We hit the ground running when we arrived in Connecticut after Christmas. Unfortunately the Hannen family was not able to make the trip but we had been able to see them in Cincinnati earlier in December which kind of made up for it. We had gotten everyone tickets to go see the UConn women's basketball team play a home game. It was Paige Buecker's senior season and we are big Paige fans. And the whole Bowes family loves UConn women's basketball which made for a great night out.
We had to take this sweet picture of Callie and Nana Banana. First, because it captures their sweet relationship. Second, because we were all just so happy that Nana made it all the way up the steep flight of stairs to make it to our seats in the upper reaches of the arena. We were not courtside, but we all had a lot of fun and the Huskies won. And to cap off the night we walked by Husky great Rebecca Lobo in the concourse.
Going back to Madison always means John runs into folks he grew up with but this time around there was a special surprise because Ted Dowling was in the area as well. John, Ted, and three other high school friends all went out to dinner one night to catch up on life, family, and the world in general. Nothing beats getting together with guys you have known since elementary school.
Seeing as we had spent some time visiting colleges over the previous six months or so John figured it was only proper that we drove into New Haven to walk around Yale's campus a bit. We weren't able to take an official tour and the gates to Old Campus were locked so it was up to John to tell stories about the buildings and various spots on campus. The girls had fun though it isn't clear if Callie is going to apply or not. We shall see.
And since we were in the neighborhood we had to stop by the best laundromat in Connecticut to make sure everything was operating smoothly. Chris gave us the official tour, offered us some popcorn, and shared the details of his new washer investment. It was a lot of fun to see him in action and get a picture with him in front of the family business.
We obviously had to take a drive down Middle Beach Rd and get some time down on the Long Island Sound at sunset. The Madison shoreline never disappoints and though it was definitely windy we loved just being down by the water.
At this point, Christmas in Connecticut also means New Years with the Skonieczny's. This time around we started with a good old fashioned hike in the north woods. Ella was in town as well which meant we got an update on her sophomore first semester and heard all about her incredible plans for the spring that includes a month in France and sailing to Tahiti. She is definitely college the right way.
Later that evening the energy picked up a bit with some Texas Hold 'Em led by the Magic Man and the Commish. We can't remember all the other nicknames that we got, but we do remember that Reese was not a big fan of hers. In any case, we had a great time playing cards, hearing all about what Eli and Ethan have been up to, and just enjoying time together. We are very lucky to be friends with these folks.
Us landlocked folks need to make sure we get as much ocean time as possible when we are in the vicinity. So on New Year's Day, John, Sarah, and Callie took a long walk at Hammonasset State Park along with a variety of others who clearly thought it was a great way to start the year.
The next phase of our adventure was all about celebrating Reese. It was a trip year for her birthday and we decided to spend a day in New York City going where she wanted to go. This meant a whole lot of shopping. We woke up early to catch the train into Grand Central and the excitement level was high.
Few people like donuts as much as Reese so our first stop was at The Donut Pub which we had heard great things about. To say this place had some options is an understatement. It was a bit overwhelming but also a great way to start things off. After we had eaten some sweet treats we headed out to the mean streets to find what stores were open. The search started in SoHo.
Sarah had things well planned out so by lunchtime we were right near Chelsea Market. After walking around inside a little bit and looking at some shops we found a Chinese restaurant with available tables and great food.
It is certainly easier and much more enjoyable to do a day like this in New York when your kids are 14 and 17. Callie and Reese were excited to check places out and even jumped on TikTok to see what stores were trending or were must see stops during our visit.
We did do a lot of walking and at one point even walked through Central Park after taking the subway up the wrong side. It all worked out perfectly though because we saw the park and still made it to the Swedish candy store that was a must stop for Reese. Sarah took this picture as we headed back to Midtown from the Upper East Side. New York City is just an exciting place to be any time of year.
But of course it is extra special around Christmas. It is safe to say there were a few other visitors to the city when we were there. We waited in a long line at FAO Schwartz for the possibility of getting some sort of jelly cat and were unsuccessful. But we did fight through the crowds to get a family picture with the iconic tree at Rockefeller Center.
And no trip to Madison is complete without at least one large gathering with all of the Bowes and Skonieczny clans. This family room at Nana Banana and Sports house has seen more than a few of these fun nights over the past four plus decades. It was fantastic to see everyone and the right way to end our visit.
