Christmas play at James's school, Santa (with Stephen)

Nikolas participated in a Christmas play at Chiles Elementary:

Sonja and Michael were in a play, too, but I didn't get to take photos... however, I have Michael's end-of-semester nomination for an exemplary character representative for the school:

James's school put on a Christmas play, like they do every year.  After the kids were done singing songs and acting, there was a visit from Santa, and while the big kids (4/5-year-olds) were busy snacking and socializing, we took an opportunity to introduce Stephen to Santa:

Deko's Slava

Deko was here during his Slava, so I did my best to prepare the traditional celebration.  There was zito (wheat berries with walnuts, sugar and spices) and slavski kolac (sweet bread/cake with symbolic decorations, kind of like brioche). 
Deko is doing great for his age of 96.  We went for walks around the neighborhood almost every day.  Stephen loved him.  As with every baby before, deko was a natural in entertaining him and getting big smiles and happy giggles out of him!  Deko would make funny faces and sounds, and Stephen would immediately start reaching his arms towards him and smiling.  I think babies immediately recognize a good human being when they are in his presence and this makes them comfortable and happy.

Baka's and deko's visit

The weekend after Thanksgiving, baka came for a visit with her boyfriend Frone :)  We got to meet him and were very happy that she had found such a nice person.  At the same time, we flew deko over from California for a couple of weeks, so he overlapped with baka and Frone for a weekend--a very pleasant weekend, for sure.  The kids were excited when they got to play baseball catch with Frone and when baka pulled out some do-it-at-home science experiments that they did together in the driveway.

Baka, Frone, deko, and the kids.

4 generations: deko, baka, mommy (and daddy), and the kids

Thanksgiving in Austin

We spent another awesome Thanksgiving at Steven and Laurie's place in Austin!
The whole Moore family was there, minus a couple of busy grandkids.
Stephen slept in a playpen in our room and napped in a playpen in Steve and Laurie's room.  He did well sleeping through the night and going to bed after we moved him from the car each night coming back to the hotel from Steve and Laurie's house.

The new things with Stephen:

•  He started asking for real food.  Just before the trip he became very interested in a banana that I was eating, and I offered him a little at the tip of my finger.  He swallowed it and kept reaching for more.  Those first few bites turned into half a banana by the time we got to TX.  There, during breakfast, he regularly at half to a whole banana, then also a bite of pizza crust, and a tiny bite of bacon (ok, daddy was really pushing the limits here!).  He never spit anything out.
• He started furiously nibbling on my chin.  Whenever I hold him, he goes for my face with his mouth open, like a little monster!  He is teething for a few months now, and the new teeth are started to bother him--not enough to make him cranky, but to nibble on everything--on his fingers (fist), my chin, my collarbone, toys...
• He is turning 6 months right around Thanksgiving and wearing 12-18mo clothes. 
• He found a new kind of expression: growling!  During our TX trip, he had a bit of a cold and congestion.  The day we arrived back home, as we sat in the living room he started growling, which seemed like trying to clear his throat.  I didn't understand what he was doing at first, so I started laughing and he growled more loudly in response, breathing in and growling out--it was hilarious!!!!  

Stephen was baptized here, with Steve and Laurie as his godparents.  We had a short and sweet ceremony and a lovely lunch.  Stephen behaved wonderfully at the church, wasn't bothered by the holy water, and then slept all the way through a lovely lunch that the rest of us had in his honor afterwards.

After Stephen's baptism in Austin.

Sonja, Michael, Nikolas and James spent a good chunk of time at the swimming pool at the house, as well as upstairs in the game room playing video games, just like last year.  There was some table tennis, too.

We got to watch Jenny play in her high school basketball game, where she was the star of the team, and then we also got to watch Justin at his high school football game, where he is the quarterback.

Watching Jenny's basketball game in Austin, where she scored half of the total points for the team!

Filling up before watching Justin's football game.

Before watching Justin's football game.

At Justin's football game.

Post-game: Justin, our star-quarterback in the middle.

 Some pictures that were taken just before the trip:

James's first baseball team (Gatorball), early November.

Early November, at a playground (James).

Same day, same playground as above... Sonja.