I know we’re already into 2012, but I wanted to share a little bit about our Christmas this year.

Whether Christian or not, Christmas is a holiday that brings people together all around the world. It’s a season where people can put aside all their differences and can come together to celebrate.

One of the best places to spend Christmas is in New York City. Although it can get extremely crowded, the crowds give so much energy to the city. Plus there are the wonderful smells of pretzels and nuts and there are lights and decorated windows.

We spent Christmas in NYC this year and spent some time with our grandson Joshua. We stayed with my son Brian in midtown Manhattan in his new apartment. On Christmas Eve, Alan dropped off Joshua to us because he was going to watch a football game between the Jets and Giants.

We were looking forward to spending the day with our grandson while we were in NY. To pass some time, we took him to the Bus Terminal on 40th Street and 8th Avenue because there was a large area where he could run and play safely.

He had such a great time. First, he experimented with the escalator. It was amazing to him since it would take him up and down without him walking. After a few tries, he started to like it and smile.

Second we went in to an Arcade. He was overwhelmed by the noise, the light and the motion of the machines. He was scared but I took his hand and I touched the machines myself to show him they do not bite. When he got used to the environment, he was excited and tried to play with every game.

Then we went in to the bowling place. There were families with children playing. He watched them play for a while and decided it was his turn. He went to pick up a bowling ball from the rack but couldn’t take it off. He used his full strength and even lifted his little feet but he still couldn’t get the ball off the rack. He tried the get the ball next to it, but because the other ball rolled, the impact hurt his little hand. He rubbed it a little and continued to try. Finally he recognized he couldn’t do it and he gave up.

After all this excitement, he was very tired. He fell asleep on the way home.