Christmas eve morning, Cole ate pancakes for the second time ever. Before Cole even turned one, the lovely Peppermint Tina sent him a care package with a fish pancake mold thingy, and she said "before you know it he'll be clamoring for pancakes!" Well, I wouldn't say he's clamoring, but if I make them in the shape of a fish and add a generous amount of chocolate chips, he will at least eat them!

*In the photo, Cole is saying "Ffffisssssshhhhhttttthhhh" as he displays his ffffisssssshhhhhttttthhh.

Fish is part of the traditional Italian Christmas eve feast, and this was as close as Cole got to eating any. All of us nearly missed our fish dinner when the power went out while I was cooking. My many nights of working late in the downstairs office came in handy because I was the only one who could safely navigate the house in complete darkness. By the light of my flashlight/nightlight and Cole's tiger and dog flashlights we ate what we could salvage of the meal. No electric meant no heat too, so we put on our warmest PJs and all snuggled in bed together. Sounds cozy? Well, then you've never shared a full-size bed with my family. It was a restless night for all of us, but one we'll remember.