Jennifro

Lucky Seven Hit New York

or

Spumoni the Elf Gets His Wish

There's no place like New York at Christmas! We, the lucky seven, climbed aboard the Vamoose bus last Friday morning and dropped anchor at Penn Station. Our children were nestled all snug in their beds while visions of disappearing dollars danced in their fathers heads...something like that.

The first day we shopped for hours in Chinatown...the jewelry was not quite up to par but still fun all the same. It was freezing and we spent lots of time laughing, running arm and arm against the wind.

Nick insisted we stay at the Waldorf Astoria. So we conceded. That was an outright lie. (Thanks a million NMH!) It was a wonderful hotel, complete with great pillows, down comforters, a to-die-for breakfast and lemon verbena lotion we all managed to steal.

Wait a minute...I got the title wrong. It was supposed to be the lucky eight. How could I dis poor Spumoni? The little guy's all smiles up there in Manhattan! Last Wednesday he wrote my kids an absolutely heart-wrenching note about how he's been asking Santa for 70 years (he's 267) if he could be sent to New York. The fact that I (the haus frau) was getting that chance only rubbed salt in his wee wounds.

So imagine my astonishment last Thursday when I received this email from none other than... you guessed it! MR. CLAUS.

Dearest, Darling, Jennifer,

This is probably not exactly an email you expected to find today, but nevertheless, even Old Man Santa has a computer nowadays! Though I rarely use it, I prefer the written letter and always will. But for this matter, not even my fastest Winter Swift Swan could get to you in time. I know of poor Spumoni's desire to go to New York and to be, well...very honest, I had forgotten that the dear little chap has asked poor Santa for years to visit that fast paced city. I feel terrible to think I've overlooked his request for so long now. I need your help my girl and hope your children will understand. Of course they will; they are some of the dearest children in the world. Please tell them each one that Santa loves them and is proud of their jolly goodness. They each need to remember that their family is the most important part of this season and honoring Jesus Christ, of course. Well, back to the reason for my email. I would like to grant Spumoni his wish. If it isn't too much trouble would you mind taking him along with the girls to New York? I will lift the "happily unhandle" spell for the weekend. You can carry him about wherever you go. He will remain still as "an elf on a shelf" (tell Natalie that book in the bookstore is simply silly!!) but feel free to touch him and hold him until midnight on Sunday night. I think he will be tickled-tiny to find you might be willing to take him along! Thank you for this favor...Santa is every inch a Santa Claus but by all means couldn't do it without helpers all around the world. Don't worry about telling Spumoni; I'll get my message to him....magic you know. Bless you dear. I'll leave you something a little extra under the tree for your kindness.

Mr. C

Well it was all tears for Natalie, when she realized this meant three days without an elf in the house..."Will he write?!!" No darling, but he will send photos!

Dinner was a welcome relief. Jayne worked her magic at Carmine's and with 800+ reservations still managed to get us in within minutes! Nobody puts baby in a corner!

The food was delicious and even with 12 man-helpings, we managed to put it all away.

Look Natalie...he's doing just fine! He misses you but is surely loving his feminine quarters. We did have one bad, borderline sacrilegious episode that freaked the kids' world via email (see video) but...

they made up the next morning

over juice.

Shopping in NY is the best and we're proud to boast we bought 16 pairs of boots amongst us.

Husband who??

Since it's Christmas, we decided to see The Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall. I'd never seen the Rockettes and thought it would be good but it was oh so much

more than that!

I literally loved this show (almost as much as that guy's shiner!). It was pure eye candy the whole way through (the show, not his head). Ten minutes into it I realized one of my former students, Kelly, was a singer in the show. Very cool to see her!

I am determined to take our kids back next year cause I am sure they would go crazy for it.

We were seriously stunned when they started to narrate from Luke 2. They ended up reading the entire story and focusing on the wise men, Christ and the true meaning of Christmas. In this psycho PC world, we found it to be unexpectedly touching...and we all dabbed at our eyes.

We experienced our own little two-fold Christmas miracle when first, Anjie randomly found Del Friscoe's from the street (we hadn't the foggiest where it was) and then Jayne (again) had us seated in ten minutes! I don't think Ben was prepared for this tipsy-sober table of outspoken obnoxious girls! We sat down around 10:15 and didn't leave until 1:00. The food was amazing and the company and laughs, superb!

Ben just couldn't get enough of us!! That's our version anyway. We had all sorts of "introspective" questions for him. It was pretty clear we were diggin' the attention and that Jek comes unglued round about midnight! We did our best to line him up with Nat's single cousin, Katie, we'll see what happens there.... We love ya Ben Zolinsky, Pasinsky...whatever. New Yorkers are seriously the friendliest people and I found it surprising that probably seven out of ten people there said, "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays." You's tell 'em!

The next day, with great sadness, we bid farewell to the City and all of her Santas..

MERRY CHRISTMAS NEW YORK!

For the real elf story look here and here.