Bright Up-Date

Hello Dear Family!
I have not posted in a while. So, I thought I'd take this chance to up-date you all on what is going on with us!
Well, we have been keeping busy and keeping warm. We have pretty much finished up all our Christmas shopping. I have nearly everything wrapped and under the tree. Starting next Tuesday, we will begin the packing process. We are very excited to be with you all this Holiday season!
Yesterday we went to Kate's pre-school Christmas party. The whole family was invited and I am very thankful that Stephen made arrangements so he could come. I know it ment a lot to Kate. They sage songs, and ate goodies. Then they had a surprise visit from Santa. Suprisingly, Kate sat on his lap with out much encouragement. Clair was another story, but she did get up there with Kate and with a candy cane bribe! Ironic that we tell our kids to stay away from strangers and not to take candy from strangers, but her I am encouraging them to sit on a strangers lap and take candy from him! Hummm? Anyway, I took a few pics, but the blog is still against me and won't let me post pics, so I sent them to Em (the official blog poster) to post. So, the party went well. Ms. Moss loved her gifts and so did the high school teachers.
As we were walking out the door, Ms. Moss handed Kate a gift. At first she couldn't find it, and then she found it at the back of her pile. She said, "Oh Kate yours is special that is why it is at the back." Then she looked up at me, winked and said, "It's a little harder." I don't know what it is, because Stephen told Kate to wait until Christmas, but I am pretty sure it is a book of some sort. I talked with Ms. Moss this week about Kate and if she thought she could handle going to kindergarten next year. She said definitely she could! However, she was doubtful as to the public schools working with us on early admissions. So, since then she has been passing along lots of info on private schools. Don't worry Em, we couldn't afford them even if we want to! So, after Christmas, I will make an appointment to go and talk with the principal at the elem. school Kate is slated to go to.
Clair is doing well. She fell down the stairs the other day while holding her new book. I don't know if the book or something else did it, but she got a horrible scrape on her chin. It almost looks like a little burn scrap. It bled like crazy and she only stopped crying when Stephen put on a band-aid...which she called her "boo-boo". That night when we tried to take it off, she said "No, leave boo-boo on!" So, in the pics Em will post of the pre-school party, you will see her "boo-boo". She is really talking a lot lately and we are still working hard on colors. Every once in a while she will totally surprise us by correctly identifying several colors in a row. I am starting to think she just doesn't find the whole color game interesting and therefore doesn't pay attention. Little stinker!
Well, that is pretty much all I have to up-date. We love you all and can't wait to be together!