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John had to work on Christmas afternoon, so we visited our Owen family for New Year's instead. We drove down on New Year's Eve, and John drove us through the center of the city instead of around it. I was confused by his choice, but I was too busy ogling the pedestrians and enjoying the window displays to ask why.




We drove past Times Square, which was closed off for the coming festivities, and then swung around a few corners to see this.



Then I understood.

We crammed into the narrow space, surrounded by pastries and all manner of cookie and cake, with the love of them burning in our hearts.

Susannah told me she wanted one of these red swoggies (froggies); when I told her his name was Elmo, she immediately said, "Oh. Then I want one of those red elbows."



The best part was that as John was paying for our gingerbread alligators, I heard a gruff voice repeating, "Hey! Over here. Come over here!" I looked up to see an arm waving a fistful of cookies through the space between glass cases. The bakery owner gave each of the girls a countdown cookie to celebrate the New Year, and he grinned as we squeezed our disheveled selves past the upper crust to get back outside.



We had a wonderful weekend and rang in the new year properly, with shiny hats, shrill horns, junk food, and the necessary cheeseball.

I forgot to take pictures. Here's one of a content little sleepyhead cuddling with Grandma the next morning.