So as I have already explained the dynamics of our non-vacation vacation, one of the things on our to do list was to go and see the holiday windows at Saks, Macy's and Lord & Taylor. Seeing the windows are one of those things that most New Yorkers usually do not do, like going to the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building.
Before Christmas as I was rushing down into the subway, I breezed by all of the tourists standing in front of and admiring the holiday windows. After I made it past those tourists who become increasingly annoying after 4:30pm when they get in the way of a New Yorker trying to get home, I realized that exactly what they were doing, would be perfect for me and my girls.
I can only imagine how magical these windows must seem to a little girl that still believes that on Christmas Eve, Santa slips down the fireplace to deliver presents while his reindeer wait on the roof. I am always so amazed at how much kids truly believe in Santa Claus.
I mean why wouldn't they I suppose, when everyone tells them that Santa is watching them and they better be good so he will leave them lots of presents. Or in some cases they better be good OR ELSE, those words hanging up there in the air, they will get coal instead of presents. On Christmas morning, Lily wouldn't even look down our staircase towards the Christmas tree until I said that she could, for fear of getting in trouble and having coal for presents. After all she does go to a Catholic school and I think they filled her head with stories about coal and bad behavior.
But the thoughts that run through their heads, that is what fascinates me. That they really do believe that Santa, in one twenty-four hour period manages to drop presents to every child in the entire world. It is so innocent and so beautiful and I want my girls to hold onto that for as long as they possibly can.
I hate to think about when Belle finally catches wind of all the Santa hype and asks me if he is real. Whether she hears it from a kid at school or perhaps the question may just come to her on her own, it will happen and probably soon as she is eight years old. Mind you, eight years old and asking for a mobile phone so she can text her friends, somehow texting and Santa don't seem to go hand in hand. And then I wonder, what on earth am I going to have to promise this child to get her to keep it a secret from her sister?
I had two older sisters so I learned from an early age that there was no Santa Claus. I am not even sure what the age is these days that they start to wonder, but Drew and I hope that day never comes as it is the only night that we could do practically anything we wanted. Anything we wanted at all, without the fear of the girls getting out of bed and coming into our room to ask just ONE last question or to tell us they love us just ONE last time.
So we put them to bed with our hushed voices whispering to them about how Santa will fly right over our house and miss dropping their presents if they don't get into bed because Santa doesn't drop gifts into houses where the children are still awake.
You should see how quickly they dive into those beds of theirs. They get into their beds and those little feet don't touch the floor until the next morning.
The power of Christmas people, it doesn't get any better than that.
**************************************************************************************************************************
Below are the pictures of our Holiday window stroll through Manhattan. The best windows by far were Saks Fifth Avenue and most of the pictures below are from there. Each photo would have been better served had I made it larger, but I felt it would have just been too much all at once. They were truly beautiful and I hope you enjoy them in the off chance that you also didn't stroll through Manhattan during the holidays to see them for yourselves.
UPDATE: I apologize that these pictures are laid out in such a sloppy haphazard way. It doesn't look the way it does to you, when I look at it. I suppose I could fix it but it would take more time then I have at the moment, so if you promise to try to look past this ridiculous layout and enjoy the pictures, I promise to try harder to follow the proper wrapping rules next time.
The pictures that have a glare where you can see people walking by in the background were the Macy's window. I didn't get the hang of taking pictures through the glass until we reached Saks.
