New Year, new state, new blog

About six weeks overdue, per my usual. :)


Please do come visit:

www.lovingsinlongbeach.blogspot.com

Just like Dickens

"A Merry Christmas, Bob!” said Scrooge with an earnestness that could not be mistaken, as he clapped him on the back. “A merrier Christmas, Bob, my good fellow, than I have given you for many a year! I’ll raise your salary, and endeavour to assist your struggling family, and we will discuss your affairs this very afternoon over a bowl of smoking bishop, Bob!”
              - A Christmas Carol


What is smoking bishop?  Wassail.  What is wassail?  Mulled wine.  What is mulled wine?

What I made tonight!

Jonathan usually makes spiced cider in the crockpot.

Our crockpot this year is in storage, and I wanted something a bit more adult.

So I made two types, both with port (and without anise cuz I don't like it, but it is traditional).  Personally I liked the first a little better.


Mulled wine the first:
- half a bottle of port
- tons of honey
- half an orange, sliced
- cloves
- cinnamon sticks
- nutmeg

Stir.  Simmer.  Drink.


Mulled wine the second:
- a tiny bit of port
- tons of brown sugar
- half an orange, sliced
- cloves
- cinnamon sticks
- nutmeg

Stir.  Simmer into syrup.  Add in rest of port.  Simmer more.  Drink.

It rained. I found an indoor play place

Xander stayed home while the two youngest desperately needed to work out their energy.  All hail the fancy McDonald's with the new slide and the table that lit up.  You press a white circle to make it change color or change back.  The entire place entertained them for two hours, with the table itself good for multiple 10 minute intervals!

Hanukkah

What a lovely Hanukkah it was this year!  We celebrated as a big extended family, by ourselves, and even at a friend's house.  A few highlights:

 We figured out how to get Xander to read!  We bought him a Minecraft handbook.  :)

Ari adores his new Ninja Turtle pajamas, complete with door hanger.  This side says, "Do not disturb."

The second side says, "Come in, pizza party!"  So the next night of course we had to have a pizza party and movie.  (The boy is known for his faces, btw, he's a total ham)

Connor loves his cars and trucks and anything with wheels.  Pictures of him forthcoming.

Winter break day in our PJs

Modeling Xander's homemade maze, the Lego calendar where Ari and I painted December, and Connor's bug painting

From coast to coast

Ocean Blvd in Long Beach

I have to say, being home in CA is like putting on a well-worn pair of jeans.  I'm such a West Coast-er in terms of mentality and culture. I don't know why I tried to convince myself differently.  All happens as it's meant to.  Except that we are definitely not going to THIS beach in winter - it's in the 50s here and the water is freezing!

Winter break

Going to the park.  By ourselves and with new friends.

Bike rides around the neighborhood (it had been 15 years since I was on a bike, ouch)

Reading stories.

Playing with Crazy Sand and making new colors.

Playing Qixels (think fuse beads).

Making LEGO creations; here is another Minecraft one.

Watching SuperWhy and PG rated movies.

Having car races.

Going to the movies (for Jonathan and Antonio, to see Rogue One)

Minecraft and Lego Star Wars video games until they had horrible behavior and we took away all electronics for three days.

Painting in the bathtub  (I brought in water soluble paint and paintbrushes, and they painted the bathtub, the tile on the wall, and each other.  Then a very easy clean up after!)

Making and eating jello.

One brother creating mazes, the others doing them.

Train track creations.

Playing catch.

In a space of 10 minutes: Laughter. Yelling when no one listens to the adult. Hugs.  Someone hitting someone else.

In other words, great family bonding!