Christmas in Syracuse

Drove over on Boxing Day and spent the evening with cousin Ryan and his daughter Alayna. On Friday the Santillanes clan and Uncle Kevin and Aunt Kathy came over for a day of board games, cookie decorating and eating. Linc got The Oregon Trail card game from Grandma and we haven't survived the treacherous trip yet! Grandma also bought every other board game created in the last dozen years and let the kids open them as presents, but declared that THEY STAY AT HER HOUSE so the grandkids will do something that doesn't involve either a phone or an iPad or a console when they visit. We busted out Family Feud (271-268, the kids actually won, but to be fair I was playing the role of the white Steve Harvey and not lending my massive brain stuffed with meaningless trivia to the adult effort) and Jeopardy! (I beat Greta and Allison, but not by too much, thanks to some questionable categories chosen by quizmaster Lincoln Trabek.)

It's back to Niskayuna this afternoon for the College Football Playoffs and a UAlbany Women's Basketball game Sunday late afternoon. Kids return to school on Jan. 2.

 

 

Woven from the hide of a rainbow llama!

We're probably going to need Cousin Max to get out.

Coulda been an award winner -- those hands that now look like the blurred-out jaw of a crocodile, were meant to be someone pouring blue sprinkles in front of Uncle Kevin's face. But it didn't work, because I didn't get the camera setting right.

Blog readers: Can you decode the gift we gave the Santillanes family based on the presents in this photo and the card Allison is holding? Answer in the comments.

They got it eventually, with some additional clues!

Aunt Kathy is really Dr. Doolittle at heart.

We're gonna need a bigger basement.

I mean, honestly, how lucky am I?!?

My James Holzauer smile.

True happiness is being this happy about spoon rests.