I haven’t posted much this month, everyone’s so busy in December. But here, in a nutshell, was our holiday season.

I took way too many Christmas card photos. Like, about 1,000 photos.

We used this one.

We tried and failed to see Santa at Macy’s Herald Square (see my GeekMom post on easing up on the holiday pressures) per our usual tradition. We ended up at Dearborn Market instead, all decked out.

There were tears. But I think we will be back next year. We’re digging local stuff these days.

It snowed. A lot. We had to cancel our holiday party this year. But there was much hot chocolate, snow playing, and couch cuddling.

We were later than usual getting a tree, and they all looked really mad at me.

Really mad.

All the holiday movies were watched.

I made scones for H’s teacher gifts.

Really liked the boxes of goodies we put together for the teachers this year.

Midtown Mahattan the Saturday before Christmas. Not as awful as you’d think.

Adam made mince pies and immediately became the elfiest, cheerful person ever. Brits.

Then he assembled tables and toys late into the night Christmas Eve. Slightly less cheerful, still very elfy.

All the goodies, including H’s new chair for the living room.

She digs it.

Traditional (recent traditional) Christmas morning monkey bread (up at 6 to make it).

H dug that, too.

Glorious feast with lots of cheese and nibbles, like these cheese push pops from The Cheese Cave. So, cheese. And cheese.

Turkey, roast potatoes in duck fat, mashed potatoes, boiled carrots, roast brussels sprouts, sausage balls, bread stuffing, my father-in-law’s gravy. Two sets of grandparents, a Skype call with the third set. Cousins. We cracked open our last bottle of red for the feast, we forgot to stock up. As good a time as any to dip into this bottle I brought back from a mini study abroad in Florence in 2006. Delicious and well spent on a beautiful family meal and family celebration.

And, of course, the trifle. A true tradition since ’06.

Happy holidays, everyone!!