Christmas morning

It's a very merry Christmas for the Linehan kids. They are mobbing their dad here because he had brought out the surprise gift - the new Xbox, to go along with the new Xbox add-on, the Kinect! (Without the new Xbox, the Kinect would have been pretty much useless!)

[Click on "Kinect!" here or above to find out more about all this stuff!]

Austen is showing us the Kinect addition for the new Xbox.

And no ... he doesn't want to share!

The new Xbox!!

Setting it up, getting ready to PLAY!!

Volleyball skills clinic

On the evenings of Dec 20 and 21, Kira went to the rescheduled volleyball skills clinic at the Y where she goes to play her games. She learned lots and had a marvelous time.

The instructors were the girls on the local high school girls' volleyball team ... which had made it into the state championship playoffs!

At the end of the second session, they handed out certificates.

Girls waiting to hear their names called.

And here's a little movie to show how her serving has improved:

Fall is subtle in Texas

This is the corner where Kira and her friends meet the bus in the mornings and get off in the afternoons. You can barely see the fall colors (and here it is almost winter!). They're very subtle here ... no bright reds or yellows like what we can see farther north.

And here are a few of those trees closer up.

This is a few days later than the ones above - not much change except the addition of four children waiting for their bus!

KOHS concert on 12/13

The back of Austen's head was all I could see from where I was sitting!

Here are the clarinetists (plus a few others!), but I still can't see Austen. I know where he is, though ... right behind Samir!

Even when he stood up because he had made Region Band, I couldn't see him. He was still behind Samir!

Still behind Samir, but in this one I can see the back of his head again.

How camera-shy is he!!

It was a really good concert, though, even if I didn't see much of my own grandson!

Choirs' Christmas concert last night

Last night, Kira's school choir (Colt Choir) and three other choirs, including those from another elementary school, from Hildebrandt Intermediate School, and from Klein Oak High School, performed their Christmas concert. It was amazing!

In this photo, Kira is in the center. The Colt Choir was performing its part in the whole program.

And here is the entire Colt Choir.

The Colt Choir in the blue shirts are getting ready to perform in the finale, which included all four choirs singing together. Kira is at the bottom left (sitting on the stage), and Abbi is the second from right of the five Colt girls standing.

More singing in the finale.

All four choirs: high school in the back, intermediate school in front of them, elementary schools on the left and right in the front of the stage.

Now ... two more performances this week, and next week will be the Klein Oak Band's Christmas Concert! I love this time of year!!