Nearing the end

Today's the last full day we'll spend with Mom/Blue Grandma and Steve. It's hard to say goodbye, but thankfully we have cell phones and the Internet and all manner of technologically fun ways to communicate.

We're headed to Mom's brother's house where we'll spend the rest of the day with him and his wife, Mom, Steve, and possibly a few people we haven't yet met. I'm debating about bringing our menorahs and candles for Fifth Night of Chanukah tonight, but where we're going apparently isn't really Jewish-friendly, so maybe we'll light candles after we get back to our hotel.

The boys are really tired of being asked if they're excited about Santa coming. Newsflash: he didn't come last night or this morning and I have special anti-Santa locks on the doors. But we had a quiet evening last night watching the Chanukah candles burn down and making (non-monetary) bets about which candle was going to burn out first. And next. And next...

Don't Let the Light Go Out

Sorry for the wait, folks. Here's what we've been up to:


The boys and I visit the house I grew up in (ages 9-17)

















I take a photograph in the same spot of the same subject that I took 25 years ago:

















We find big leaves in a nearby park where I used to play:
































We play in the park itself:

















We discover a tree that looks like it has camouflage bark:

















We discover that the housekeeping staff at our hotel likes the boys' stuffed animals:

















We celebrate the first night of Chanukah:

















We celebrate the second night of Chanukah (note that the boys have had haircuts):

















Mom/Blue Grandma feels well enough to take a walk around the duck pond, where the boys see a tree unlike anything they've ever seen before:

















We celebrate the third night of Chanukah:
















And now we wait to see what tomorrow brings.