Happy Holidays!

(Editor's note: For optimum entertainment value, start a few posts down after the Halloween pictures and work your way up!)

Here's our little Santa, and then the real Santa-substitute... Turns out that we unintentionally made Benjamin terrified of Santa. I guess telling him he'd better behave or Santa wouldn't bring him presents led him to believe that Santa didn't want to see him. When they got into line the first time, Ben told his mom that Santa was "mad at him". After a week of intense deprogramming and guilt all-around, we finally got Ben to thinking warm, fuzzy thoughts about Santa Claus... Although he's already told us he's not sharing any of his cookies on Christmas Eve.

Let it Snow!

Okay, so it snowed when we were in Chicago -- a lot. So we decided that it would be fun to go sledding. Unfortunately, we couldn't find a really good sled, so dad couldn't fit on the sled with Benjamin. So Benjamin says the words that I completely dread: "I can go down by myself, daddy..." Uh... Okay. So I gave Ben a big push, and then ran down the hill (mountain!) after him in case he had a big wipeout.

Luckily, he didn't. (He did almost hit a tree, but that's another story.)

A Day at Winterfest!

Heading back to Chicago for a late Chanukah, the family made a stop off at Navy Pier for the annual Winterfest! Benjamin is finally old enough to really enjoy himself, climbing up the air-filled "snow mountain", hanging out with his aunt Steph on the Merry-go-Round, or taking the plunge on one of the many enormous air slides..! Needless to say, he fell asleep on the way home.

A whole heap of nekked

Just a few shots of Phoebe after our triumphant return. A little lounging, a little bath time, and our world traveler was good as new!

Hang Ten!

Here's Phoebe after 10 hours of flying... Surfing through Dulles in DC before heading back to Chicago... And then to Los Angeles. One would think after all that flying, my kids would be sitting in the Premier seats now! Yeah, they're not.

Africa!

Okay, so before we went on the trip, we told Benjamin that we were going to Africa... So once we get on the boat, he can't stop talking about the fact that we're going to Africa to see the African animals..! Needless to say, both Alison and I were terrified to arrive in Tunisia knowing that it wasn't quite the safari adventure Ben was expecting. Lucky for us, when we got off the boat, we found a pair of rather large, noisy camels! And for a few bucks, Benjamin got to sit on one. (Next time you see him, ask him what the camel "said". He does a mean impression of a camel now!) Thank god for a few enterprising Tunisians, saving the day with their "African" animals... Now if we could only get him to stop throwing Phoebe all over that stinky camel, we'll be all set!

And yet there's more!

Just a few more pictures of the kids about town. The first one has Phoebe having fun with her aunt and cousin outside a church in Palermo... And the second one has Phoebe looking adoringly at her big brother while sitting on some steps in Malta.

Europe? Or the backyard?

These pictures were actually taken in Europe, you have to trust us. (Observe the Buzz Lightyear knock-off that we picked up in Malta -- come over and push the button and hear him say "watch out!", followed by gunfire, and then "Drop the gun!" Only 15 bucks!)

Anyway, these pix are just proof that Phoebe can look adorable anywhere!

Culture, Culture, Culture...!

Yes, here are the kids at various stops along the way... Phoebe at the Coliseum in Rome, and the entire family in Malta. Now, some may question whether the kids got anything out of the trip. We're not sure if any of the culture they saw seeped in, but we can report that Phoebe has started babbling with an accent. (PS: Notice the steps in Malta... And the two strollers. I think Alison and I are the only people to ever go to Europe and lose weight!)

When in Rome...

So we took the kids to Europe. Yes, we're crazy. As it turns out, they were both great most of the time. From Italy to Spain to Tunisia, they were little troopers. Here's Ben in Rome, getting the hang of a European Vacation right off the bat with breakfast in bed. And then there's Phoebe, who saw Europe from her personal chariot...