Jack and Cate Update -- December, 2009

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Both kids always get excited to help decorate the Christmas tree. One just doesn't want to *appear* excited for the camera, but he can't quite contain his enthusiasm.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Now *that's* more like it!

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Truer words have never been spoken: everyone loves disco balls. After admiring Hailey and Toni Finnane's last month, Cate models her own "footie" pajamas. I break a sweat just looking at them.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Jack agreed to strike a dashing pose for the camera, but (despite his best efforts) the boy just can't contain the giggles.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Cate's strikes a more resolute pose -- give her a Wonder Woman belt, and she could be fighting crime. But not in these pajamas. They're way too hot.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Cate was immensely proud of her Science Fair award -- she took third place for her project, [Meteor Impact](docs/cate-science-project-2009.pdf). On the way to the Science Fair, Lisa had Jack and Jackson in the car when they retrieved Cate from dance class. Getting in the car, she asked Jack if he'd shared with Jackson "what we talked about on the trampoline?" When Jack claimed not to know what she meant, she reminded him that they'd discussed her crush on Jackson. Jackson's response? "Yeah, I got a lot of that last year." Lisa's response? Something between heart failure and an aneurism.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

For the second year in a row, Jack won an award for his science project -- this time, he received an honorable mention for his investigation, [Stopping a Speeding Bike](docs/jack-science-project-2009.pdf). It was the evening of my company's holiday party, but we skipped the festivities to go to the Science Fair. I later texted our regional sales VP: "Six third-grade awards and the Nelsons take two of them? [Salesforce](http://www.salesforce.com) should put them on retainer now before bidding gets astronomically high." He's apparently still thinking about it.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Cate has a hard time taking a photo without Snick. This is where the puppies get their milk.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

I'm not saying Cate is a perfectionist, but she'll erase and rewrite a correct answer that she deems excessively untidy. Then she'll neatly pile the eraser shavings. Type-A+.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Appreciating a chance to behave like adults, we went to the [Dallas Hearing Foundation Gala](http://www.dallashearingfoundation.org/recent_events_pictures.htm) on the 19th with the McBride's and Grover's (Mark is [on the board](http://www.dallashearingfoundation.org/board.htm)). Sincere smiles were applied shortly after this photograph.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

We had an honest-to-goodness White Christmas in Dallas this year. It snowed on the afternoon on Christmas Eve, but it didn't really start to accumulate until after dark. By Christmas morning, we had more than an inch of snow in our yard, and it probably would've been a good idea to take a photo then. I'll be sure to remember to take photos the next time we have a White Christmas in Dallas.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

In a tradition that goes back generations, the adults insist we eat before opening presents and the kids insist on being incredibly antsy. Starting a new tradition, Lisa experiments with nearly-flaming-flower-arranging -- it's the X-Games of flower arranging.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

When I was a kid, we had to wait until all the dishes had been washed by hand and put away. We considered that "punishment" cruel and unusual. We told the kids we'd take just one more photo and then let them start opening presents. That buoyed their spirits considerably.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Despite our best efforts, the kids' haul can only be described as "obscene." They opened gift after gift and created a small mountain of crumpled wrapping paper, and as the loot dwindled under the tree, Jack asked "where are the rest of the presents?" He'd observantly noticed that he hadn't received any gifts from Lisa and me -- we [didn't disappoint him](ttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000XQALJG?ie=UTF8&tag=nelganfamweb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000XQALJG).