Christmas on the McNally side was at our house this year. The kids had a ton of fun playing with Grandma, Uncle Pat and Aunt DeAnn. There was way to much food (Thanks Scott for the wonderful turkey dinner) and far too many treats (Thanks Grandma, DeAnn, and Karen Dacey for the 10 pounds I gained) and lots of wonderful gifts to share with each other. Thank You So Much to Pat & DeAnn for making the long trip, especially after a full week of celebrating their engagement. We had a blast and look forward to spending next year with loving family.

Congrats on Your Engagement Pat & DeAnn!!!!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

We were lucky this year to have lots of family present for Daddy's birthday. It was a total take-out meal but nobody complained. Conor enjoyed the cake Daddy cut for him and both boys went straight to the tub after to scour off the cake and apply the bathtub body paint. It was a nice evening. Happy Birthday Babe!

Christmas at the lake was held the weekend before Christmas and we all had an absolute Blast!! Mom went to a tonne of work to get ready for all of us to invade the cabin. The cooking and baking alone almost crippled her but the food was amazing and it disappeared in a hurry. Thanks so Much Mom & Dad for all the trouble. Thanks Cari, Darrell & 3 Girls for making the long trip!

Jasper graduated Basic Obedience by the skin of his teeth in mid-December, Thanks Allison! He's now been fixed and is cutting back on the whining a little. He still steals toys from the boys and has many other mischievous moments throughout the day. Vera has made it clear she won't put up with his antics by bloodying his nose recently. He's also becoming protective of the boys which isn't a bad thing. He's a great little pet.

Jesson is still our little bossy-pants. He likes to count his Mom & Dad into time-outs and I've actually sat in one when he caught me saying a naughty word - fair is fair! He's got an amazing imagination and if he can't find the right toy or prop to go along with his story he'll show me where the imaginary one is so I don't step on it. I should be writing down the stories he comes up with, they're priceless. Scooby Doo Mysteries and Star Trek play large parts as sources for his story material so you can imagine the twisted story lines. He keeps me in stitches most of the day!
Jesson "graduated" from his first term of Playschool in mid-December with the rest of our family in attendance. Jesson's class had a Christmas party complete with crafts, Santa and presents. The kids sang in a "concert" which lasted only a few minutes but was absolutely adorable. We got the whole thing on film but Jesson was too busy through most of the concert to sing with the other kids. Now that he's had his ears and adenoids fixed, perhaps he'll be able to concentrate a little more effectively in his next term.
Jesson is a little of a wild child. He regularly tests our patience and pushes buttons to see what happens. On the flip side, he loves to see us smile and enjoys our positive reaction when he's done what we ask. He likes to sneak up and kiss me to make me smile too. He's a jokester and gets a kick out of putting rubber spiders on me (I hate spiders) or sneaking into a room and yelling to scare me, which gets him tickled.
Jesson wants more than anything for his little brother to play with him, his way of course, and as badly as Conor wants to be big, he's not quite there yet. The squeals of joy we hear when the boys do find common ground bring a huge smile to our faces, we could watch them for hours - if only the common play lasted that long. For now he's stuck playing hide-and-seek and telling stories to Mom & Dad. He's a sweet little boy with a yearning to please and an Irish temper to boot.

Our little Conor...what a character! He's a ham in front of the camera and loves to show off to get attention. He's a lover AND a fighter. He loves to cuddle and really enjoys hugs and kisses but he'll club his brother or the dog with a toy only moments later. He's feeling much better now (knock on wood) but had a rough bout a couple of weeks before Christmas that lasted until a week or so ago. He was on a nebulizer for breathing trouble 3 times per day and got so used to it that toward the end of his treatments he'd hold it himself for the full 10-15 minute treatment. One doctor had said he might have asthma but we have yet to see a specialist to confirm that theory. We'll keep you posted.
Conor is slowly and steadily transforming into a boy. His personality and preferences amplify by the day and his temper is blossoming as well. He has spent a little time laying on the floor in full tantrum lately but it hasn't had the effect on us that he had hoped for.
Conor loves to be in on the action no matter what the action is. He loves to help cook or do dishes with me, and is thrilled to stand along side his big brother and wave goodbye when Jesson flushes the toilet.
Conor is picking up speed, running at a decent pace throughout the house. He's quite a strong for his age as well and although we've warned him, Jesson doesn't really understand that it won't be long before Conor will "lay a woopin" on him right back.
He's a bruiser of a 17 month old with a sense of humor and a huge, soft heart.