Hanukkah Giving

Hanukkah is in full swing around here thanks in large part to the kids and the gifts. Maybe that didn't come out quite right. Don't get me wrong. We aren't really materialistic. We always try to emphasize the larger meaning of the holiday and the miracle that happened so many years ago. We enjoy lighting the candles each night and filling our home with their warmth and comfort on dark, cold nights. But this year when things have been so sad, it has felt good to join the kids in fully savoring the joy of surprises and the thrill of receiving and giving. Here are Noah's beautiful gifts for us. His first experience with sewing and designing his own creations. Aren't they wonderful? A monster face for us and a special button design for Camille. Seeing his pride and excitement in giving them to us was just as wonderful as the actual gifts.And last night I surprised everyone with a very Italian gift: our very own calchetto game. Right before our move to Sicily I gobbled up Calvin Trillin's Travels with Alice. One of the most memorable pieces of that delightful read was his family's affinity for calchetto. I was curious to see if we would have an easy time taking part in this cultural activity (essentially foosball but takes on a whole new level of meaning in Italy!). Happy to report during our first weekend in Sicily we discovered it is alive and well in the local bars/cafes. And now in the middle of our living room (believe me, we need lots of practice to keep with the Italians). It has changed the look of our living room;it gives me hope that we will survive the Sicilian rainy season without too much cabin fever; and it has given us all something to cheer and laugh about during our first Hanukkah in Italy.