New York New Year's

Mark, Dillon and I spent the remainder of our holiday in Manhattan with my sister (Emma), brother-in-law (John), niece (Evelyn) and nephew (Hyrum). They bought and renovated a new apartment this year. Their new place is downright spacious! Next time I go visit, I may not even have to have my arm twisted.

We really did have an amazing time. Dillon got to spend more time with cousins and meet his Aunt Laurel and Uncle John for the first time.

We didn't have a Christmas tree at our house this year, which was a little sad since it was Dillon's first Christmas. But luckily, Emma and John still had theirs up. And, if you saw our Colorado Christmas post, you know that there was plenty of Christmas tree there as well. Still, I felt guilty, so I took Dillon to Rockefeller Center to see THE big tree.

It was cold and crowded. We took a few pictures, but Dillon didn't really enjoy himself. It certainly wasn't the magical moment I had pictured: my son gazing up in wonder at a sky filled with brightly colored electric lights. I'm still glad we went, though, and the pictures will live on as evidence of my continual efforts to fill my son's life with as much wonder as possible.



In order to salvage a frustrating outing, we stopped at a bar. We took three kids and stroller down a flight of stairs into a bar so that Dillon (and his cousins) could experience a little wonder. Have you ever seen YOUR dad ride a mechanical bull?



We made one final stop, attempting to experience a bit of holiday magic. Evelyn was entranced by the light show. But, as you can see from the picture, Dillon decided on a different brand of magic. It wasn't a total bust, though. That bottle was mixed with hot water obtained, along with a macaroon and some brioche, from a quaint french patisserie. That's festive, yeah?


Speaking of bars and delicious treats, it isn't a trip to New York unless you make a pit stop in a Dylan's Candy Bar. So, like the doting parents we try to be, we took Dillon to Dylan's. Dylan's is a convenient 2 blocks from Emma and John's apartment. I should have known that if I wanted to fill my son with wonderment, all I had to do was take him to a candy store. He ate it up. (Pun absolutely intended.)



Our outing was on New Year's Eve. On New Year's Day, Dillon got to enjoy the swag. I'm feeling a little bit like we may have started a New Year's tradition. We probably won't make it to Dylan's every year, but I'm pretty sure we can find a local candy store that will suit our purposes.









Stay tuned for selections from the Dillon/Hyrum photo shoot, which deserves its own post.