Peacock Lane

I've had a bad last two days at work -- interpersonal conflict with a colleague -- and so I was determined to do something fun tonight with Rachel.

We ended up visiting Peacock Lane, a street of tricked-out houses for the holidays. Every house on the block has unbelievable Christmas decorations; there's a booth with free hot chocolate and apple cider; and crowds of people walk up and down the sidewalk to admire the decorations.It was one of two nights in December when it was pedestrian-only; the street was closed to traffic and onlookers clumped up in front of houses, madly taking pictures and oohing and aaha-ing.

It was a hassle to find parking and walk in the damp air without a stroller, but it was worth it as soon as we arrived. "Ohhhh!" Rachel said, her whole face aglow. "MOMMY!!!!"

Her eyes remained lit up the entire time, right up until she decided she was hungry and I raced us home for a quick Shabbat dinner. Rachel insisted that I color some pages from her coloring book that I started last night and didn't manage to finish today. I promised I'd finish them after breakfast -- just about the time that I'll need to bake cookies (or maybe a cake) for our friend Deni's Christmas party tomorrow night.