Cambridge, Mass – It’s been nearly a decade since I have set foot in a mall between Thanksgiving and Christmas. And no, I don’t do all my Christmas shopping over the internet. Most of my shopping gets done when I am…
Moomins & Monsters
Somerville, Mass – Ever since we got back from Finland, the twins have been crazy for the Moomins. These sweet but strange cartoon characters were created by Finnish author Tove Jansson back in the 1940s. She wrote endearing titles such…
Leaf Pile
Boston, Mass – Fall in New England. Gotta love it.
¡Fiesta!
Somerville, Massachusetts – A few weeks ago, the boys brought home from school the book ¡Fiesta! by Ginger Foglesong Guy and René King Moreno. A simple English/Spanish counting book with colorful illustrations, it shows preparations for a party, especially making and filling…
Maslenitsa
Call me optimistic. Or hopeful. Or perhaps desperate. But this weekend we bid farewell to winter, celebrating the ancient Russian end-of-winter festival, Maslenitsa. This ancient pagan ritual was sort of co-opted by the Christians, so it morphed into a pre-Lenten…
All Aboard the Christmas Train
Monteverde, Costa Rica – I posted this photo on Facebook and my friend commented about my uncanny ability to find a kiddie train anywhere in the world. That, I responded, is my secret to successful travel with toddlers. This one…
Christmas Eve Traditions
Monteverde, Costa Rica – After spending a wonderful day yesterday on our own at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, Daddio and I decided to spend today exploring our immediate environs with the twins. We just walked along the road, heading from our villa toward…