who dominic is at 5 years

I’m at a point in my life where I find it increasingly hard to believe that the baby of my family is turning five (this Sunday). He will head to kindergarten next fall... I mean what is that!? We no longer have a diaper bag or are required in the bathroom (mostly). Our children are far more self sufficient than we give them credit for. So while I mourn the loss of babyhood I do love the perks. The silver linings. My kids can get themselves dressed and fed and help out around the house? What is this???

a sunday full of festive fun!

So I am historically very busy the month of December. Like you want to get together with us I will probably tell you how about January? So that's why I have the advent calendar thing! To be sure we don't miss any of the little Christmas activities that somehow in my mind I deem worthy. But then enter this year and every day when the kids look at the calendar and want to know today's activity Matt or I just say.... no time!! None! Between tutoring, basketball, Cub Scouts, church, Girl Scouts and then the three birthdays that fall this month well.... things can't happen as to the advent calendar plan. However.... this past Sunday we had a free afternoon so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to play a bit of catch up on said advent calendar activities! 

Starting with making a paper garland...Which of course our playroom just needed. And an orange garland that I just needed. Then the kids wrote letters to Santa (I find it the most adorable what they deem fit to add to their cards). I had on my festive get lit shirt. The kids read The Christmas Story and made Reindeer Food....And then we started in on a few cookies... We made a list of what we wanted to make this holiday season and got two of them done, the candy cane cookies and the buckeye balls. A day at a time people, a day at a time!

we went to the big city and saw the big tree!

After the show we went to get ourselves some dinner. Or, the early bird special. This may surprise many of you but I didn't even think about getting a reservation until like, two days before the trip. And that turned out to be sort of hard to do with a party of seven. My sister and I found a few good options but nothing really hit all the marks. So we decided to go to 5 Napkin Burger in Hell's Kitchen. Because I love me a good burger and there was a kid's menu and good reviews and reasonably priced. But we had to get there by 3:30. So we sort of high tailed it out of the show and over there. I was not disappointed I mean that burger was banging. 

we went to the big city and we saw the rockettes!

Once we arrived in New York we got ourselves above ground of course... We headed through Times Square on our way to The Show... even catching a glimpse of the ball for New Year's Eve! We wanted to get a quick bite to eat before the show so we just popped in to Chick-fil-a.... and then we went right to Radio City Music Hall. Our tickets were checked, our bags were checked, the bathrooms were visited (such fun retro bathrooms right? Although they need more of them, desperately) and then we got settled in in our mezzanine seats. There were six seats directly by the balcony railing so we got them and then my mom was right behind us. We thought this would be best so the girls would have an unobstructed view. Which of course, they did. I got some wine and some popcorn and we were ready! 

we went to the big city and we took a train!

This past Saturday myself and Letty, along with the women in our family (minus Audrey, because: too young) all headed to New York City to see, among other things, The Rockette's Christmas Spectacular! My parents treated us all to this day and we have all been looking forward to it for months and months! And it finally came! Thankfully the weather was good and everyone was healthy! One just never knows during flu season am I right? He splurged and got us all train tickets so all we had to do was drive 20 minutes to the train station and then just sit and put our feet up for the next three hours, only to disembark in Penn Station!