Home for the Holidays and a Wedding- Dec 24-26, 2010

It was a beautiful thing, being home with my family for Christmas.  While I felt a little bad to be ditching my team for a few days, it was worth it spending time with Grace.  We cut her hair and donated it, ate a ton, took my grandpa to his favorite restaurant- Red Lobster, and even attended a Chinese wedding.  A full little vacay.

Peds Holiday Party/Thriller Flashmob- Dec 10, 2010

SIt turned out to be one of the best holiday parties ever as 40+ people joined in Cheryl and I's brainchild/legacy of organizing a flash mob.  We chose Thriller since JT wouldn't do single ladies and it was a huge success.  There are videos circulating somewhere. :)

Interview Dinner at the Batcave- Dec 7, 2010

It was a fantastic showing for our 3rd med-peds interview dinner of the season.  7 of the 8 of our class was present complete with all our kids.  At one point Simon started yelling at the applicants to "Be quiet" because he couldn't hear Nemo.  Overall, tons of fun, huge success.  I'm glad they got to see what we're really like.

A Batcave Xmas- Dec 2010

Christmas is about a lot of things, but one of my favorite parts is decorating the tree.  The batcave is truly splendid when all lit up with our 2 Christmas trees, stockings and JOY.  I love it.

Elizabeth's Birthday Potluck- Dec 5, 2010

 It was a busy weekend topped off by a delicious homecooked meal at the Lees to celebrate Elizabeth's b-day.  JT made a scrumptious potroast.  Cheryl won us all over with the best baked brie ever!  And then we burned off the calories with a competitive and ridiculous game of Guesstures.  Good times.

Who Dey vs. Who Dat!- Dec 5, 2010

So the ultimate match-up between the reigning Superbowl Champion Saints vs. the vying-for-the-first draft-pick Bengals was actually a really close game.  "Who dey" almost triumphed over "Who Dat" on one of the coldest days yet.  Luckily Jess brought handwarmers.

Marian and Dominic's Wedding- Dec 4, 2010

The long-awaited last wedding event of the season finally took place and Marian and Dominic were able to share in their wedded bliss with all their friends and family.  The traditional Chinese tea ceremony and outfits were awesome, but my personal favorite was the photobooth.  Yeah photobooths!

Alphabet Club Thanksgiving- Nov 21, 2010

This was a special med-peds Thanksgiving this year as big Papa, Mark Norris and family (and Ironman) rejoined the festivities.  Dawn hosted and we had a delicious meal complete with all the fixings.  Bess had a particularly delicious pie.

Last day in Paris- Nov 11, 2010

Our last day was cold and rainy, but we made the most of it, making our 2nd trip to the Louvre and visiting Napolean's apartments, blutsering around the Eiffel Tower and enjoying a delicious french dinner.  I had goat cheese, swordfish in a beurre blanc sauce, and a chocolate gateau.  Yum.

Day of Museums- Nov 10, 2010

After our long walk yesterday, we went on almost as long a walk today while hitting up St. Chapelle, the gorgeous chapel of stained glass, the Musee d'Orsay, Le Bon Marche (the first department store in the world with fixed prices) and the Louvre.

Riverboat cruise on La Seine- Nov 9, 2010

After our full day of walking along the cobbled streets of Paris, we decided to take a boat tour along the Seine for a different view of the wonderous riverside sites that the city has to offer.  The Eiffel Tower was particularly awesome with its sparkling light show.

A Historic Walk through Paris- Nov 9, 2010

In front of Notre Dame

There are so many historic sites to see in Paris and we only had 3 usable days in Paris, so we set out for an all day walk starting from our place in Chatelet les Halles and heading to Notre Dame and Pointe zero to the shopping in St. Germaine-de-Pres.  Along, the way we got to see a lot of the historic sites, using all our daylight hours.

The stained glass of
Notre Dame

Left bank used booksellers

Pointe zero- the center of Paris

Holocaust Memorial

The overflowing canals of Venice- Nov 8, 2010

We only  had a little time in Venice, but we made the most of it, cruising around the city in a water bus and slogging through San Marco square in the rain.  At least the Venetians know how to prepare for the rain.  They had wooden platforms set up throughout for people to walk on in case they didn't have rubber boots to their knees. :)