Christmas 2016!

Christmas dawned very early... Sebastian was awake at 4:50 am! Fortunately, he's old enough and good enough that he sat quietly on the couch, staring at the presents, until the rest of us trickled down (5:45, 6:16, 6:30, 6:55...).

We opened up our stockings and the Santa presents first, and then had fig bread and eggs and bacon for breakfast. And then we returned to the present opening until the children were exhausted and the living room was covered in wrapping paper and cardboard.

 

Anne, Cuong, and Camille arrived in the late afternoon to have dinner with us. Anne made challah from scratch (!). Steve roasted two ducks and made three sauces; we also had leg of lamb, a wild rice gratin with chanterelles and apples, brussels sprouts with aioli, braised butternut squash, and a kale-pear-hazelnut salad. Mom and I made two pies, an apple and an apple-pear-cranberry, and Steve baked chocolate chip cookies. It was an amazing feast and a wonderful, special, sweet meal.