Monday, December 02, 2013

4.9 or, Enter the Holidays

Dear Corbin,

The holidays have begun!  You can only really tell because of the lawn decorations.  People seem to get very into decorating their houses and yards for each holiday.  The weather continues to be like a warm Midwestern Autumn, which is so nice for you and Miriam.  We can still play outside all afternoon.  You even put shorts on one day.

Our month started off slowly, but ended up quite busy.  You had your last gymnastics and swimming lessons for that session.  We were all happy to be done with swimming lessons.  We might pick them up next summer when it gets warm again.  The whole family was invited to the last gymnastics lesson, so that you could demonstrate all of the things you had learned.  Man, you really like that class.  It's understandable--you got to run and jump and climb, all the things you love to do.  So when the registration started for the next session, we signed you right up for the session that starts in January.

We did some science this month.  An order of frozen steaks came with a big block of dry ice, so we spent a whole afternoon watching it bubble in both plain water and soapy water.  I thought it would be fun for a little while, but you kept it going for a couple of hours.

Dad went on his first work trip to China.  He was gone for just over a week.  You and I drove him up to the airport, so that you could say goodbye to him and see the planes, but you fell asleep on the way there.  I tried to wake you up at the airport, but you slept all the way back home.  A couple of nights when he was gone, you asked if he would come and snuggle you for a while.  I had to remind you that he was around the world from us.  It didn't seem to distress you, but it made me a little sad.

That same week, Grandma's sisters, Aunt Alice and Aunt Cele, came to visit.  It was fun to see them.  We took them to the Botanic Gardens and the Cabrillo Aquarium and the Santa Monica Pier.  We even had a little Christmas celebration with them.  We called it our First Christmas.  You helped Grandma decorate the little fake tree that we have.  You and Miriam and I made gift bags out of brown lunch bags and Christmas stickers.  I gave everyone little cloth animal ornaments.  Grandma gave you a set of card games aimed at children, so we've been playing some Old Maid and even some Hearts, which I think is fun.

Grandpa's birthday was this month, so we got to have birthday treats for him.  You and Miriam gave him a DVD of Cars, which you all enjoyed watching.  And we gave him the cookbook from a cooking show that he's discovered, so we'll have to go through and find some recipes to make.

Speaking of recipes, the month ended with Thanksgiving.  Aunt Lena and her mom Maria made a delicious turkey and stuffing.  You helped Grandpa, Dad and Uncle Alex put up some Christmas lights on the front of the house.  Aunt Tabetha came over with her friend Ty and we made them play Old Maid with us.  It was a very nice day, and a nice way to end the month.

Love,
Mom
 

Fun with dry ice:


1st Christmas tree:

At Cabrillo Aquarium:
 


 





At the South Coast Botanic Garden:




Growing a seed you brought home from school:

My favorite boy:



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