Christmastime in Florida

Christmas afternoon we flew to Jacksonville and arrived at Nana and Papap's in time to enjoy a feast of ham, stuffed cabbage, pagash, macaroni and cheese, sweet potatoes and cranberries, and lots and LOTS of cookies. We got to St. Augustine a day before Sam, and the next morning was a long one, waiting for his arrival, when the rest of the Christmas presents could be opened. Fortunately, Luke had packed his light sabers, which helped to pass the time

and were employed again once Sam and Uncle Paul had arrived.

The Northeast got hit with its first winter snow storm, and temperatures in Florida were especially chilly -- low 40s. Given the cold temperatures, we drove to Jacksonville to the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens. An entire gallery is dedicated to kids, and Sam and Bryn had fun dancing in a dark room where their movement was captured on a screen. So, so cool!
In another exhibit, a camera would take your picture, and with your fingertip you could trace the picture on a screen. Printing out the result yielded a souvenir -- a line drawing self-portrait. I wish the Philadelphia Museum of Art had a similar, interactive room for kids.
While at Nana and Papap's, Kristin introduced us to "JibJab," a website that allows you to upload photos of family and friends into animated videos. The result is very funny. Check out this dynamic ice skating pair:

There's a funny holiday song that includes Sam, his dog Rio, and a very special guest star, too, but I wasn't able to download it and have only a link to it:
http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/7FKteYLvShQhoRHQtTXT

Luckily, the weather improved, and warmer temperatures meant that the kids could play on the beach. For Bryn, the highlight was riding a bike -- without training wheels -- on the beach.


Some time was also spent inspecting wildlife washed up on the beach:


Luke also had fun walking Sam's dog, Rio, who is a sweet, sweet dog. (You can hear him barking in one of the video clips in which Sam and Luke are attacking Paul with their light sabers. Jack was the same way -- didn't like jostling of any sort.)

As for me and Ken, we got to eat at our favorite restaurant in St. Augustine, Bistro de Leon. Meanwhile, Kristin and Paul and Nana and Papap took Sam, Bryn and Luke to Winter Wonderland where they rode tobaggans down an ice slide. I was disappointed to have missed out as the attraction was closed the next evening for New Year's Eve. Next time we'll have to remember to go to Winter Wonderland earlier in our visit as the kids were interested in going on consecutive nights.
The morning we left for home, Luke was in his bathing suit, and Bryn, too pressed for time to change into a swimsuit, lay down in the tidal pools in her shorts and t-shirt. It's not easy to leave for home when the weather is that pleasant at the beach. Luckily for us, it was unseasonably warm - 50 degrees -- when we landed in Philadelphia, so we had a chance to ease back into weather that now calls for puffy jackets and hats and gloves.