Boxing Day

On the 26th, we headed to the Museum of Life + Science to check out their train display. Owen was in heaven!









Checking out the tornado exhibit


Inside the space shuttle


Little drummer boy


Digging for fossils


In the butterfly house

Christmas Day

Santa did not disappoint this year! Charlie had asked for the Luke's X-Wing LEGO set, and Owen got a new addition to his train set.





Taking a snuggle break with Grandpa


Mom's new yarn doubles as Princess Leia's honey buns


Gorging on chocolate Santas




Trying out the new basketball hoop from Omi & Opu


Making ocean collages from Great-Grandma and -Grandpa Miracle


Strega Nona story break with Grandapa


While in grad school, Sarah and I decided to take on Martha Stewart's zuccotto recipe. We were somewhat notorious for not reading a recipe all the way through, and missed the "refrigerate overnight" instructions for a cake we were planning to serve in a few hours. It all worked out in the end, but this time around I was prepared and started on Christmas Eve. Here Charlie is helping me with the final step, coating the inverted cake with ganache.







Owen's contribution was adding the finishing touch: One raspberry!


Ready for bed with his new bear and matching PJs!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was its usual whirlwind of activity. In order to incorporate both German and American holiday traditions, we open family gifts on Christmas Eve and Santa presents and stockings on Christmas morning. Needless to say, there is a great deal of excitement and lots of status checks: "Is it time to open presents yet?" So we try to build in lots of distractions to help keep the kiddos (and us) sane until the sun sets.

Charlie hanging out with dad in anticipation


Hard at work peeling his clementine


Gingerbread house construction


Showing off their gingerbread men


The boys give Grandma & Grandpa the family tree they helped make


Both boys got stuffed lions from Chris & Shana. Owen snatched them up and said, "My two lions!"


Complete pandemonium - Owen wanted to open the box of every gift he got. The result: Duplos, Mr. Potato Head pieces, and trains all jumbled up.


Post-present moments of calm




Cookies for Santa - note Owen's completed stocking on the far left! :)

Santa Party

We were presented with a rare opportunity this year to have an audience with "Santa" at our friends' house. Owen wasn't particularly interested in Santa George, but Charlie pretty much recited the entire LEGO Star Wars catalog for Old St. Nick.

Thanksgiving in Georgia

We headed south for Thanksgiving, and when I wasn't shoving turkey, etc. in my mouth, I was reading the Hunger Games trilogy. Let me explain the full extent of the crazy:

I hate Black Friday. Loathe it. I would gladly spend 10% more on any given item rather than deal with the crazy mobs clobbering each other over discounted potpourri. But somewhere in the middle of the night between Thanksgiving and Black Friday, I finished book one. And immediately began to panic. The only way to get my hands on book two would be to go to a store. On Black Friday. So I did. And then on Saturday, which I don't think has a special name, I had to go back out for book three.

Here are a few pictures of my children, who were apparently also in Georgia with us.



Oy - Charlie and "that" face. Getting decent pictures of him has been a real chore lately.


Taking a walk with Opu and Heidi


Sliding with Aunt Niki


Dinner with Niki & Tony, where Owen ate at least half a cup of cranberry sauce but nothing else


Checking out the geese at Lake Peachtree

A Very Star Wars Halloween

Halloween, or at least the costume component, was a total no-brainer this year. We are consumed by all things Star Wars, and Charlie had planned on dressing up accordingly for about a year. The big challenge was deciding who to be.

Pre-Halloween prep






Off to school and work


Test-driving his Anakin Skywalker costume


Joined by Princess Leia and Yoda


. . . and Han Solo


Trick-or-treat buddies - G as Captain Jack Sparrow, C as Max


After a few blocks in 50-degree pouring rain, the little guys were ready to call it quits. Charlie, G and I soldiered on until the boys were soaked and cranky, but with full buckets of candy.

Back at home, hopped up on the loot