This year we wanted to do an "experience" gift for the family. We decided the Wintergarden's Christmas Traditions around the world and Gingerbread Display (FREE) and then ice-skating in the plaza would be the perfect "experience" this year.
We started the day with the Wintergarden's Gingerbread house display and competition. Schools and orginzations from all over the area submit their gingerbread houses and they are judged and put on display for the Christmas season.
Here are a few of our favorites:
Ryan and Dylan thought this was pretty neat. Hopefully they got lots of good ideas for the gingerbread house they will be making with Grandma this year!
I was extremely proud of Dylan's self control. He did not try to dive through the rope and devour the gingerbread houses!
Then we looked at the display featuring Christmas traditions from around the world. It started with Santa Claus in American and covered, St. Nicholas from Germany, traditions from Haiti and the Ukraine, La Befana from Italy, Grandfather Frost from Russia, and Papai Noel from Portugal (not to mention a few others).
Then we took a break for lunch with some hot delicious fries and juicy burgers at 5 Guys before hitting the plaza's ice skating rink.
My husband decided not to skate since we had brought our nice camera, so it was up to me to take the kids around the rink, which was no small feat! I started out with Ryan and we wobbled quite a bit that first lap. I haven't ice skated since college, so I was pretty rusty. Here we are concentrating and being wall-dwellers.
Then it was Dylan's turn. It was a painfully slow lap, but thankfully I was a little steadier the second time around and did not have to rely on the wall as much.
Then, I bravely took both of them for the rest of the laps. Ryan fell several times but each time he got back up and tried again. Each lap he got steadier and by nightfall, he was out in the middle of the rink and leaving Dylan and I in the dust.
As for Dylan, he was pretty proud of himself. He did his best to take me down a few times, but I managed to stay on my feet. He kept saying things like, "Wow mom! I'm so good at skating!" after nearly taking me down. Good thing he's so humble.
Ryan absolutely loved ice skating.
We had to get off for a few minutes so they could re-surface the ice, and Ryan really enjoyed watching the machine do it's job. He was begging to keep skating but unfortunately we had a few city blocks to walk back to the car.
Maybe if he's really lucky, we'll get him some lessons for his birthday...but I would say our family "experience" gift was quite the hit!
