Monday, December 23, 2013

Star Date: Santa 2013

I tried a new Santa this year (maybe "new" is too bold a word, since he's only been to one other?), and I think it was a good move.  This Santa seemed to spend some quality time with all of the older kids, and gave everyone a stuffed snowman after their picture was taken. 

Theo was shy, and kept putting his hands over his face, making picture-taking a challenge.  He started to warm up when I gave Santa his binky (or his ba-ba, as he calls it now.  Does this count as a word?).  This is why the final product features Santa + Theo + binky.  (he still doesn't walk, and now he won't allow socks or shoes to adorn his delicate feet!) Without further ado, I present to you the cutest baby boy on the planet, for whom Santa will bring a play kitchen and a baby book on soul food (gotta start them young):


Sunday, December 15, 2013

Winter is coming

It’s finally chilly in the bay area, but we have yet to experience rain in any sustained way, which is oddly unsettling.  Year-round sunny weather can get old and at some point, one just wants the evening to come in order to experience something besides the sun.  What I wouldn’t give for a freak, bay area snow storm!  

We have one more week of work until the break and as usual, the fall has been a bit of a whirlwind-ish blur.  Sadly, I have no worldly insights to offer right now.  (except for the usual: working full time with a family is hard, there's never enough time to feel completely rested and together, I have not read a book since the summer, sometimes I feel like my brain is atrophying, I really hope I can get it together to have a felt ornament party in my science classes again this year, how can I move to Africa?, what's the meaning of life?).  Now that I'm in my late 30's, is having big life questions now considered a mid-life crisis?  Anyone know of a good deal on Corvettes?

We got a really big tree this year and new LED Christmas lights to replace our old-school ceramic bulbs that would certainly burn the delicate fingers of our human offspring.
 
 Theo really wants to be involved in whatever is happening in the house, especially if it involves helping Natan.
 We also celebrated Chanukah this year, which was a lot of work in the present-buying department.
Theo likes to build towers and then immediately destroy them (and repeat these steps no fewer than 15 times in a row).