There were some ok exhibits, and some less than stellar exhibits. To be honest, I enjoyed things most when we were all making fun of the lights.
Liz and I spent a slow day getting ready for a weekend away. After packing, we hit the road in the late afternoon – but not before stopping at Vanille, to pick up a few treats.
Jahnu opening up a pretty sweet Nerf bow/arrow set. You may also notice that he’s changed into another gift (a Griffindor Quiddich outfit, from Harry Potter).
A delicious meal of dumplings, pot stickers, and fried rice. If I was asked to manifest my childhood as a single meal, this would be it.
Liz and I arrived on Friday to spend the Christmas weekend with my family in Indianapolis. Though I originally purchased Beasts of Balance for myself… I decided that it would be better as a gift to my niece and nephew.
I found it kind of nice to remember some of these older tunes, but she clearly didn’t have the same reaction. The interesting thing with the Suzuki Method is that it really emphasizes memorization – so much so that even now, many decades later, I still can remember most of these songs. Even though I may not have actually touched a violin in years.
We are on a bit of a road trip, visiting family in both Valparaiso and Indianapolis. Last night, we stopped to stay the night in Valpo and visited with Tricia (who is in town with Sebastian, Audrey, and Paige).
In back, that would be Sebastian putting on his Darth Vader helmet. I wish I had some video/audio to share, because in addition to changing his voice… it also spits out Vader quotes. Which, coming from his short frame, was actually just hilarious.
There is something quintessentially American about being Chinese-American, and ordering out for Chinese food on Christmas eve. Back when my parents used to have a restaurant, this happened all the time. But it still feels like the thing to do, especially around the holidays.
On arriving, we met the newest addition to my sister’s family: Layla. She tended to bark a lot when first meeting us, but warmed up soon after. She was super sweet and got a lot of attention from me and Liz during our stay.
On Friday evening, Liz and I arrived (a little late) and joined my family at my parents’ house. Several family members came back to celebrate my grandma’s 104th (that’s right, 104) birthday.
The calm before the storm…
Jasmine and Jahnu, focused on their electronic devices. What is with kids these days, and how they seem to be so obsessed with technology and gadgets? Incidentally, that would be my Amazon Echo in the middle of the table.
This is quite possibly my favorite image from the holidays.
Later in the evening, my parents came over and stopped off at (where else) a nearby Chinese restaurant for some take-out. The dining room table was covered with a lot of stuff, so we set up shop at the kids’ table. Is there anything more quintessentially American than Chinese food at Christmastime?