Monaloca

Every year our friends Jenny and Pat host a holiday dinner out in the ‘burbs. They live on a cul-de-sac that turns into a “keeping up with the Joneses” fest of lights, blow-up penguins, and other holiday lawn toys each December. It feels fantastically American.

We decided it would be easier to take Melina with us than to worry about rushing home to a sitter. She could show off her holiday cute-stuff dress, play with everyone for a little while, then jammy up and go to sleep in a back room while we had our grown-up fun. Good plan, but after a brief “nap” in the guest room, Melina decided she didn’t want to miss out on the party.

She had fun getting passed around from big person to big person as we finished our dinner, and liked gnawing on everyone’s cloth napkins. Auntie Cia thought it would be fun to tuck some tangerines suggestively into the top of her shirt (mommy nipple, citrus navel, they all feel kinda the same don’t they?) but Melina was equally fascinated with the sequins covering the blouse. These days her world is just bursting with exciting new textures and toys.

Coincidentally, our family friends the Hindmarshes visited us in Berkeley earlier that afternoon. They live in Livermore – just down the road from Jenny and Pat’s place in Pleasanton!

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