Cleve... That airport and DCA were nearly empty and it was such easy travel!

tidbits

Happy New Year's Eve!  As I organize xmas photos, say good bye for now to our friends, and pack up our lives for the next six months, I'll drop these quick tidbits from the week before the holiday. 

Meeting up with cousin buddies to exchange presents (how did I miss a chance at a photo with all four cousins!?) 

And caroling with neighbors which really delighted other neighbors with tummies full of cocoa on an unseasonably nice night...

good list

Some good stuff from the holiday season...

Those cute boys at nearly the same age bringing home the cute crafts with their photos on them...

Our xmas card and the matching ornament to add to the tree.

I gained some new owl ornaments thanks to my mom... and I knit up some tiny hat and mitten ornaments.

This shirt made all of us smile and sing along ;)

hippo for xmas

All I Want for Christmas!

I want a Hippopotamus... from LB on Vimeo.

national harbor

Merry Christmas Eve!

Filling in more holiday traditions with a trip to visit the trees at the National Harbor.  This year the weather was incredibly mild at nearly 60 degrees and the pokemon were swarming, the peeps were sweet, and the decorations were festive.

ice skating

Keaton was so excited to learn how to ice skate completely on his own, no holding onto a hunched over parent or the wall ;)  Thanks to his very helpful and encouraging brother, a nice empty indoor rink at the Gaylord Christmas Village, and some pure determination, he really got the hang of it and wants to do more - yay!

fans

Thanks to our biggest fans G&P for coming to the weekend-o-rama of shows!  The kids from the high school Pippin show came out to cheer on Aiden and Otto the duck, who made a cameo during the McElligot's Pool scene.

seuss!

Seussical cast behind the scenes at their last warm up!

seussical!

Scenes from such a great show!  Almost entirely music and so many expressions!  I took on the task of costume coordinator this year, and I can't think of a show more fun to costume.  Between the who's and the bird girls and jungle animals, such fun!

jojo

The expressions were my favorite, especially the Yop heard by all (bottom right corner).  The eyebrows enhanced with eyeliner are a little much, but it's all for the stage ;)

charlie

Charlie from the Chocolate Factory floating around a giant peach cruise ship with his other Roahl Dahl buddies. So glad G&P could join us for the shows and that they were still on in the tiny amount of snow (that did cancel Aiden's Saturday shows)...

aiden class party

I was also in charge of Aiden's class party a day later... I managed to keep the marshmallow building (4th graders can make them almost a foot tall!), cupcake decorating, and candy cane fishing games... but added a hot potato game which was a hit. They tried to unwrap treats all rolled up in saran wrap with oven mitts on, while the person next to them rolled dice trying to get doubles and control over the unwrapping.  There was plenty of sugar and laughter and nice grateful kids.

keaton class party

Keaton had such a sweet group of kids in his class this year.  He was so lucky to be with his best buddies Tyler and Diego during their class party rotations too.  The kids made a snowflake craft with their cute mugshots on them, fished for candy canes to feed to the snowman, decorated cupcakes, and built the tallest marshmallow snowman. 

meadowlark

Such a perfect night for a visit to Meadowlark when it was still 50 degrees at 5:30. We had the fun light glasses that changes each light into a different shape - a snowman, reindeer, and christmas star.  The boys insisted on completing their scavenger hunt and were very excited to roast some s'mores at the end of the trail.

good list

This tiny grabber machine is such a fun idea (if only it worked a little better!) but it's still fun!

The community theater hosted the Phantom Tollbooth, which was a great show based on a great book.  The boys enjoyed coloring in the map in the lobby, and Aiden was thrilled to see one of his best buddies Noah there.

tidbits

Spirit Week to round out the last week before break included "dress as a food" day, which the Brennan brothers fully committed to as a banana and a hotdog.  

Friends visiting during holiday times is always a treat!

The caroling party with Aiden's voice studio where Keaton especially enjoyed ringing the jingle bells.

Friends hosting holiday parties when the weather is so nice that kids are playing in trees outside!

santa

Easiest santa visit ever in Mosaic's fun room full of interactive questions, letters to santa station, and a visit to cupcakes afterward! 

mosaic tree

The boys love the reindeer tree guys at Mosaic.  You can still walk inside the tree to see the light show.

santa for scale

Santa for scale - five years ago on left:

a f y p giant adventures

Video from the Giant Adventures cast cruising from island on their giant peach ship through Roahl Dahl stories... Charlie's elbow patches ;)

G i a n t A d v e n t u r e s R o a h l D a h l from LB on Vimeo.

one sec fall

One Second Fall 2017 from LB on Vimeo.

seuss promo

I made this little promo video - thanks to IMovie and it gives you a glimpse at the start of the weekend around here ;)
S e u s s i c a l J r from LB on Vimeo.

good list

Our handprint turkey factory went digital with this fun online turkey maker ;)

Carter the Elf showed up again and the boys read the story with Gran to kick off his visits.

A big road trip means a new van to carry all our stuff and add in some technology... These screens I resisted when they were younger are really going to make the trips easier.

Lunch with friends made even more wonderful with squash ricotta gnocchi with honey mead pecan cream sauce... It was like eating a sweet cloud.

xmas decs

Doing a little xmas decorating going... Aiden was tall enough to get the snowman topper on himself.  Those baby hands compared to those giant kid hands really get me!  These guys are counting down on so many advent calendars, chocolate and tsum tsums.  

tidbits

My knitting group took a field trip to the new location of a favorite yarn shop... It was incredible that this time of year we were still enjoying the patio with the #flok of giant resin sheep.

So happy to spend time with my cousin Peter while he was in town for a conference. The boys were so excited that the reindeer xmas guys were back out for the season (just like last time Pete was here).

Keaton was thrilled by his buddy Nigel's magic birthday party!  Drew Blue Shoes was there to teach them all a bunch of cool tricks.

Aiden loves to hop on his bike and cruise the neighborhood lately... I keep thinking that this will be his last bike ride before it gets too cold, but the weather keeps popping into the high 50s and even the 60s, so he goes cruising!

good list

Aiden wanted this new card/dice game Dragonwood at the school book fair.  It's pretty awesome and fun for the whole family - even G&P liked it ;)

The boys continue to love their boogie boards. Keaton convinced me that he needed another one at the BN book fair which is multicolored and the back is removable so you can use it to trace.

Trying out some of nature's gummy treats inside this pomegranate.

natural history

The boys loved showing their new stuffie guys from G&P around the museum - thanks!  That otter and sloth are so soft.  

narwhals

Aiden was particularly excited to visit the Narwhal exhibit at the Natural History Museum... It's really something the pop culture moment these narwhals are having! The boys can sing the whole song... over and over.  The crawly guys out in the insect area included this stick bug that gave Keaton a high five. Gran was excited to pick out stones with these smiley guys.

lights

Tried out a new light show which you drive through out west at Bull Run. We had the holiday favorites playing on the radio  as we cruised through the 2.5 miles of lights. The end houses a carnival which I can't imagine any kids would want to pass up.  These guys both won a medium level toy and Aiden adopted a "Cartoon Otto" duck and Keaton a new sword.