Chanukah, Hanuka, Hannukah, Januca

Chanukah, Hanuka, Hannukah, Januca. However you transliterate it, it's been a blast. This year, Chanukah has coincided with everyone's winter break. We have made the most of this happy confluence of holiday and break.

The weather hasn't been too cooperative. The first week of the break was snowy, icy, and bitterly cold. My husband, the rough and rugged Minnesotan, took the kids sledding with a friend. It wasn't hard to pick out the native Texans on the slopes.

The biggest part of winter break so far, has been the Chanukah celebrations. Our Chanukah was filled with latkes (fried potato pancakes), sufganiyot (fried jelly donuts), chiles rellenos (fried Poblano peppers with cheese filling), all the traditional and semi-traditional foods of the holiday.

It will be followed by weeks of dieting.

Of course, foods aren't the only Chanukah traditions in this country. We lit Chanukiyot,

and more Chanukiyot. We have amassed a collection of homemade Chanukiyot to rival the Smithsonian folk art collection in beauty and volume.

We sang lots of Chanukah songs, and opened presents,

more presents,

and even more presents.

If I may say so, my kids made out like bandits this year. Between my mother-in-law, my parents, Tia Mirth's family, and a highly indulgent daddy, we've spoiled them rotten. The biggest indulgence was a Nintendo DS for the big boy to ameliorate the two hour bus ride each day. For once, "all the other kids have one" worked on my hubby.

The baby got a "play station" of her own. Hopefully, with her own art desk, she won't be tempted to draw on the furniture anymore.

The best gifts were the homemade ones.

We celebrated each night with candlelighting and opening presents, but on the fifth night we had a Fiesta de Januca with our friends. I whipped up a feast of enchiladas, chiles rellenos, tortilla soup, guacamole, and salsas. I made flan and tres leches cake for dessert. One friend brought sangria. Clearly, the children weren't the only ones being indulged this holiday season.

Of all our indulgences, the best is yet to come. Today we set out for a family vacation in the Wisconsin Dells. It will only be a brief vacation, but I am looking forward to four days of not setting foot in a kitchen, daily activities for the children planned by someone else, and time to finally read the book (Satanic Verses) that has been collecting dust on my bedside table.

In another week, we'll be back to our normal routines, only more relaxed, and a few pounds heavier.