Did you all have a good Christmas and New Years? I hope it was filled with lots of love and laughter. Ours on the other hand was filled with a bit more illness that I expected. A few days before Christmas Isla got sick and was like that for about 5 days. She seemed to rally for actual Christmas day but the day after she napped in my arms mostly. Also, the day after that I got what she had! It was the worst head cold I have ever experienced and I don’t recommend getting it. I was very thankful my husband was able to work from home and take care of all of us.
Isla rallying on Christmas!
Being pregnant and getting sick definitely do not mix. I am bummed it happened during the Christmas season. We missed out on a few of our usual Christmas traditions. Luckily, my husband was able to take the kids to a few of the sights on his own. Sometimes our bodies will just not agree with what we desire.
Santa’s elves were busy!Christmas lights at the market
As we begin this new year we are busy preparing for the new baby. We are a bit behind due to all the illness to hit our household so it just means we will have to work extra hard. Hopefully my body agrees! We are going through every closet and really hoping to downsize a lot of the stuff that has just sat in boxes for years. We have only done a little so far but it feels so good to not be hampered down by stuff. Also, if we do sell our house after the baby is born it will hopefully take some of the stress away.
I hope this will be a new leaf we turn over in organization. It always amazes me that we got to this point and only after 2 kids and another on the way are we finally addressing it!
How was your Christmas? What are your goals for the new year?
For me this Christmas season has flown by! I am pretty sure it was just summer. I hope you are all able to spend quality time with your family. One of my favorite parts is watching my kids open their gifts. We don’t get them much but their face of absolute pleasure is the best gift of all. Having a preschooler changes the dynamic of Christmas. It fills it with more magic and wonder. I think I recapture a little of my adolescence by seeing it through Wellington’s eyes. What is your favorite part of the Christmas season?
Putting the star on our tree
They grow up so fast so I hope you all are able to slow down and capture some of these precious moments!
Have a very Merry Christmas filled with lots of love and laughter, from my family to yours!
Celebrating our first Christmas with Wellington three years ago has made me appreciate this time all over again. There is nothing like seeing this holiday through the eyes of a child to realize the wonder of it all. Since becoming a family it has always been important to me that we have and establish our own traditions. I want this holiday to be very little about the gifts and more about the time we spend as together partaking in the holiday.
On that note we have certain things that we do every year in our great city as a family. Here are a few that we have done consistently through the years and of last year we added some to the list.
1. Gingerbread Village at the Sheraton. We started this one last year. The amazing feats of art they are able to build with gingerbread is mind blowing. I am always amazed at the talent and artistry that goes into it. There is a bit of a line but if you don’t care about seeing it right up close you can circle it and get a good idea of what it looks like without waiting. However, it is worth the wait. Wellington appreciated it so much more this year, even if he did want to eat the gingerbread. Isla was a bit restless, and my husband had to stop her a few times from running up and grabbing the display!
The city of Seattle made out of GingerbreadWells and the Gingerbread display
2. The Seattle Center. We go here spspecifically for the huge train exhibit. It is free and could be where our son found his love for trains since we have been going every year since he was six months old. This one could take a while as they usually don’t want to leave. Also, in the area are ice sculptures and ice skating.
Boys and their trains at the Seattle Center
3. Candy Cane Lane in Bellevue. This one is outside of Seattle but is worth the drive. We have been going even before Wells was born. It is a free show that takes place nightly at 7pm with dancers, marching band, and ends with fake snow. If this doesn’t put you in the Christmas spirit then you really are a Scrooge. Wells appreciated it so much last year and it is worth staying up late and battling traffic. I suggest getting there early for a good spot.
Wells and daddy at Snowflake Lane in Bellevue
4. Bellevue Botanical Gardens. They do a light display called Garden d’Lights every year. There are several free nights so I would suggest going during one of those and getting there early. We usually try to do this before we head to Candy Cane Lane. The kids love the lights and they do a great job of having every space filled with lights.
5. Christmas lights. Last year we started this tradition of driving around to see the Christmas lights. There is a Candy Cane Lane by the University but West Seattle had our favorite with intricate displays sometimes set to music. Wells said his first complicated sentence there last year “the snowman is waving to Beanie in the car.”
Light display in West Seattle
6. Teddy Bear Suite at the Olympic Fairmont. Last year was our first year doing this and Wells wasn’t that into teddy bears. However, this year will be really different. He has turned a corner and is much more into teddy bears so I think he will really enjoy it. It is a nice little stop downtown. We stopped in the morning and it wasn’t busy.
7. Pike Place Market. It is definitely worth visiting here during the Christmas season. I would suggest coming later in the day so you can see it lit up with all of the Christmas lights. It has a very festive feeling this time of year.
These are a few of our favorite things to do around Seattle during the holidays. It is fun to go out and explore your city during such a magical time of year. What does your city have during the holidays?
