Christmas, Part Deux

Talk about a white Christmas! We spent a week in Connecticut over Christmas, and we flew out there just a few days after a giant blizzard. It was perfect timing. The airports had recovered from the chaos of canceled flights and closures, but there was still snow everywhere.

We woke up at 4:15 that morning to make our 7:30 am flight. We left William in his PJs and changed him in the airport. We had the car all packed and ready to go when we woke him up. Poor guy was shell-shocked from being awakened so early, but he was a trooper. After a bit of a logistics error on our part (Mikey dropped us off with our stuff at one terminal, and the shuttle bus dropped him off elsewhere), we made it to our gate with just a couple of minutes to spare before boarding time. Mikey got on the plane first, and W and I waited until we were some of the last to board. I see no need to keep him cooped up on a plane for a second longer than necessary! He did great on the flight. He got in a couple of catnaps, and we stuffed him silly every time he was willing to take a bite.

Mom and Neil were kind enough to meet us in Boston. Brrrrrrr it was COLD! After a two-hour drive, we were back in Old Lyme, CT. I had only been there two previous times, but I am remarkably comfortable in their house. Probably has something to do with the fact that my family lives there, and that makes any place feel like home.

On our first full day there, Mikey went skiing at Jiminy Peak, MA. He hadn't hit the slopes in a couple of years, and I'm not much of a skiier. I don't think he minded the alone time! The mountain was definitely smaller than what he's skiied in Colorado, but the snow was fantastic, and it seems like he had a great time.

William and I relaxed at the house and ventured out into the snow a little bit. You know I had to take my camera with me!


What a gorgeous house.


I had a hard time strapping him in the stroller in his giant outfit, so I decided not to strap him in at all. He seemed pretty snug with all that extra padding until he slid out the bottom! I still laugh when I look at these pictures.


Are we having fun yet??


Let's play another day.


Bubba is a true snow dog. He LOVES it!

Even with all the outdoor fun, it seems we didn't manage to tire William all the way out. Mikey took him upstairs for a little bit that night, and when he brought him back down, he told us that William had really and truly taken his first steps (we had both seen him take one, maybe two, steps previously, but nothing we could definitively call his first steps). Mikey set him back on the floor, and he took a few quick steps into his daddy's arms. Mom and I screamed and jumped up and down - we were so excited! Poor William was a bit scarred by all the ruckus, but he got over it enough for me to snap some pictures later that night.






What a big boy! We played this game multiple times a day for the entire trip. It was endlessly entertaining for everyone. William had this huge grin of pride when he would walk toward me. I want to remember that sense of joy on his face forever.

On Christmas Eve day, Mom and Neil decided to take William sledding in the back yard. The dogs had created a nice pathway through part of the yard.


So far so good!


Note the hand dragging through the snow...


...resulting in this! Whoops!


Contrary to how it looks, Mom's not technically pointing and laughing at her grandson. More like at the situation. They thought it would be a good idea to blaze a trail through the snow the dogs hadn't walked all over. Um yeah - the sled completely sunk down and got stuck.


Someone is ready to go inside and warm up! He wasn't nearly as amused as we were at the sled getting stuck.

We went to a lovely Christmas Eve service at a very old church in Old Lyme. Thankfully, it was a family service that was full of kids of all ages. They had a live nativity that they brought inside since it was so cold out. Even the alpaca was up at the altar! They did bring it in and out periodically, presumably for potty breaks. Neil held William for almost the entire hour-long service. We bribed W with some raisins, but all in all he was an absolute angel. I think the combination of people-watching and lots of singing kept W from getting bored.

And before we knew it, Christmas morning was upon us!


I guess I forgot to inform William that we all wear Santa hats on Christmas morning. He wasn't down with the tradition.


See, we all wear them, even 15-year-old boys who know better than to complain about the super fun hats.


Neil opening the William-themed photo calendar for 2010. It seems I have created another tradition.

By this point, we Browns were getting used to the cold weather, so we were ready to get out and play in the snow some more. That afternoon was probably my favorite part of the whole trip. It's hard to beat some good quality family fun on Christmas afternoon.


William had a blast sitting on a bench and watching us run around.


Bad Bubba! This is a dog who never so much as touches anything he's not supposed to. He had a bit of a love affair with this green glove and did not want to give it up!


Mikey did his best to get the glove.


Time for the alpha to step in. Bubba really thought he would win this one. Apparently he doesn't realize it's best not to go up against Mom. Ever. She will win.

Now it's time for the Christmas 2009 Snowman-Making Contest! It was fun to watch Neil and Mikey get after it. True to form, Neil was very precise in his snowman-shaping. Mikey was a little less into perfection, while still making sure his snowlady had good form.


They have a giant front yard that is perfect for snow antics.


The Mann family contribution to the contest.


A close-up of his Julius Caesar look. This snowman got extra points because all of his accessories were from the yard.


I raided the kitchen and came up with a carrot for the nose and some Reese's Peanut Butter Cups for the creepy red eyes. The skirt and top were all Mikey's doing.


The Brown family with our snowlady. I'm pretty sure the contest resulted in a tie, for those who were curious.


The height difference is shrinking by the day!

We decided to have a little touristy outing, so we headed to the Mystic Aquarium to take in the sights. Truthfully, I think all the big kids enjoyed it even more than William did, but he did get a huge kick out of the sea lion show (he's his mama's son - I have always adored sea lions). Sadly I don't have any good pictures of the sea lions because their stage setup is inside, and it was too much for my little flash to handle. The place was fairly quiet while the handlers were talking about the difference between seals and sea lions, as well as showing us what their three sea lions can do. Well, it was quiet except for William's crazy laugh! He truly spent about three minutes straight laughing at who knows what, while no one else was laughing or really even talking. We thought it was hilarious.

The second most remarkable thing about the sea lion show was the set of quadruplets that was visiting the aquarium with their parents. They were six months old!!! Those are some energetic people. I'm sure they just wanted to get out of the house since it was a relatively mild day. Color me impressed.


Our crew was particularly mesmerized by the beluga whales. We spent a lot of time watching them glide through the water.


William and Mikey are watching the beluga whales play under water. I was told by a former sea lion trainer that the Mystic Aquarium is very highly regarded in the business. Good to know it's legit!


So cool


This one's for Mom, who looooves the penguins.


Mikey took this pic. It's not the best shot of the fish, but I think the Christmas trees through the windows are so neat.


Yuck. Although it doesn't compare in yuck-factor to the giant octopus. Thankfully we don't have a photographic record of that creature.


The snow melted right before we left. William enjoyed the swing, but we didn't last long because it was downright frigid out there. The wind can be brutal.


Farewell, family! See you next time.