Finally: It's Winter in Boston!

Finally it's cold enough in the Boston area for some wintertime fun.

On Saturday night, we got a bit of snow -- enough that Casey built a small snowman on Sunday morning.

Also, the recent freezing temperatures mean the smaller ponds are frozen, so yesterday, several of us went to a local pond for an afternoon of outdoor skating.

Six boys and three dads acquired several bruises (but no broken bones) in a three-hour session of pond hockey...everyone slept very well last night.

Deep Freeze

It was about 7 degrees F in Cambridge this morning. This photo shows the ice on the INSIDE of our bedroom window.

Generation Gap?

Beau [noticing a paper shredder in the corner of the dining room]: Mom? We have a paper shredder?

Me: I borrowed it from Gina [our nextdoor neighbor]

Beau: What were you doing with it?

Me: I was shredding documents last night.

Beau: [pause] Why didn't you just use the computer?

Me: [what is he talking about?]

Beau: Oh! You mean paper documents!

Truth In Advertising

Sad Sight

With Little Christmas behind us, the holidays are well and truly over. Tuesday found our Christmas tree at the curb waiting to be collected and mulched.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! On Sunday, Januaray 31, after Casey's hockey game, Beau came home and on his own initiative, made this cake to celebrate the coming new year.

With the cake out of the oven and cooling on the counter, we all headed into Boston to see the early fireworks on Boston Common. We joined the crowds (an estimated 1 million people came out for First Night this year) for the 7 p.m. show -- midnight GMT, so we celebrated in spirit with Mack, Julie, Emma, and Lee.



After a leisurely stroll down Charles Street and a T ride back into Cambridge, we got home in time for Beau to decorate his cake before 10 p.m. dinner at a neighbor's. The adults ate leg of lamb, potatoes, and veggies while the kids watched a video upstairs. At midnight we welcomed the new year to the East Coast, toasting all around with champagne and sparkling cider.

On Sunday, despite the pouring rain, we headed to the Blue Hills for our traditional First Day Hike. We arrived at the rendezvous point only to learn that the ranger-led walks (and the pre-hike soup lunch) had been cancelled -- due to rain. We hardly souls took our own hike up Tucker Hill then went home and finished off our new year celebration with black-eyed peas ... and hockey practice.

Christmas 2006

We celebrated Christmas 2006 with all of my family. We didn't make it to Dollywood, but the cousins had a great time playing together, the adults behaved themselves and ate too much, and Mammaw's house was wonderfully festive.

Highlights included Brent as "king of the kids' table," a hot dog and marshmallow roast at Erin and Kevin's place, hunting for fosils, learning to play Farkle, a spontaneous game of Blackjack (fueled by margaritas), making sugar cookies, and trips to Mammaw's new property.

Beau is 10

On November 25, Beau turned 10. Casey marked the occasion by scoring a goal in hockey. At home, we celebrated with homemade chicken pot pie for dinner.

We hosted his birthday party the next day, and this year we had a neighborhood scavenger hunt, which the kids managed to complete in 15 minutes...leaving us with an extra hour to fill! Next year, maybe we'll pony up and pay for the party at the climbing gym.