Holiday happenings (7)

Been to the OSU gyms a few times. Lots of stuff to do, but we come back to it over and over again: RUNNING!  On New Year's Eve, Becky, Aaron and Claire tried out the climbing wall at ARC - pretty exciting!

Christmas morning

and some of the loot!

Getting ready for Santa...

Christmas Eve at the Lopezes

We had a blast!

First day of break!

We got a dusting just in time for the first day of school break!

Holiday happenings (6)

Lots of requests for art time

Evenings with Jack and Annie

Claire has been enthralled with the Magic Tree House books. Thanks to the books we had around from Aaron's early of them and with loans from the library, we'll probably get through about #20 before we're back in school.

holiday happenings (5)

Making stuffed animals out of sweater sleeves.

Holiday happenings (4)

A hike with friends along the Olentangy River and OSU wetlands on the shortest day of the year.

Holiday happenings (3)

A visit by the Solstice Fairy.

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Our first ballet together, and Claire's first time in the Ohio Theater. 

Holiday happenings (1)

Gingerbread (ok, graham cracker) houses at home

photography

Grandpa Dick gave Aaron and Claire an older digital camera during his visit two weeks ago. They have taken probably1200 photos and are rapidly learning lots of photo tricks. What a great gift! Thanks, Grandpa!

Latke party

We had our 3rd (or was it 4th) Latke party with our family friends Scarpettis, Lopezes, Martins and our new friends Richa, Bill and Daksha (Sorry you couldn't make it Rory, Eve, Hannah and Sean!). Thanks to Trish and Dave for bringing jelly donuts!

Here you see the traditional reading of "The Latke that Couldn't Stop Screaming."

Season of giving

This year, we decided with many of our friends to not exchange gifts, but instead make donations to the Mid-Ohio Food Bank. So last weekend, we gathered at the Lopezes for holiday cheer, to decorate boxes for the canned foods and to combine our checks. Considering that MOFB can translate one dollar into eight dollars of food, I think we should all be proud of what we were able to contribute -- Aaron and Claire both gave from their allowance.

celebration bread

I made this challah for the Malley's Holiday Storytelling party. But, alas, sickness kept us from the party so instead we had pastrami sandwiches with Grandpa and Grandma.

Pancakes...

... the bright way to start the day.

the piano

We have a low-end synthsizer that has about 100 canned songs. The kids love to dance or, more usually, run in circles to the songs. They are pretty good about alternating which songs to play.