Thursday, December 20, 2018

New York Christmas

Derek, Tatum and I spent Monday and Tuesday in New York City as a part Christmas trip, part early birthday celebration and part tradition as Derek and I usually go but it was Tatum's first time!


We got into town just before lunch time and visited with friends at Derek's old hotel for a bit before walking to lunch - we passed Eric Trump on the street on our way to Nobu.  It wasn't as good as the Malibu location which we love but we enjoyed it and Tatum LOVED the window seat watching the cars go by.

We did a bit of shopping after and had plans to walk over to the Christmas stuff but Tatum fell asleep so we just went back to the hotel to relax.


Tatum got so much loving and attention from the hotel workers and strangers - everyone was so kind! They had a cute stuffed dog waiting for him and he welcomed anyone that would hold him... He was definitely in an NY state of mind.


The three of us went down to the lounge to enjoy a cocktail  before heading out for the night.  Not pictured is Tatum's sippy cup and Micky Mouse Clubhouse on our phones.


The tree area was on our way to dinner so we made a quick stop on our way to watch the Saks light show and Tatum was memorized by it - we loved watching him enjoy.


Dinner was at Tony's DiNapoli - we'd never been but we wanted something family friendly and it was delicious - family style and amazing Italian food.  We met one of our best friends for dinner and had a great time catching up.


After dinner all four of us went back to the tree to enjoy a few festive minutes - there isn't much like it!


The hotel has wood burning fireplaces and it's one of our favorite parts!  We knew with Tatum we'd be back early - although a bit past his bedtime so we planned for a glass of wine, a Christmas movie and enjoying the wonderful fire.


The next morning our plans were to relax!  We got room service and let Tatum run around while we packed up and got ready for the day.


We spent the morning at Bryant Park, back to the main tree in the daylight, visiting the newly reopened FAO Schwartz (which will be better for Tatum next year) and grabbing lunch.  It was much colder on Tuesday so we opted to skip visiting Central Park which we'd planned on.


We grabbed some hot chocolate by the fire and then headed back home to get ready for this fun and festive Christmas week!

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

December Things

We had our fourth annual family Christmas dinner last week - it's always one of the best nights of the season.  We did a bit of Christmas shopping before and the food was delicious.


We had our first sips of Christmas cheer then we kind of forgot about it!  We need to use up this tasty drink while we can.


One of my best times to get Christmas shopping/browsing done this year is from the playroom floor - Tatum gets to play, I get to shop and we're both happy.


Six more sleeps until Christmas... 

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Santa Train Ride

On Sunday we did a Christmas train ride and despite the weather we had a great time!  We enjoyed the one we did last year but this year we tried something new and it was so much better.  We'd love to go back and try it without the rainy weather. 


We got there early so had time to get settled in and wander through the little Christmas setup they had there even though it was a pretty cold and rainy.


Tatum loved the ride!  He loved looking out the window, was excited when Santa came in and was happy listening to the Christmas carolers that came through our train car. 


Monday, December 17, 2018

Christmas Party & Other Weekend Scenes

Happy Monday!  These Christmas weekends seem to continue being full and fun.  Friday night we had our annual neighborhood Christmas party and it was a blast.


We left a good amount of time open on Friday to set up so we wouldn't be rushed and then had a great time eating, drinking and being merry with friends. 


We asked everyone to bring a few things for the local food bank for us to drop off this week and we ended up with a bunch of toys for Christmas and food!  A few of the boys dressed up as Santa and elves so that was also a highlight! 


Saturday was rainy and cold so we had a total lazy, by the fire, Christmas movie day.  It was so relaxing and we all loved it.


Saturday night Penn State was playing in town so we joined my family to watch the game.  It was past Tatum's bedtime but he lasted two periods and slept the whole way home + going right to bed when he got home.  He loved running around the box.


Yesterday we had a morning train ride with Santa - more on that tomorrow but we all enjoyed it despite the terrible weather.


We finished off the weekend last night with a gingerbread making event at our country club with friends.  I "made" Tatum's house for him and he had fun running around with his friends.


It was a great end to a festive weekend - We all got into Bingo, enjoyed the food and being together.  Tatum went straight to bed when we got home!


I can't believe there is only one more weekend until Christmas!