killing two birds with one precious stone

A few weeks ago one of the prongs on my wedding ring broke, so I took it in to get repaired. The jewelry shop that accepted the insurance we have on the ring is located on 34th Street in Manhattan, right across the street from Macy's. Since it can be such a hassle, I don't like making more trips into the city than are necessary, so I thought that, once my ring was fixed and ready to be picked up, we'd take advantage of our proximity and visit Santa. That day was yesterday, and because it was a Saturday and Blake was able to join us, we were also able to cram in a few more of our city Christmas traditions while we were there. Two birds with one precious stone, as it were.

Because the crowds can be so notoriously overwhelming, Santaland is a place I typically try to avoid on a Saturday, but the timing this year worked out such that, if we wanted to see Santa, that's when our visit had to happen. The line was indeed deceptively long, winding in and around the corridors of the department store's administrative offices, but thankfully it moved surprisingly quickly -- I wouldn't have believed it when I first stood at the end of the line, but it only took us 1 1/2 hours to reach Santa. (Yes, I realize that that is still a ridiculous amount of time to wait for a 3 minute sit on Kris Kringle's lap, but this is New York City; everything here is larger than life, including a visit with "the man himself.") The boys were just as surprisingly well behaved during the long wait, which got considerably more enjoyable once the line exited the unadorned back corridors and started winding instead through the cheerfully decorated "North Pole."

The happiest baby on the line.

 Proof that the line was worth the wait.

When it was finally our turn, all three boys sat willingly, and without any tears, on Santa's lap. Garrett asked for a watch and Caleb asked for a bell. Santa's helper-in-residence is going to have to act quick if those dreams will be fulfilled this year...

Afterwards we picked up my ring (oh, it feels so good to have it back where it belongs!), then stopped for a quick lunch, and then, before the magic of the morning could wear off, met up with our friend Cliff and his son, Isaac, for a walk down 5th Avenue to look at the Christmas windows. We peeked at Bergdorf Goodman, Tiffany's (both perennial favorites), and Sak's before heading over to Rockefeller Center to see the tree. Because the effort required to not lose three small, curious children on extremely crowded New York City streets is so enormous, I wasn't able to snap many pictures on this portion of our excursion. But I promise we were there, and that the windows were as amazing and elegant as we expected them to be.

Tiffany and Co: Where fine jewelery looks best draped on a chaise longue.

It really is as big as it seems on TV.

We found these oversized tree ornaments next to a string of gigantic Christmas lights displayed on 6th Avenue. I can't help but wonder if they were actually meant to be strung on the Rockefeller tree a block away.

We capped the day off with a drive through the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights on our way to our ward Christmas activity, which this year was in the form of a lovely musical fireside. The entire day was fun and full of tradition, but judging by the congested and sleepless nights of more than a few in this household, I think perhaps we packed in a little too much. Today has been spent at home recovering both from the outing and a handful of head colds. After the way our lives have been lived lately, a day of rest was not only desired but desperately needed.