Our Holiday Express

We had a great Christmas at Ma and Gong's house, along with Goo. We spent Saturday morning atthe New York Botanical Garden, where we saw the Holiday Express Train Show. 140 famous New York landmarks (thanks for finding the list, Mama!) constructed of natural materials such as bark, leaves, seeds, and flowers, were surrounded by living plants and, best of all, several running train lines. Bud and Sis were fascinated, mostly with the trains and bridges overhead, while we adults admired the craftsmanship of the various and sundry buildings. Bud and Sis did like Yankee Stadium, about the only NY building they vividly remember. My favorites included the Van Cortlandt Manor, with its little twiggy porch, and Olana, with its amazing architectural detail. There were also several houses I'd never heard of--the Old Stone House, Kings Manor, and several 17th- and 18th-century NY structures. The newest building was a replica of the old Penn Station, a gigantic reproduction of the Beaux-Art building.

Once we'd walked around the train show twice, we headed over to the special Thomas the Tank Engine show, which turned out to be not so special. They were obviously set up for crowds, with lots of space for lines, and not much else. First stop, they write your name on a certificate. Second stop, pictures with Sir Topham Hatt (or not. Kids don't like characters. We won't be going to DisneyWorld anytime soon). Lastly, you got to see Thomas. Thomas himself was a small--half-life sized version, not nearly as impressive as the real working steam engine Thomas that we'd seen at Day Out with Thomas. Even the kids noticed and were underwhelmed. So we took a photo or two and headed to the holiday-themed Gingerbread Adventures, which was fantastic. There were several stations, including a places to grind and experiment with the different ingredients of gingerbread, mainly cloves, cinnamon, wheat, and of course ginger. They even got to plant their own wheat grass. And then we went to a special cookie demo, including another discussion of gingerbread ingredients (during which Sis volunteered several of the answers!) which ended with the kids decorating their own gingersnaps (which then Sis undecorated to eat plain). We made a quick stop at the shop, for postcards and books about the trains, plus some Chocopologie chocolate with rose and also with salted caramel, we snagged at the register.

Off to dim sum we went, Sis's personal (and repeated) request. And boy did she eat! Numerous custard buns and don tot. And she watched: everytime a woman with a pushcart went by, Sis's head would turn almost all the way around as she evaluated the offerings. More than once she asked Gong to find one of her favorites at the stations along one wall. She's got dim sum down. Bud loved the shumai. We think he had 8 of them, which he impaled on a chopstick and ate in the round, as did Sis. Mama was incredulous until Ma said that she head eaten them the exact same way as a child. We ate and ate and ate. Sauteed greens, bacon-wrapped shrimp, tripe with turnips, scallion pancakes, bbq pork buns, noodles with chicken, ha chung or shrimp crepe things (Mama's favorite!), waterchestnut cakes. Then desserts, always my favorite: coconut custard cubes, almond dofu with fruit, green sesame seed paste buns, custard buns, lotus seed paste buns, brown sugar cakes, mango dofu. And I had a pearl tapioca coconut bubble tea! Can you say stuffed to the gills? The kids even fell asleep on the way home, which is unheard of these days.

But not for long because second Christmas beckoned. We had to do a few things before we could open presents, including decorating Ma's tree with piles of Hallmark ornaments, a collection she's been growing for years, and the candy canes we'd brought specifically for that purpose. In Mama's family, all gifts are distributed to the recipients, with a pile growing by each person; then everyone opens kind of simultaneously (well, for the kids anyway). In fact, they usually exchanged all the presents Christmas Eve, staying up until the wee hours of the morning playing with the new toys. Mama remembers just falling asleep amid her loot as she played! Sis received two Barbie dolls and Bud got a humongous remote-controlled car (yes, gender stereotypes are alive and well with the grandparents, but protesting has no effect and so is no longer even attempted. Besides the kids were thrilled. And both Mama and I had Barbies. And nothing as cool as Vet Barbie. And we survived. Neither one of us had such a car and the only downside there is that it will be an outdoor only toy. It's that big). The kids played and played and played ("Yook, Mommy, I got a Swyinky!").

And played and played and played. Then it was dinner (with the Bread Pudding I brought) and Bud was so wiped that he excused himself . . . to go to bed! Sis followed about 15 minutes later. We were shocked. But then they didn't sleep. And played and played and played. At one point, I popped my head in their space (in the living room, which is pretty much its own contained room) and they were both standing up sprinkling torn of tissue "snow" on their critters singing, "Oh, I wish it would snow!" (from the storytelling we heard at the Pequot last week, from Rabbit's Wish for Snow). I thought it was funny and endearing so instead of chastising them, I beckoned everyone else to watch! And they played and played and played. We finally had to insist on their trying to sleep as it got closer to 11:30. It's the latest they've ever stayed up.

And they still woke up at 6:30 a.m. The least amount of sleep they've ever gotten. But then, I guess, that's partly what the holidays are for. Sunday found the adults conferring about our planned trip into midtown to see the Rockefeller Tree and other traditional stops on our holiday tour: Teuscher's Chocolates, the Sak windows, the Cathedral with its creche, and, of course, FAO Schwarz. But the windchill was below zero, with some snow showers expected. That's not just uncomfortable weather; that can be dangerous. So we opted to cancel the field trip and stay home, much to the kids' delight. They played more and then decided they wanted to go outside. They ran Bud's car in the driveway, not noticing the cold that was driving the adults to distraction. Then Sis wanted to walk to the beach. The beach! (Ma and Gong live 9 houses from the Atlantic). And we said yes. So we quickly hauled down the street and walked on the frozen sand--frozen sand!--and looked at all the seashells no one has been picking up (there were lots that had washed onshore, including two huge complete horseshoe crabs). There was neither snow on the sand nor ice in the water, but the wind was bitter. We rushed back home.

And decorated a gingerbread house, complete with tree and people (from another kind of kit, which comes with a special base that the gingerbread fits in--neat idea, really mediocre pre-mixed icing). And then we made the Christmas tree kit that we'd brought, along with lots of extra candy. Everyone had fun decorating what I think was our fourth or fifth set of gingerbread this year (we now have a village, complete with lighthouse, on our front porch! Not including these new ones which we left in NY).

Lunch, more playing, and then exhaustion and more snow arrived. It was time to go home. The kids were bereft and hard to wrangle in the car, even more upset when we dropped Goo off at his house, which sadness made for a long drive home--because Sis didn't sleep (Bud did but woke up crying). No sense dwelling on the goodbyes. There was so much fun--and that's all we're remembering today.

Except when the kids were talking about having been to the beach to their school teachers today, no one believed them!

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Bread Pudding and Rum Sauce

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 ½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

½ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ cup butter, melted

2 ¾ cup whipping cream

4 cups cubed French bread

¾ cups raisins (or less)

Combine first 4 ingredients. Stir in butter and cream. Gently stir in bread and raisins. Pour in lightly greased 2-quart deep dish. Bake 375°F for 50-55 minutes, shielding with foil after 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Southern Living magazine

Bourbon Sauce (we used rum)

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon flour

½ cup sugar

1 cup cream (whipping, heavy, half-and-half)

2 (or 1) tablespoons bourbon

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon nutmeg

Melt butter in a small saucepan; whisk in flour and cook 5 minutes. Stir in sugar and cream; cook 3 minutes. Stir in bourbon, vanilla, and nutmeg, and simmer 5 minutes.

Family Circle