Christmas In Ohio

We spent Christmas in Columbus, Ohio, with Auntie Alli, Uncle Dave, Gramma, Granpa, and Auntie Alli's high school friend Spencer. Despite the cold and the rain in Ohio (we certainly are becoming accustomed to the mild winter of Columbia, South Carolina), we had a lot of fun. Here are the highlights from Christmas in Ohio:

• Seeing Auntie Alli's and Uncle Dave's wonderful new home in Columbus.

• Visiting COSI, the science museum in Columbus, which had some fascinating and fun-filled exhibits. Auntie Alli, Justin, and I even braved the unicycle on a tightrope high above the entrance hall of the museum, which is supposed to demonstrate gravity at work. Milo especially enjoyed the hands-on exhibits and experiments at COSI and Auntie Alli seemed to like being shrink-wrapped.

• Milo and Calder on sugar highs as a result of each ingesting a ton of chocolate.
• Playing with Cousin Lola, Auntie Alli's crazy Boston terrier. Lola actually pulled Milo ten feet across the living room during a game of tug-of-war.

• Soooo many hugs.

• Watching Calder's walking skills really take off.
• Milo drinking chocolate milk from a tiny chocolate cordial cup.
• Doughnut and ice cream runs with Uncle Dave.
• The mountain of presents under Auntie Alli's Christmas tree, which mainly were for Milo and Calder.

• Calder entertaining himself for an hour straight with the ukulele that Auntie Alli gave Milo as a present.

• Milo using a lamp as a spotlight under which he sang and played his new ukulele.

• Milo's many attempts to wake Uncle Dave at various times, including with his "bug vacuum."

• A big, delicious, Christmas dinner with our family and Uncle Dave's parents, Mimi and Henry.

• Wonderful little boys who appreciate the joy of napping during a long car ride home.
• Returning home to our beloved dogs Beacon and Cleo.
  

A Whole Lotta Lights

Tonight we visited the "Lights Before Christmas" at our zoo. The lights were spectacular. Trees all over the zoo were lit and there were many lights forming different animal shapes. The zoo was the busiest we've ever seen it. Milo and Calder enjoyed the view from their stroller, snuggled under a blanket. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera, so there are no shots of the boys munching wheat crackers under the stars amidst the blinking lights and fake snowfall. Oh well.

Candles and Latkes

Today was the Chanukah show at the Columbia Jewish Day School, Milo's preschool. There was just too much cuteness going on at that show. And, I must say, the three-year-old class stole the show. Not that I'm biased or anything. Anyways, after a cute little parade of two-year-olds shaking maracas and the lighting of the menorah, the three-year-olds took the stage.

Our little candle just so happened to be center stage. Although he may not have known all the words to the song, Milo certainly knew many of the words and belted them out loudly. The phrase "It is Chanukah TONIGHT!!!", both arms shaking vigorously, will be ingrained in the audience's memory, thanks to Milo. More than one parent commented on Milo's stage presence, enthusiasm, and volume. As one classmate's father described Milo, "The kid likes Chanukah, whether he's Jewish or not!"

Following the candle song, the children donned their latkes, with frying pans in hand. Once they placed the pans on the floor, they proceeded to jump up and down in the pans, like tasty little golden latkes, almost ready to be eaten. Yum!

The four-year-olds, kindergarten, and first-graders also sang songs and acted out skits, including the Chanukah story in Hebrew. But those three-year-olds were just delicious.

Christmakah Is Music To My Ears

This weekend we celebrated Christmakah, which mostly consisted of eating lots of good food, lighting the menorah, sitting around the Christmas tree, and opening presents. My boys, all three of them, love music, as well as making music, so I gave them each an instrument. They spent much of the weekend making music for me. I am very lucky.

We also spent both Saturday and Sunday afternoons out at parks in beautiful, sunny, 70 plus degree weather. Only in South Carolina in December!

Milo In The News

Today Milo made the front page of the metro section of the local paper here in South Carolina, The State. The article describes local preparations for Chanukah and features Milo decorating cookies at his school, the Columbia Jewish Day School.

A Happy and A Merry Christmakah To You!

That's the ole Christmas and Chanukah combo, for those of you unfamiliar with the special December holiday celebrated in our atheist household. In the spirit of holiday generosity, my darling husband Justin decided we should chop down our own Christmas tree this year. So yesterday we took a short drive to Sumter, an even shorter hayride out to the tree farm, and Justin, with Milo's eager assistance, chopped down our very own tree. The boys and I had a lovely time walking through the rows of trees, with the afternoon sunlight streaming down on us. Milo and Justin also played a little hide-and-go-seek amongst the trees. And, I actually had to convince Justin that a tree that was over twice his height would not fit into our living room.

Happy Thanksgiving

Here are the highlights from this year's Thanksgiving:

• Not having to travel anywhere.
• Milo telling his teachers, without any prompting, that he is thankful for his little brother Calder.

• A fabulous, delicious meal that I did not have to cook myself -- Justin, you rock!
• Uncle Ben visiting all the way from London!
• Help in the kitchen when it is time to clean up -- special thanks to Gram!

• New York bagels hand-delivered by Uncle Ben.
• Sunny 70-75 degree weather in November.
• Uncle Spencer's childlike, complete joy at visiting the zoo with us.

• Feeding the lorikeets and hearing the Simang monkeys howl at the zoo.

• Riding the carousel with Uncle Ben and Uncle Spencer.

• Calder practicing walking with Gram and Oom-Poppa.
• Riding Uncle Ben the horsey.

• Two child-free hours of tax-free, Christmas/Chanukah shopping Friday morning.
• Fresh baked bread.

• Walking through the lovely and charming streets of Charleston on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
• Time spent together as a family.

Blast Off

You'd better watch out! Thanks to Gramma and Granpa, Calder has his very own rocket ship on which to blast off into the wild blue yonder. After having it for about a week now, Calder is no longer too scared to sit on it and seems to like it quite a bit.

Who Do You Love?

Every night before bed I ask Milo who loves him and every night he replies with a long list that sounds something like this: "Mommy, Daddy, Calder, Gramma, Grandpa, Oom-Poppa, Grammy, Hannah, Auntie Alli, Uncle Ben, Uncle Spencer . . . ." Tonight I shook things up a bit by asking Milo who he loves and his immediate response was: "Hannah." Justin asked who else and Milo said, "My butt!" followed by intense giggles. After a little more coaxing from Justin, Milo added "Mommy" but quickly dissolved into giggles. Well, then.

We've Had A Breakthrough

For the first time ever, both boys sat TOGETHER while I read them stories. Typically, although Calder enjoys reading books to himself, he rarely will sit through one of us reading him an entire story. But yesterday, Calder managed to focus on not one, but five, stories. Granted, he bashed me in the head with a dinosaur board book a couple of times, but I took that as his way of telling me that I needed to read that particular book next. And, mid-story, Calder also climbed over Milo and me, inciting Milo's shrieks, so that he could sit on the other side of the sofa, but he remained sitting on the sofa and listening to the story. This is just amazing folks!

Calder Started Walking!

Just a few days shy of 15 months old and Calder took a few steps today!



It all started last week at the children's museum, where Calder walked around pushing a shopping cart at the child-sized Piggly-Wiggly supermarket.



We quickly bought him a walker/push wagon to aid in his new endeavor and, with a little encouragement from Dad, Calder toddled around a bit this evening!


(All of these pictures are from our visit to the children's museum.)

Auntie Alli Got Married!!!

This past weekend was Auntie Alli's and Uncle Dave's wedding in Durham, NC. Milo was a smashing ring bearer and, by the reception, was hamming things up for the photographer. Milo was particularly fascinated with Auntie Alli's poofy dress and tried a number of times to climb under it and remove the pretty flowers and sparkles from it. Auntie Alli was a beautiful bride and she and Uncle Dave looked pretty happy.



Calder only participated in the bridesmaids' luncheon and photos before the wedding and wasn't too happy about it all. Calder much preferred his time with Suzanne (my friend since age 12) and Craig, and their lovable dogs.



Here are some more photos from the lovely weekend.