Lights in the Park

On the Friday before Christmas, we took the boys to Phalen Park to drive through the holiday lights display, it was on my list this year as I’ve been sort of on the look-out for easy, low-key, low-stress activities to do as a family over the holidays.  So nice to do something that doesn’t involve prepping or packing or planning.  We took baths and had dinner at home, even baked some cookies, then got the boys all loaded up in the car in their matching polar bear jammies and headed off. Before we left Gus asked me, incredulous, of we were really leaving in our PAJAMAS?! Coming from a kid who would stay in his pajamas all day if he could and often begs me to let him wear his Spider-man pajamas to daycare, this was an unexpected treat. 

We stopped on the way for some cinnamon spice tea (newest obsession), and then were our way across the city.  Once we had made it into the park I unbuckled the boys and told them they could come sit up on our laps, something that seemed to surprise and unsettle them both, despite the fact that they were prepped in advance that this was part of the deal.  It was like they didn’t think I was serious, and then when it was happening… they looked at me like FOR REALZ MOM?

 

They took turns on each of our laps and just oohed and ahhhed and exclaimed over each display we passed.  Louie was timid at first but very interested and discussed at length every single thing he saw.  Called one of the displays (a town scene) “The Lorax”, which made us giggle, and the whole experience was as magical and sparkly and cozy and delightful as I had hoped.  

It was really nice to have this quiet, special night, where it was just the four of us, with the wonderful craziness and over-stimulation of the actual Christmas holiday looming. I’d say it was practically a spiritual experience in that minivan on that very cold night.  Well... as close to spiritual in a minivan gets.