Hasses aren't only avocados.: January 2017

Mater: It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Posted by Pater , Thursday, January 5, 2017 11:34 PM

After Purim, my sweet Avocado Jnrs, Chanukah-time is our most hap-happiest season of all. The pristine white, snow outside. Seeing your breath on a crisp, blue sky morning. Watching a movie together on a dark Sunday evening as we snuggle under a mountain of thick blankets. People on the street smiling as work slows down and preparations begin for the upcoming festivities. And this year it was even more special as AJ4 experienced his first Chanukah candles...

None of which explains why, following the first night of Chanukah, we left the aforementioned pristine, white snow and jumped on a plane...

...received a terrific reception in Miami from Grandma Toronto...

...who then whisked us away to a beautiful, cool condo in William's Island, inside and...

,,,and out...

...and then spent several, amazing, sun-filled weeks, pretending that the proper way to celebrate the Most Wonderful Time of the Year is by playing on a beach....

...hanging around the pool, both in the water (with CrayCray AJ3 jumping in with wild abandon and swimming for his first time without floats)...

...and poolside...

...and going to a zoo, park and the general outdoors WITHOUT PUTTING FIVE LAYERS OF CLOTHING ON....

Okay, okay, so maybe we weren't exactly celebrating the hap-happiest season caroling out in the snow, the way Andy Williams described it. But nonetheless, hearts were glowing because love ones were near...

...and while there weren't marshmallows for toasting, that didn't mean we starved!

Someone seems to be missing from all this holiday cheer. And Mater doesn't mean Santa Claus or the Chanukah Fairy. On his inaugural Escape South For The Winter, experiencing for the first time ever: swimming outside in the winter, a beach, ice cream in January, the coolest pair of shades, and meeting Great Uncle and Aunt Rhode Island...introducing AJ4!!!!

Yes, it truly was the most wonderful time of the year and we all had a relaxing, fun, water-filled, terrific time with family and friends. Not to mention a really great Chanukah, celebrating Eight Crazy Nights...