Christmas with Papa Jack

Yet another busy week but full of holiday cheer, of course! Papa Jack came to visit from LA and we had an early burst of Christmas. Saturday was spent analyzing trees at our local lot. We finally decided (with Ronan's input, naturally) on a spunky little four-footer and placed it on our coffee table in the front window. With all the white lights and the ornaments culled from our 8-year-old collection and Grandma Kathy's 30-year-old one, it's gorgeous. Jack said something so wise: There's an element of decorating and tree-trimming that's about sharing the spirit with your community and neighbors... I know I smile when I see pretty lights in an otherwise concrete-laden, trafficky city street. In the 'burbs the displays can get gaudy, I know, but in the city, we're lucky if ANY of our neighbors put up lights. So there. The tree is Ronan's gift to this stretch of the multi-culti Inner Sunset in the foggy-elegant-urbane city of SF.


Ronan getting ready to decorate (his anticipation is palpable)


Family shot with tiny tree in the background. Can the Bennetts smile any bigger? Ronan has always had these luscious red lips... I think they came from Dad!


Ronan loves patting and slapping the tree. He loves patting and slapping anything, but especially the tree.


Dad: Whoa, buddy.
Ro: What good is a tree if you can't eat it?


More tree-patting with Papa Jack


Can't think of anything better for a teething baby than chewing on some fingers!


Notre petit prince


He does this very funny thing where he shivers, shrugs his shoulders, and goes rigid!