Happy New Year!

Hello! How are you? I missed this funny, smart community, and I’m excited to catch up. We have some fun posts planned this month, and in the meantime, here are a few snapshots from the break, if you’d like to see…

We hosted Christmas in Brooklyn this year — with the boys and me, of course, plus my dad, my aunt Lulu, and our cousin Jimmy. We lit a lot of candles and ate a lot of yummy things. (“I’m low-key addicted to mandarins,” Toby told me.)

Our first adventure for the holidays is always driving to see the lights in the Dyker Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. Can you imagine moving there in the summer and suddenly realizing what a Christmas scene it becomes? People sell hot chocolate out of their garages, and Bing Crosby blasts from car radios.

When our relatives arrived from England, we were so excited!

Jimmy and Anton were already twinning without planning it…

And Lulu immediately set about making carrot soup. The more things change, the more they stay the same. xoxo

We took walks to the Brooklyn Promenade…

..and stopped by Jane’s Carousel and the nearby ice-skating rink…

…and admired the views from The Edge in Manhattan.

On Christmas Eve, we went to church and ate lots of stinky cheese.

By the way, how cool is this olive tray? It was my Christmas gift to myself :) I can’t remember the substack design newsletter where I originally discovered it, but I’ll let you know if I find it!

On Christmas morning, the boys opened their stockings. Here’s 12-year-old Anton’s haul. I loved how his wishlist reflected his in-between age — with items like a scented-pen (kid) and pimple patches (teenager).

Plus, of course, a 12-pack of Dr. Pepper.

We had a gathering on Christmas Day, since, I find, kids are usually jittery from all the excitement by the afternoon, and it’s nice to have friends over to soak up that energy.

Also, although long-time readers may find it hard to believe, I’ve actually been enjoying cooking. One crowd-pleasing dinner for the group was this easy cheesy beans dish. I added more onion for crunch and more crushed red pepper for heat.

The Kalanithi parents; lunch at Hook Fish.

Afterward, my dad and I headed to San Francisco to see my sister, her daughter, and her in-laws.

We crashed at my friend Lena’s beautiful home, since she and her family were out of town. (They’re going to stay at our place in the summer, like a non-simultaneous house swap.) And that cool word art? “When my son Eli was learning handwriting, he started making large letters on single sheets of construction paper,” she explains. “I took my favorites and tiled them in a huge plexiglass frame I bought off Craigslist.”

As always, on New Year’s Eve, we visited Paul’s grave. We poured out Champagne for him, and the kids toasted with Martinelli’s.

Hope you had a good break and got some rest and relaxation! And if not, that’s okay, too. As they say, everyone you meet is fighting a battle. Lots of love, as always, and looking forward to a wonderful 2026 together. xoxo

P.S. 11 readers share their happy moments, and what are you grateful for, large or small?