Monthly Archives: December 2019

On the Fourth Day of Christmas, My Daughter Gave to Me… A Nostalgic Moment Meeting Santa Claus

By

On the Fourth Day of Christmas, My Daughter Gave to Me… A Nostalgic Moment Meeting Santa Claus.

“Look, Mommy! There’s no line. We picked the perfect time to come!” my daughter exclaimed. The lines, oftentimes are wrapped around the corner, so Willow Grove Mall, where we’ve been going since Quinn was a baby, even offers an RSVP fast past feature. To bypass the hectic crowds and the fee for the fast pass, I decided that we’d go when Quinn had off during parent teach conferences. It wasn’t even Thanksgiving yet, but we were both excited to see the one and only: Santa Claus!

First, we took a picture on the sled with a beautiful background, and before seeing Santa, we talked about the importance of not just saying what she wants but actually asking Santa how he’s doing and making small talk if there’s time. After we took our picture and Santa was ready to greet her, she turned to me, “Come on! Aren’t you coming too, Mommy!?” If only she knew how much my heart truly smiled as I happily plopped down next to Santa with her ready to take a picture. I was taken back to when I was a little girl experiencing the magical moments of Christmas.

Since there wasn’t a line, Quinn was able to chat with hi for a bit before we headed on our way. I was impressed with how articulate she was because at her age I would have been absolutely starstruck and might have fumbled for the right words, or like Ralph from “The Christmas Story,” I would have blanked out on what I wanted for Christmas.

Today, I don’t have a big list, but something that’s been on my list since my daughter was born is to see the joy on her face that comes around during this time of the year. When we saw Santa, I got a glimpse of it, and it made my day.

All the best,

Tanya

On the Third Day of Christmas, My Daughter Gave to Me…Fun Times with Santa on the Christmas Train

By
1417000572385|David Woodall/2822~TREG

On the Third Day of Christmas, My Daughter Gave to Me…Fun Times with Santa on the Christmas Train!

If you live near Ronks, PA or are willing to drive, Strasburg Railroad is a must-do attraction for the family. For the past few years, my family has made the hour and a half trek for some memorable holiday moments. Though it it’s a totally different experience than my six year old had riding the regional rail train into the city for the first time last week, it’s definitely something we all look forward to, and this year was no different.

They have train rides with Santa, train rides to select your own Christmas tree and train rides for “The Night Before Christmas” where children are even encouraged to wear their pajamas. We always opt for the train ride where we get greeted Santa as we check out the local sites on the steam locomotive. This year, the weather was perfect: not to warm and not too cold. We were able to dine at then railroad restaurant, went to the shops and did some of the activities before our train departed.

Quinn loves getting a seat next to the window to take in the sites during our 45 minute train ride, but all eyes were on Santa as he made his way up the aisle stopping for pictures and giving each child a Strasburg Railroad ornament gift. I too was eager to take our annual train ride photo with Santa. There’s just something so magical about that train ride. I truly do love this tine of year as we enjoy each other’s company.

All the best,

Tanya

On the Second Day of Christmas, My Daughter Gave to Me…A Gorgeously Decorated Christmas Tree

By

On the Second Day of Christmas, My Daughter Gave to Me…A Gorgeously Decorated Christmas Tree…

“Fluffy already looks good, but she’s going to look fabulous once she’s all decorated,” my six year old informed me. Fluffy is not our pet cat or dog but our Christmas tree who got its inspired, allegorical name from my daughter. Every few years, we change the theme or color scheme of our ornaments, but this year, we both decided to keep purple, pink and blue (well more of a turquoise) because it reflects both of our favorite colors.

Though we already had plenty of ornaments we purchased last year, we went to Michael’s and got a few more for our tall tree to make it even better. Once the day came to decorate, I took care of putting in the lights, and Quinn did a good amount of hanging the ornaments with my assistance. She made it clear that she wanted to hang the ones that looked like sweet treats, such as donuts, lollipops and popsicles and that she wanted to hang the different birds and “special” ornaments too. I remember being excited to hang ornaments when I was younger, and I still am because I get to do it with my daughter and create special memories with her.

We’re both pleased with our tree that not only provides happiness but a feeling of accomplishments we admire its gorgeous ornaments.

All the best,

Tanya

On the First Day of Christmas, My Daughter Gave to Me…a Ginormous Christmas Tree!!!

By

On the First Day of Christmas, My Daughter Gave to Me…a Ginormous Christmas Tree!!!

“You two are out of control! Each year it gets bigger and bigger,” my husband said, as my daughter and I went up and down the aisles looking for the perfect tree. He’s right though. When Quinn was a baby, the tree was maybe six feet. This year, it’s eight feet. “But daddy, it needs to be bigger than last year’s tree so that we can have even more ornaments,” she told him.

Upon getting the tree home, for the first time, carrying it in the house was a two person job with Quinn assisting by holding the door open and directing us towards the tree stand. Once we got it in place, my husband shook his head as the top of the tree scraped the ceiling.  My daughter and I both smiled at our new tree eager to decorate it.

Keeping with tradition, we named our tree as a part of our family. We’ve had BG, short for Big Green, BGJ, short for Big Green junior and BG3, short for Big Green the third. Heavenly Brownie! Last year, she picked Gerald. This year, Quinn names our tree Fluffy to fit its appearance.

Here’s to fond memories with our 2019 Christmas tree: Fluffy!

All the best,

Tanya

Life Lessons: The Big Monopoly on Fun & Games

By

The other day, I overheard someone saying that “Monopoly” is one of the worst board games ever. I responded jokingly, “How dare you!? That’s one of my all-time favorite games!” “It’s just too long of a game,” the person replied. I said, “But that’s the whole point. It’s just like life and is all about strategizing.”I used to play Monopoly for hours with my sister and brother. Luckily, my six year old feels the same way as me and can’t get enough of Monopoly Junior. I asked her what she likes about the game, and Quinn said, “I like buying properties and collecting rent, but I have to be smart so that I don’t run out of money paying other people rent.” What great life lesson some adults are still learning!

One time when we were shopping we saw an LOL version, and she asked me how many different Monopoly games are there. After doing a quick search, I was amazed to find out that there are 1,144 different versions! There’s a Fortnite version, Stranger Things, a Pizza version, Cheaters edition, the classic version, and the list goes on and on. Who says video games and electronic devices have the monopoly on fun? Some kids do like good old fashioned board games. It’s a great way to have family time, talk, sharpen those critical thinking skills and to address the importance of not being a sore loser or an overly gloating winner for both the kids and the adults.

All the best,

Tanya