A Family United: The Holidays--Christmas & New Year

Chloe (looking the part) and Oliver in Texas.

Happy New Year!! We rang in the New Year with our friends, Bryan and Sue, just across the Hudson in Jersey City. Chloe got to see the NYC fireworks and stay up late. She thought she was so BIG.

We returned from Dallas on Saturday afternoon, celebrated NYE and relaxed on Sunday. We took down all the decorations, washed clothes and played with all the new toys. Matt and I attended the Giants vs. Cowboys game at the Meadowlands on Sunday evening in the rain. We cheered for the Cowboys though it didn’t seem to help.

Matt at the football game---in the rain.

Monday was our last day of the holiday break and it led to the discovery that we needed a new dryer. The heating element seems to be shot on our old one and it doesn’t make any sense to spend hundreds of dollars on fixing it so our new one arrives on Wednesday. The delivery guys are just going to love removing the old dryer and installing the new one in the basement. It’s a tight fit.

We had a nice 10-day break in Dallas and the kids had lots of fun. Matt and I got to spend some time alone, dining out and going to the movies. We also got to spend time on Christmas with Matt’s brother, Rob, our sister-in-law, Ashley, and our two nieces and nephew.

Oliver and his cousin, Harrison, in Harrison's police car.

Chloe having fun with her two cousins.

The kids visited Santa on Christmas Eve. Oliver did well until he saw Santa and then he tried to kick him. Luckily Santa didn’t put him on the “Naughty List” but let him have a pass at sitting on his lap. Chloe had her photo made with the Big Guy. He was a pretty authentic looking Santa and even cynical Chloe who informed me that morning that “Santas at shopping malls aren’t the real Santa. How could one guy be at stores all over the country? He doesn’t have time for that.” was almost convinced he was the real deal.

Chloe also got to go go-karting with Matt, Deanna and John. I think all four kids had fun.

Chloe heading out onto the track.

Matt on the kart track.

Both Chloe and Oliver enjoyed seeing Shakey again. Thankfully, Oliver has learned that Shakey is Aunt Deanna & Uncle John’s dog and this time we don’t get asked 14 times a day, “Where’d Shakey go?”.

When in Dallas, you do as most Dallasites do…you shop and dine out. Matt and I ate at the restaurant where we had our first date, we also ate BBQ, Ethiopian food, and frequented the many eateries that we miss not having in the northeast. Dallas may not have the gourmet line-up like NYC, but it does have the family-friendly variety in abundance.

John, enjoying a rib at Rudy's BBQ.

We also visited the myriad of shopping malls and stores Dallas boasts. Yes, we have lots of shopping in our area, but there are a few stores that we don’t have in our area and some that we do but we had to visit because of the after-Christmas sales.

The weather in Dallas was cool but it warmed up as we left and Chloe was convinced it was short-wearing weather. Problem was, she didn’t have any shorts. In stepped BeBe to resolve the problem. Of course, once she had her new basketball shorts, she needed new hightops too.

We also visited PaPaw's farm and the kids got to spend lots of time outdoors.