Moving right along...backward, of course...

Thanksgiving was a lovely day, spent at my parents' house. Some of us were a step slow, the result of the previous evening's discovery that the local bar finally put Guinness back on the menu, a night on which I finally closed my eyes at 5:33 a.m..

So while I napped through the day's awful football games, Matthew did his junior chef self proud by preparing a wonderful pumpkin pie...




















He's also smart enough to know that if you hang out in the kitchen, eventually someone will hand you the whipped cream beater...




















Meanwhile, his sister amused the crowd with gales of laughter...




















and a variety of party tricks (for instance, hanging upside down)...




















On Halloween, I won a pair of novelty glasses at the bar. I almost left them there that night because I thought there wouldn't be much use for them. Instead they have turned into an ongoing source of amusement. And SPP knows good shtick when she sees it:














Sweetie Pie Princess demanded I wear them, which she greatly enjoyed. My mother was more interested in why I was wearing pearls with a t-shirt (probably a fair question)...















The next day, the whole clan headed south to a small amusement park near AC, which offers an opportunity to visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus, thousands of Christmas lights and decorations, and rides in the freezing cold. (It also features one of the loudest web sites I've ever visited. Seriously, anyone with sensitive hearing should steer clear.)

Sweetie Pie Princess' good mood from the previous day continued as we waited to visit Santa, where she intended to ask for a doll.















And then, the good mood abruptly ended...
















I love Santa's beleaguered "Oh crap, another screaming weeper" look, while the crazy nephews continue to hold form with bright, best-behavior smiles.

So then, there were two...
















We tried a few rides to help SPP recuperate from the ST (Santa Trauma), which seemed to work. After a chilly ride on the train, we attempted to get everyone to sit still and smile at the camera. That didn't work quite as well...














I love roller coasters and a variety of nausea-inducing rides, but I don't care for things that spin repeatedly. So kudos to my father, who rode the tea cups with Matthew several times...















Because repeated spinning is just what my beloved younger nephew needs. He's crazy enough on his best day...














My cousin and his family then arrived, which led to some good cousin bonding. They are not playing a game of Pull My Finger, although it's easy to see how one could think that...














Adam, the elderstatesman of the cousin quintet, shows everyone how it's done in advance of the big group shot. There's a certain responsibility to being the first-born. I should know, as the oldest of my generation of cousins...




















And then everyone sat down and promptly started looking all over the place, distracted by the littlest of things. So this was the best I could do...



















And then it was time to go. The adults had a "meeting" in Atlantic City and the children were looking a little chilly. But still smiling...