The Macy's Display.
For the last several years, M and I have had the tradition of having a "date" day in the Lost City. (AKA Downtown Minneapolis, but appropriately nicknamed the lost city.)
We typically trek down and visit the Macy's display, have lunch at City Center, shop around and pick a brand new ornament for our tree before heading home.
This year was no different, except for she invited H to come along. So rather than being just her and I, it was the three of us and while I did enjoy myself and both of them did too, I think that next year we'll return to making it a special day just her and I. Perhaps we can have a family visit/trip so that the boys can see too, but there is something about that time I've been able to spend with her in the past that I missed this year.
Another blunder on my part was that we went on November 11th. (Remember I got in the holiday mood early this year.) It opened on the 10th and with M being in all-day school now, there isn't a ton of opportunity to go besides evening and weekend time.
Last year we went a few days prior to Thanksgiving too and enjoyed the no-wait and no-crowds, but November 11th was just a little too early for me. Not even all the stores were ready for Christmas yet and the City Center tree wasn't even up yet.
This year's display is The Nutcracker and as always was a great story that came to life through the auditorium.
H, had a hard time sitting in his stroller, he really, really wanted us to let him loose. We actually went through two times, once with him strapped in the stroller and another time with him holding my hand.
Now that M is reading more it was fun to hear her read some of the sections aloud, or if I read it and inadvertantly skipped a word, she was there to call me on my errors.
Cookie time. Another fun part of the tradition.
Notice anything missing?!? Old news that I hadn't been able to share yet. She's missing a front tooth.
Though their facial expressions may be misleading, we did all have a great time. After our time in Macy's, we shopped around downtown and of course found our perfect ornament before heading home. 
*What are some of your Christmas traditions? I'll be sharing several of mine (and ours) from now through Christmas and would love to know some of yours too...*
5 comments:
Oh how fun!!!
We really haven't set up a good Christmas tradition yet. It has been a work in progress... But yours sounds wonderful!!
Funny you should bring up your Minnesota traditions...we used to go to the same "show" at Dayton's (now Macy's)that you, M and H went to when we visited Wes' folks there. Anne and John have seen many displays, but their favorite was probably Harry Potter.
Anne and I have a tradition of going to see the Nutcracker ballet yearly and even as we speak, she is arranging for our tickets.
As soon as the kids were age 1, I took them to Marshall Field's to select their own yearly ornament, so that once they left home, they would have these to put on their own trees. Some of Anne's selections were particularly funny...she loved the glitzy, glittery shiny ones, and now I'm not so sure they suit her decor. Oh, well.
Holiday traditions are so much fun,
aren't they?
The Holidazzle Parade!
LOVE IT!
your "christmas tradition #1" also reminds me of our family tradition as well. when i was younger my family would head to plymouth every year for either thanksgiving or christmas to be with family. we would always head to the mall to see the "....floor"? What floor is it, I am drawing a blank now. (And didn't it used to be Daytons? I didn't think it was "Fields" But I know that they were all owned by the same company.) Anyway, what great memories that I have from all those years! Glad to see three more kiddos enjoying the memory making experience as well! Merry Christmas to your family!
Wow -- what a great memory.
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