Our Radio City CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR Family Tradition… (plus Pajamas and a Photo!)
Nine years ago, Audrey and Matt were living and working in New York City. They found this life exciting and exhilarating in… well, you know… the City that never sleeps. Audrey worked at Donna Karan, and with that job came some perks. One such perk were tickets that people had-but-could-not-use-on-any-particular-night-and-therefore-were-given-away. Audrey was the recipient of some of these tickets, and one such little-surprise-set-of-4-tickets were pretty good seats to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.
That was Christmas Season 2003.
Barry and I headed into the City on that Friday night in December ’03… and that one evening would begin a family tradition that we have come to cherish. Cherish. As Barry and I enjoyed the Christmas Spectacular, we kept whispering about how the grandchildren would love this magnificent show. Back then, in ’03, we had 3 grandchildren. Taylor was almost 3. Maddie was 2 1/2 and Andrew had just turned 1. Aimee was just this teeny much pregnant with Jake, Audrey and Matt were just beginning to talk about babies, and Janie was finishing up her senior year at Brown University.
Flash forward one year. Christmas 2004. Our entire Rhode Island family headed to join Audrey and Matt in the City for our first Family Christmas Spectacular. I had purchased, and monogrammed with their names and the year 2004, matching pajamas for our by then 5 grandchildren… Jake had arrived in June and William had arrived in September (I guess Audrey and Matt had really been doing more than talking about babies!).
A Family Tradition began; well, actually 2 Family Traditions began – Matching Monogrammed Pajamas and The Christmas Spectacular each Christmas season since. That would be 9 seasons with now 9 grandkids!
Each year since, with new little grandchildren additions, Barry and I have continued the Pajama Tradition on the day we all head together to the Christmas Spectacular…
As I write this post and post the photos, my heart soars and I can’t help smiling! I can feel the excitement as I remember each year with each photo op. I can hear the kids giggling with delight. I can see the changes right before my very eyes!
I’ve had people ask me, “How long do you think you’ll get the kids to wear matching pajamas?”
I have that taken care of, thank you very much. My answer to anyone, including my grandkids, is simple: “Forever!” (And the grandkids giggle some more.)
I love our Pajama Tradition. I love our Christmas Spectacular Tradition. And I love our Christmas Photo Tradition… which I’m thinking is certainly Family Tradition #3!
… and, by the way, our Photo Op always ends up something like this:
Traditions = Memories.
I love it!
What a great story of your wonderful traditions. I am just amazed at your dedication to these traditions. And how do you find matching p.j’s in all sizes? I think it would be neat if all kids keep all the p.j’s and some day they could have a quilt made for each.
Aw this post made my eyes tear up. They have grown from those teeny tiny babies into silly, adorable children. I love it! Although it reminds me of how quickly my own children are going to grow, which is bittersweet. Do you do Christmas photo cards each year with the picture?