Holiday Happenings in the D

If you're looking for something festive to do in the Metro Detroit area this holiday season, you definitely have a lot of fun choices available! Here's a little sampling, although I'm sure there are many more. Please share if you know of a holiday event in the area that isn't listed here!

• Crossroads Village & Huckleberry Railroad  Crossroads Village is a historical museum, kind of like Greenfield Village, but on a smaller scale. For the holidays, everything is decked out in Christmas lights. Don't miss the train ride! Kids can visit Santa and a lot more. Located in Flint, Crossroads Village is only about 12 miles from Birch Run. That could mean a perfect opportunity to get a little shopping done too! We went last weekend and had a wonderful time! Look for a separate blog post coming up soon. What you need to know: Christmas in the Village dates and times: November 30, December 1-2, 7-9, 14-16, 19-23, & 26-30; 4:00-9:30 PM. Train departures: 5:00, 5:50, 6:40, 7:30, and sometimes (if needed) 8:20, 9:10, and 10:00 PM. Additionally, Mondays in December plus Christmas Eve, the Village is open for drive-thru only, to see all the beautiful lights, from 5:00-9:00 PM, at a rate of $5 per vehicle (no buses). Village/Train Combo tickets: range from $10-13 (2 & under are FREE). Village only admission available, but you really don't want to visit during the holidays without riding the train!
• Noel Night The other night, Chris's cousin mentioned she and her family were going downtown for Noel Night this weekend, and it sounded really cool so I came home and looked it up. I was so surprised when I found that this is the 40th year and I had never even heard of it! Here's the scoop, as far as I understand it. Taking place in Detroit's Midtown Cultural Center, Noel Night is a sort of giant holiday open house and extravaganza. Places like the DIA, the Detroit Historical Center, and the Michigan Science Center open their doors for FREE, with Santa visits all around. The streets are filled with family holiday craft activities, Christmas sing-a-longs, performances, and horse and carriage rides. How fun does this sound?? I was working on Chris to go, but unfortunately Bethany has a foot injury and I don't think walking around downtown for hours would help. What you need to know: Noel night is happening this Saturday, December 1st, from 5:00-9:30 PM. Most activities will be between Cass and John R and Kirby and Willis, with free shuttle service between venues. I'm sure there are costs associated with some activities (and don't forget parking!), but it sounds like there is quite a bit of fun to be had for FREE. Check out the website for more information, including a map with shuttle routes and venue locations.
• Redford Theatre An historical Detroit movie house, the Redford Theatre offers several holiday happenings in the coming weeks, including showings of A Christmas Story and White Christmas. Santa will there for both of these events, and live organ music is played 30 minutes before showtime. What you need to know: Dates & Times: A Christmas Story, November 30 @ 8:00 PM, December 1 @ 2:00 PM & 8:00 PM; White Christmas, December 14 @ 8:00 PM, December 15 @ 2:00 PM & 8:00 PM. Tickets are $4.00 each, or Living Social is currently running a great deal: $6 for 2 tickets, a small drink, a small popcorn, and a small candy. For more information, including location and parking, visit the website. The Redford Theatre is cash only.
• Warren Symphony Orchestra - Scrooge If some live Christmas music will help get you in the holiday spirit (and it will!), check out this local orchestra's holiday production, both orchestral and choral, taking place at Macomb Center for the Performing Arts. What you need to know: Date & Time: December 9 @ 3:00 PM. Tickets: $23/Adults, $20/Seniors, $10/College students, Kids (grade 12 & under) FREE (music to my ears!).
• Holiday Nights in Greenfield Village An historical Christmas spectacular, complete with strolling carolers, ice skating, fireworks, and much more, this is a very popular event that sells out, so get your tickets now if you're interested! We went back when we were the parents of two, and had a wonderful time. In fact, we've been wanting to do it again ever since, but we haven't gotten around to it yet. What you need to know: Dates & Times: December 1, 7, 14, 16, 18-23, & 26-27, from 6:30 to 10:00 PM. December 8 & December 15 are already sold out! Tickets: Adults (13 & up) $20/$17 members, Kids (5-12) $15/$12.75 members, 4 & under are FREE. Parking is $5. Dining packages available. Keep in mind that this is a crowded event, and Greenfield Village is huge, so a lot of walking is involved.
• The Henry Ford Museum If freezing your fanny off outdoors isn't your thing, consider visiting The Henry Ford Museum during the holidays for some indoor fun. Visit with Santa and enjoy the lovely holiday decorations. While you're there, you can also see The Polar Express at the IMAX theater. What you need to know: Hours: 9:30-5 daily, closed on Christmas. Santa is at the museum from now until December 24. Tickets: Museum admission is free for members, $17 for adults (13-61), $15 for seniors (62 & up), kids (5-12) $12.50, 4 & under are FREE. IMAX - check website for showtimes, Adults (13-61) $13.75/$11.75 members, Seniors (62+) $12.75/$11 members, Kids (2-12) $9.75/$8.25 members, under 2 are FREE if sitting on a lap.
• Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas: The Musical  This was probably my very favorite Christmas special when I was a kid, and although my kids have seen it on DVD and television many times (both the original and new versions), I'm excited for them to see this live production at the Detroit Opera House this year! What you need to know: Dates & Times: December 18-30, Tuesdays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM, Sunday evenings at 6:00 PM, Saturday matinees at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM, Sunday matinees at 2:00 PM, AND special weekday matinees on 12/20, 12/26, & 12/27 at 1:00 PM. Ticket prices vary, please see the website for more info. Please note that babies in arms will NOT be permitted!

Obviously, this is an incomplete list, mostly consisting of things we have done in the past or plan on doing this year. I'll also throw out a couple favorite Santa haunts, in addition to the ones listed above. My favorite mall Santa is at the Somerset Collection. We haven't gone in a few years, but I know in the past they did timed slots for Santa visits. I'm assuming they're still doing this? This means get there early to reserve your spot, and then plan on hours of shopping and lunch before you get your turn. But  the pictures are really great! For a Santa visit in a really beautiful setting, consider the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores. In years past, they had a children's tea and then Santa visits in the adorable children's cottage. It doesn't look like they're doing that this year, but on the website it says a trip to Santa's Workshop is free with museum admittance. Santa is there on Saturdays through Christmas, from 10-4. Additionally, there are hands-on activities in the Workshop Tuesday-Sunday.


Again, please tell us if you know of other holiday events going on! My December calendar is pretty packed, but I might be persuaded to squeeze a couple more things in!

I'm Thankful for Fifth Grade Field Trips: Greenfield Village

I spent my day at Greenfield Village with a bunch of fifth graders. It was a beautiful day for an outdoor field trip - not too warm, not too cool; not too sunny, not too cloudy. Just right. I am thankful that I was able to go with Bethany as a chaperone. The fifth graders are all going roller skating on the last day of school next week, but this was her last "real" field trip of elementary school. After three years at this school, I know many of the kids and the parents, and it was nice walking around with other moms who I have come to consider my friends, and watch our kids run around and have fun together.

If you're from the Metro Detroit area, you almost definitely know about Greenfield Village. It is a huge tourist attraction around here, and for good reason. There is an indoor museum, The Henry Ford Museum, and then there is the outdoor historical museum, Greenfield Village. Greenfield Village is massive. Employees walk around in full costume, doing demonstrations on stuff like glass blowing, candle making, typesetting, and weaving. So you can go in, for example, an old print shop, and an employee will show you how they use to make newspapers in the days before computers. Or you can go in an old house, and a costumed employee might be in the kitchen cooking real food, and pause to tell you a little about what life was like during whichever historical period that house happens to be from. There is also a farm with real working animals, and there are a few different rides, including a train, Model T cars, and a carousel. Once a year Thomas the Train makes an appearance, which Connor and Lucy enjoyed when they each went through their Thomas stage.

Today I am thankful for

• good field trips
• being able to chaperone 
• helpful grandmas who are willing to babysit
• Greenfield Village, which I have been visiting since I was a little girl
• beautiful spring days
• Bethany's friends
• mom friends
• getting back to school early, and signing all of my kids out 45 minutes before the bell

What are you thankful for today?

onions cooking on the cast iron stove

Train rounder from the outside...

...and from the inside

Summer Can't Get Here Quick Enough

This post was published last year. I accomplished a lot on my list, but not everything. I haven't made a complete Summer Bucket List this year yet...what's on yours?



May sure is busy this year. This weekend we will be celebrating our sweet and sassy Mathilda's 2nd birthday, and next week Lucy will be graduating from preschool. Bethany & Connor have only 16 days left of 4th and 2nd grade, respectively. And then summer break, the time I look forward to all year, will be upon us at last! 

I can't wait to sleep in. I can't wait to go to the beach. I can't wait to hang out at the park. I can't wait to go swimming...outdoors! I can't wait for day trips and long, lazy play dates and trips up north. I can't wait for freeeeeeedom! Blissful freedom to choose what I want to do with my kids everyday for 3 whole months!

Every summer, it seems, I have grand plans and a long, ambitious list of things I want to do, and I never ever get through the whole list. This year will be no different, I'm sure. Here's this year's agenda, off the top of my head and totally incomplete:

• Spend a week in Port Austin (booked!)
• Go to Roger's City (la hotel de Aunt Donna always has an opening for us, right Aunt Donna?)
• Take the kids to Tahquamenon Falls in the U.P., a place I visited when I was a kid which maybe marks the beginning of my love affair with waterfalls. Also, Chris's grandparents went there for their honeymoon about 70 years ago, how cool is that?!
• Visit family in Grand Rapids, and take the kids to Meijer Gardens while we're there. My mom and I took Bethany & Connor there when they were very little, and it was so much fun - I want Lucy & Mathilda to get to experience it too.
• Make my kids take an entire month off of the television, including video games. I've already been talking this up. I think it's going to be July. I hope they don't cry about it too much, but guess what? They'll get over it!
• Visit family in Midland
• Go back to Chris's dad's cabin
• Go camping
• Go to the Detroit RiverFront and let the kids splash around in the fountains like we did last summer. Preferably, do this more than once.
• Go to Belle Isle, an annual tradition. 
• Go to Mexican Village and eat outside.
• Visit the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, something I have yet to do.
• Visit the DIA (Detroit Institute of Arts), something I haven't done in a couple years.
• Go to Greenfield Village
• Go to the Toledo Zoo
• Read Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl with Bethany and then take her to the Holocaust Memorial Center where we can meet actual survivors of the Holocaust
• and...well I could go on, but see what I mean about long and ambitious? I wonder how many of these items I'll get to cross off my list...

I seriously might be more excited than the kids. Truly. My only slight hang up is that I've been leery and ahem, maybe just a bit lazy, about working out since my health scares in November and then again in February. Since I need to be able to keep up with my kids, I really need to get on a walking regime. Starting...well how about tomorrow? Tomorrow is always a good place to start.

Lucy at Belle Isle

Lucy at the beach in Lexington, MI

Connor, Lucy, and Bethany at the beach in Port Austin, MI

Mathilda sleeping at the Port Austin beach

Ocqueoc Falls

The beach in Rogers City