Winter wonders

Just as December was settling in, we were overcome with special events and things to do with friends to mark the impending holidays. There was the Skillman Avenue holiday lighting early in the month that took place on a wet, but relatively mild evening. It's always kind of a joke because the lights lining the avenue are already turned on before the "lighting" save for one lonely looking snowflake that's unforgivingly placed under a bright a street light. So really, you only come out for the watery hot chocolate and much tastier hot cider. If I had planned better, I really should have brought a flask. But the kids liked it anyway, and seeing Santa pop out of his cop car at the end of the show was a total calamity. As he approached the crowd, the kids rushed up but didn't overrun each other like in years past. The cheers of "Santa!" and "we want candy!" were quickly met with anxious laughter and a nervous smile from Mr. Claus who apparently did not come prepared. He was looking around like he wanted someone to save him and asked a few times for one of his reindeer to bring him the candy, but no one came forward. It quickly deteriorated from there with the kids shouting angrily and a few rogues even jumping up and pulling on Santa's beard. As his amusement turned to sheer panic, I pulled the girls back and we left to get our own candy back at home. Oh boy, the holidays sure can rev things up. And then there was the holiday party and caroling night at AMB. Carolina was excited to see her friends and show us around her school, and it was actually a pretty nice event. But the caroling was just as I'd remembered it. Hectic and confusing, we marched up and over Queens Boulevard where we could hardly be heard and worse yet, we couldn't really stick together. It was a good that I knew what to expect, and Elisa wasn't a shrieking, tantrum-throwing toddler anymore. But man, I really wish they had lead us around the Gardens or down towards Skillman Ave at least. I just don't get it. But luckily, afterwards we made a plan to head back to Irene and Jose's apartment for dinner. So the kids got to bounce around and play and we enjoyed some nice take out. December always offers the kind of cozy evenings at home with friends that I love. So I'll take the darkness for at least a little bit and enjoy the holiday spirit.