we had our traditional shrimp hors d'oeuvres while watching the ball come down in times square.
chanda had her favorite drink: sparkling apple cider.
and then we banged the pot lids out the front door and listened to the neighborhood sounds: anyone out there? no, all was quiet.
when i was a little girl, i'd hear other people banging their pot lids out their front doors . . greeting the new year with a ruckus and a cheer.
. . to nana and nonno's . . jack waits to be packed . . last, but not least.
for two years this yarn has sat in the bottom drawer of my dresser waiting for me to knit it into scarves for the girls (tempting korrina who has often rummaged through my drawer looking for a pair of tights to "borrow.") i finally pulled it out about a month ago, and i've had the most difficult time deciding how to pair the colors. i originally picked out these different skeins of knitpick's dancing, twist, and butterfly kisses to make their "stockpot scarf." (i can no longer find this pattern on the website.) i would still like to knit from the paper copy i have, but the colors i picked no longer seem to work. finally, after consulting with my friend janet, and the girls themselves, i have a plan. i'm pairing a skein of bronze butterfly kisses, with the cotton crayon yarn and a "spumoni" twist yarn (the brown crayon looks a bit purplish in the above picture). i just needed to order two extra brown crayon skeins (which, fortunately, they still carry).
and now i need to knit . .
morgana and chanda played fox and geese in the courtyard with their friend, tessa. we got a foot of snow, but with the drifts in the courtyard it looks more like two to three feet. the benches are completely buried. korrina's friend tyler came over, and then they left to take another friend to the movies (harry potter) for his birthday.
we had a quiet afternoon tea and i managed to knit a few more rows on the "secret" knitting project i'm doing for epiphany (which isn't so secret anymore . . ).
jack may be blind now, and sleep all day, but he is still a tough old bulldog when it comes to his tug toy. he won't let go. he'll outlast you every time.
yes! we decided to go sledding.
we stopped on greenwich street to meet up with our special sledding friends, and then got on the 3 train to brooklyn. the train moved very slowly, and there weren't many people traveling. it felt very quiet and holiday-like with everyone on vacation.
into the wilds of brooklyn . . prospect park.
gael couldn't ask for a nicer or more fun sister . .
this year the snow was blown completely through the tunnel . .
i love this view after coming through the tunnel. here it is from last year: 2010; and in 2009. both were snowier days, but today was the most windy and the most cold! the wind was brutal and would blow in gusts that took your breath away.
first ride!
we have two sleds, and one toboggan. two of them broke as soon as we got there. this one survived and chanda, gael, gabriel and i took turns riding down on it.
everyone capsized a second after this shot was taken. i think i was in the way . . .
every once in awhile the wind would whip by, and you would have to turn your back for a good while to shield your face.
tea break. time to warm up. bagels and lox. biscotti and panettone and alpine berry tea. oh! and french chocolates!
well, we tried to warm up. but the wind was "vicious" as a few of us said, and our fingers and toes were icicles. when i said "it's time to go," others answered, "yes!" (can you imagine how cold they really must have been to agree with me!!!!) anyway, the sun was setting . .
camille's toes were very cold . . luckily, the train was very warm! we melted and left the seats damp and on the floor: a puddle.
everyone was hungry and any leftover food from the snowy tea break was consumed. i think we will all sleep well tonight.
at home, morgana made hot chocolate to warm us up.
after watching bedknobs and broomsticks, we had leftovers and perogis for dinner.
we had our traditional shrimp hors d'oeuvres while watching the ball come down in times square.
chanda had her favorite drink: sparkling apple cider.
and then we banged the pot lids out the front door and listened to the neighborhood sounds: anyone out there? no, all was quiet.
when i was a little girl, i'd hear other people banging their pot lids out their front doors . . greeting the new year with a ruckus and a cheer.
ummmm, chanda? aren't you supposed to be setting the table?
nana and nonno prepared steamed mussels for an appetizer!
oh, they were so good!
more delicious christmas cookies for dessert! morgana likes arranging them on nana's holiday milk glass serving plate.
after seeing korrina off at the train station, we stopped at hotel beach to run around a little . . and feel the cold air! i loved the greyness of the water and the sky.
we spent the early part of the morning playing in the snow, before having lunch and taking korrina to the train. (she's heading home to spend new year's eve with friends.)
here is a photo of the handkerchief morgana embroidered. the linen's color is called ripe banana. i think that's why we chose it: nonno loves to eat ripe bananas.
nana and nonno had a delicious dinner of lasagna ready for us when we arrived in montauk. we had a wonderful meal together, and had fun opening our christmas gifts.
morgana embroidered nonno's initial into two hand rolled handkerchiefs for him.
nonno has always used handkerchiefs. i wonder if he will like using these!
korrina was very happy because nana and nonno gave her NCIS, season III. the three of them are big fans.
it was late when we finally went to sleep and i was very tired! jack slept through all the festivities.
. . to nana and nonno's . . jack waits to be packed . . last, but not least.
for two years this yarn has sat in the bottom drawer of my dresser waiting for me to knit it into scarves for the girls (tempting korrina who has often rummaged through my drawer looking for a pair of tights to "borrow.") i finally pulled it out about a month ago, and i've had the most difficult time deciding how to pair the colors. i originally picked out these different skeins of knitpick's dancing, twist, and butterfly kisses to make their "stockpot scarf." (i can no longer find this pattern on the website.) i would still like to knit from the paper copy i have, but the colors i picked no longer seem to work. finally, after consulting with my friend janet, and the girls themselves, i have a plan. i'm pairing a skein of bronze butterfly kisses, with the cotton crayon yarn and a "spumoni" twist yarn (the brown crayon looks a bit purplish in the above picture). i just needed to order two extra brown crayon skeins (which, fortunately, they still carry).
and now i need to knit . . 
morgana and chanda played fox and geese in the courtyard with their friend, tessa. we got a foot of snow, but with the drifts in the courtyard it looks more like two to three feet. the benches are completely buried. korrina's friend tyler came over, and then they left to take another friend to the movies (harry potter) for his birthday.
we had a quiet afternoon tea and i managed to knit a few more rows on the "secret" knitting project i'm doing for epiphany (which isn't so secret anymore . . ).
jack may be blind now, and sleep all day, but he is still a tough old bulldog when it comes to his tug toy. he won't let go. he'll outlast you every time.
yes! we decided to go sledding.
we stopped on greenwich street to meet up with our special sledding friends, and then got on the 3 train to brooklyn. the train moved very slowly, and there weren't many people traveling. it felt very quiet and holiday-like with everyone on vacation.
into the wilds of brooklyn . . prospect park.
gael couldn't ask for a nicer or more fun sister . .
this year the snow was blown completely through the tunnel . .
i love this view after coming through the tunnel. here it is from last year: 2010; and in 2009. both were snowier days, but today was the most windy and the most cold! the wind was brutal and would blow in gusts that took your breath away.
first ride!
we have two sleds, and one toboggan. two of them broke as soon as we got there. this one survived and chanda, gael, gabriel and i took turns riding down on it.
everyone capsized a second after this shot was taken. i think i was in the way . . . 
every once in awhile the wind would whip by, and you would have to turn your back for a good while to shield your face.
tea break. time to warm up. bagels and lox. biscotti and panettone and alpine berry tea. oh! and french chocolates!
well, we tried to warm up. but the wind was "vicious" as a few of us said, and our fingers and toes were icicles. when i said "it's time to go," others answered, "yes!" (can you imagine how cold they really must have been to agree with me!!!!) anyway, the sun was setting . .
camille's toes were very cold . . luckily, the train was very warm! we melted and left the seats damp and on the floor: a puddle.
everyone was hungry and any leftover food from the snowy tea break was consumed. i think we will all sleep well tonight.
at home, morgana made hot chocolate to warm us up. 
after watching bedknobs and broomsticks, we had leftovers and perogis for dinner.
