End-of-the-Month Highlights Day

New photos have been added to the Life, 2017 album. Google Photos sucks.

• Events
  • Went to Eric B's son's (Cruz) 3rd birthday party on S 12/2 and walked the W&OD trail afterward to give Maia a nap. Did the 3rd and final raking for the year. Had the night off as Rebecca took Maia to Ghazaley's Christmas Party.
  
  
  • Had another Cafesano family dinner on F 12/8.
  
  
  • It snowed on S 12/9. Rebecca took Maia to the farmer's market and then we went to the Smiths for Game Night.
  
  
  • It hail-snowed on F 12/15 and we got pizza from Joe's Pizzaria for dinner, finding it much better than what Domino's has degraded to these days.
  
  
  • We went to "Scotch Night" at Car and Ben's on S 12/16. Maia did not partake.
  
  
  • It was warm enough to take a walk in the park on M 12/18.
  
  
  • Mary came to visit Maia on W 12/20, then Sara moved into our basement for the holidays.
  
  
  • Maia learned to clap on H 12/21.
  
  
  • We discovered that Sara knew how to play multi-person solitaire as well, and played all evening long after a dinner of shrimp quinoa on F 12/22.
  
  
  • Rebecca threw a bachelorette party for Annie on S 12/23.
  
  
  • We walked up Juniper Avenue to see Christmas Lights on S 12/24.
  
  
  • We visited both sets of grandparents on Christmas on M 12/25.
  
  
  • Maia learned to roll over completely, but only towards the left on W 12/27.
  
  
  • We had Jonathan over for a salmon dinner on H 12/28.
  
  
  • Had a Cookie Decorating Party on F 12/29.
  
  
  • Went to Grace and Andrew's wedding with Maia in Alexandria on S 12/30.
  
  
  • Had a low-key New Year's Eve with Sara, Car, and Ben.


• Projects
  • Installed new venetian blinds for the upstairs rooms after the last cheap 2004 set finally split in half from vigorous cord pulling on F 12/1.
  
  
  • We got a tiny red food processor and Rebecca started pureeing everything for Maia on S 12/2.
  
  
  • I bought a recorder and started learning to play it for additional Maia distraction opportunities on H 12/14.
  
  
  • I took the last half of the month off from work because why not?
  
  
  • Took care of some baby.


• Consumerism
  • Bought a Nintendo Switch and a few games on T 12/5 to open up new options for things to do while walking around the house with Maia sleeping on me.
  
  
  • Got to level 961 in Overwatch.
  
  
  • Not a lot of TV or music this month -- slowly slogging through the second season of Stranger Things.

December's Final Grade: A-, The unusual cold severely reduces baby-distraction options, but it has been a fun, relaxing month with good company.