Christmas in Pictures

I was busy this month with the holidays and preparing for our trip east for Christmas...and now it's already New Year's Eve.

Here's a recap of our month...

 Oscar and Ruby visit with Santa. (Ruby's one wish - a candy cane. She'd never had one)

 Christmas tree tied to the top of our old wagon. (In our version of the punch-buggy game Ford Taurus wagons are worth 10 points.) Abe is dressed for baseball tryouts later that day.

 Reading Christmas stories in bed. (And yes, it's so cold in our house that some of us wear ski hats to bed)

Oscar with his "First Christmas" ornament

 Abe wears the Santa hat all over town and even to bed. Perfect for tree decorating.

 Ruby's year to put the star on top

School ice skating trip -- both Oscar and Ruby spent as much time on the ice as possible. Oscar didn't want me to take this picture, he told me later, because his friends were watching, and "it isn't cool for 10 year olds to take pictures with their moms".

Watering the Christmas tree with a tea pot.*

Ruby writing her letter to Santa.* 

 Candy cane at the top of the list.*

 Walking on a frozen pond in Pennsylvania

 On the way to Philadelphia with cousins.

Cousins lined up, watching for the train.

 Christmas Eve at my parent's house.

 Ruby gives Abe a present

Oscar opening a present containing some more of the animals he collects. (He must have hundreds of these now...a clear example of "enough is never enough" in PWS, but they make him SO happy, and hey, it's not food!)

 

Abe excited about a gift

 

Oscar and cousin A. relaxing with A's dog Penny  

 

A blizzard with over two feet of snow in NJ! Abe was thrilled and played in the snow for hours and  hours

Ruby and cousin A jump aboard the sled

Oscar throws a snowball at Paul -- he thought he was so sneaky

Oscar walking Penny the day after the blizzard. He giggled and jogged along.

(Maybe a dog isn't such a bad idea?)

Ruby built a snowman with Grandpa

And Abe dug a tunnel (with cousin A and Grandpa)

We had a great trip, relaxing for a few days with each of our families. Thankfully the snow didn't affect our travel and we are home again now enjoying the last few free days before school and work and all those other responsibilities start up again.  

Wishing you all a Happy Happy New Year!!

* photos by M. Roark

Grandpa took most of the snow photos and many others too!

Holidays

We spent a lovely Thanksgiving with friends yesterday.  The festivities started with a flag football game that, amazingly, even Oscar and Ruby were coaxed into playing.  Abe was a ringer, of course, and Paul's team saved his skills till late in the game and secured a win.  I didn't add much, but I was out there, holding Ruby's hand and trying to look open for a pass.

Later, warmed by our friends' hospitality and soothing fires we lounged and talked and played cards while the bird roasted.  Oscar managed well the uncertain timing that accompanies roasting a turkey. It is so hard for him not to know exactly when things will happen, especially big things, like the Thanksgiving meal. Well-meaning guests engaged him in lots of talk of hunger and favorite dishes while I tried so hard to distract him from thoughts of food.  I finally had to explain my seemingly odd behavior and they were ever so understanding and curious about his disorder.

Today we started off the holiday season with our traditional 7am viewing of Elf.  The kids excitedly dragged their pillows and comforters out to the family room and Paul and I bundled up on the couch.  Afterwards we queued up our favorite Christmas tunes (Christmas Jug Band!) and started the annoying task of sorting through drawers and shelves for clothes and toys we don't really need any more. By mid-morning the kids were all tired of my nagging so we headed out the door for a walk and a round of haircuts.

Tonight we drove up to the local park's Christmas Fantasy Carousel.  Santa was there too and both Oscar and Ruby eagerly climbed onto his lap though neither really had settled on a toy to request. (Ruby did say she was going to ask for a candy cane -- she's never had one, which I do feel terribly guilty about).  I remembered to ask the elves not to offer them candy and thankfully neither noticed the overflowing basket of sweets at Santa's feet.

Abe, sporting reindeer antlers was too cool to play along.  But he did ride the carousel, after trading Ruby for the Santa hat.

And so we begin the holiday season!  We'll start on outdoor lights tomorrow and perhaps some decorating too. It's early, I know, but we're heading back East before Christmas so we want to have some time to enjoy the season at home as well.