I'm back

Winter break is over. Done. Put a fork in it—I am so ready to start my New Year. I know I'm a little slow to embrace the new year, but if I've learned anything in 40 plus years, it's that I only set myself up for failure if I wake up on January 1 expecting change to have happened overnight. Besides, we still haven't unpacked from our trip, which sort of makes me feel like I still have a foot firmly planted in last year.

Isn't that the perfect segue to notes about winter break? We spent most of it in Princeton, NJ, which is where my mother-in-law lives. When we arrived, there was snow on the ground. Sure, Princeton gets snow, but it's usually associated with a storm, and the snow often melts soon after it lands. I, for one, enjoy Princeton's maritime climate at Christmas—40 degrees and humid is a balm when you're arriving from 0 degrees, a desert-dry environment, and piles of snow (beneath which is a layer of unforgiving ice).

In addition to the kind NJ weather, I like visiting my mother-in-law. She and her husband love to cook so we always eat well (rack of lamb, prime rib, and more), and she maintains an amazing wine cellar so we're always in good spirits (wink).

This year, John and I took the boys to New York City for a day. Although we had wanted to take the train, which the boys would have enjoyed, we drove. Six hours of member-validated parking at the Met and a round-trip cab ride across Central Park to the Natural History Museum cost significantly less than four round-trip train tickets. I'll be honest, driving in NYC sucked. Fortunately John was off his meds and drove with New Yorker-style aggression. (I'm joking about the "off his meds" but I am really proud of how he navigated thick traffic.)

Of course, the museums were awesome! We parked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, wound our way through Greek/Roman statues, temple ruins, amphora, and other artifacts, to the cafeteria where we had a quick and unnoteworthy lunch. Then we cruised the Met's famed Christmas tree on our way to the main entrance, where we hopped a cab to the American Museum of Natural History. The boys had been agog in the Met—Simon was excited to identify Hercules, who appeared in a statue, and Winston was into the displays of coins. They couldn't believe we were leaving the museum, which was very gratifying, but Mama had a date with natural history.


Of course, the dinosaur models in the lobby of the Natural History Museum took the boys' breath away! And, from there, the wonders never ceased. The museum is vast, and we were only able to hit the high points—the elephant, the giant clam, and the whale—but we took occasional detours and we lingered everywhere we landed. I could go on and on about all the amazing things I saw. When we did our post mortem, each of us offering up our favorite thing in the museum, I narrowed my selection to the biodiversity wall, the vast array of animals and bugs and their nearest relations. Also, I loved the panoramas in the African mammals and the North American mammals halls. They have such a lovely old-timey feel, despite all that is NPC about this sort of big game collecting.


In addition to NYC, the boys spent loads of time rolling around with their cousin Dodi, who is almost six years old. Cousin Scarlett (below), on the other hand, is two and a half. Does anyone remember two-and-a-half? Scarlett is very precocious and very very verbal and very energetic. To be in a room with Scarlett required a flak jacket, ear plugs, and a quick wit. Also, 409. Because, in her wake, Scarlett left a smear of yogurtbananamucusgrahamcrackertears on every surface she touched. Maybe even every surface in a 100-foot radius. She endeared herself to me, though, as one morning I came to breakfast grumpy (for having slept little and poorly). Scarlett, who was already squirreling around with her daddy, poked her head out and said, "Good morning, Jenny." Now, no one is allowed to call me Jenny, and still I couldn't help but feel my cold Grinch heart melting.


Also while in Princeton, we were treated to a wonderful performance of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol that had amazing stage sets. I did a bit of cooking, making the largest batch of homemade macaroni and cheese, with two pounds of pasta and two pounds of cheese and half a gallon of milk, for a potluck dinner party. Generally speaking, I'm not comfortable cooking for more than six people. Eight people, tops. And, I made the potato rolls, the sponge takes a few hours to make. Each year I vow to start earlier, yet it never happens until the boys are in bed and the kitchen clears, so some time around 11 p.m.

Now we're home. The boys inaugerated their new downhill skis at Afton Alps, giving me a much deserved quiet day. We've celebrated the New Year's with an impromptu gathering. It's the same every year—no one steps up to host until New Year's Eve. Still we manage to have fun and stay up ridiculously late (3 a.m., listening to music with handsome husband) and need two days to recover. We've played endless rounds of "Dragonology," a silly board game that the boys LOVE. We've been sledding, mostly on a sheet of ice, but exhilirating and fun, nonetheless. I left the sledding hill in shame (ha!), having plowed into an unattended sled and causing another group of sledders to scramble out of my way. That'll learn those kids who lay at the bottom of the hill when their run has ended.

After I dropped the boys at their bus stop this morning, I took a walk. A short walk, and a cold walk (didn't look at the temp, didn't want to know), but a good walk during which I tried not to think about my frozen quads, instead listening to the lyrics of Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros (Global Go Go). I had the foresight to make a pot of coffee before I left the house so when I returned from my walk I poured myself a cup and curled up on the couch for an hour with Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games. Such a civilized start to the day. With a belly full of oatmeal, I'm diving into reconnecting with my internets world and renewing my job search.

Now I'm ready to take on the year!