Santa was happy to see both Quinn and our toy poodle Zack for furry friends Monday at Willow Grove Mall.
While I’m always eager to see Santa, the excitement has diminished some for Quinn as she gets older, but she still takes pleasure in the moment, especially as Zack wags his tail, quickly moving to get to Santa for our family picture.
All the best,
Tanya
Since Quinn was four years old, one of our holiday traditions is going to Walnut Street Theatre to see a play for the holiday season. This year, it was A Christmas Story the Musical. Though my husband and I took my nephew to see it years ago when he was a little boy, it was like seeing it for the first time with my 12 year old daughter. We both loved how they brought the classic movie to the big stage with fun musical numbers.
As a special treat after the show, I treated Quinn to dinner at Barra Rosa, a lovely Italian restaurant, and we had such a lovely time together talking and enjoying our food. ☺️ I’m so grateful for this tradition and the strengthening our our mother and daughter bond.
All the best,
Tanya
I love that Quinn is crafty like me. She eagerly helped me make some new outdoor candy decorations to enhance our winter candy land.
While seeing the “candies” of our labor is rewarding, sharing this moment with Quinn is priceless.
All the best,
Tanya
Each year, we look forward to the Philadelphia Zoo’s Luminature event. What made this time even more special was their “Pherris Wheel” addition making it a memorable moment.
All the best,
Tanya
Lola, our Elf on the Shelf, is still visiting our home 12 years later, and Quinn still takes pleasure in finding her.
Though this tradition is slowly fading as Quinn approaches her teenage years, it’s nice to have Lola around to spread Christmas cheer!
All the best,
Tanya
Like most tweens, Quinn loves all things involving pampering, so this year I got her an Ulta twelve days of Christmas gift set which she loves.
There’s lip gloss, lotion, face mask, scrubs, you name it! Where were these gifts when I was her age?
All the best,
Tanya
12 Days of Christmas: Day 3: There’s something sweet and magical about decorating a Christmas tree with my mini me.
We have a lot of fun, give each other suggestions on where ornaments should go and love standing back and admiring our work! 😋🍩🍪🧁🎄
All the best,
Tanya
For four years before my daughter’s birth, I’ve been hosting a holiday party for my family and friends. Each year, the guest list increases a little, there’s a few more treats, and my twelve year old contributes a bit more.
While we’ve made cookies together in the past, Quinn baked the chocolate chip and Christmas M & M cookies from start to finish, and they were deliciously made with love and a festive spirit.
All the best,
Tanya
What a beautiful coincidence that today is the 13th of December and the thirteenth day of celebrating Christmas with my daughter. Though she jokingly calls me “Nostalgia” from the Inside Out movie for often talking about previous years, I love reminiscing about memories including her, especially the Christmas past.
All the best,
Tanya
Yesterday was my twelve year old’s winter orchestra concert, and though it’s been less than a year since her spring concert in sixth grade, the improvement of the entire orchestra was noticeable. Not just the way they sounded, but their posture and overall performance demonstrated how much they all have matured.
I don’t know if it’s because many of them are or will soon be teens, but witnessing this makes me want to “queue” the violins as I reminisce about when Quinn first began playing the violin nearly four years ago.
It was a lovely concert, and I’m looking forward to seeing what they do in the spring.
All the best,
Tanya
Mommy's Baby Steps 