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No, my shoulders and back didn't hurt at all the next day!

Everyone says they try to avoid the crowds in the malls and shopping areas at Christmas. But if that  were really true, wouldn't those places be empty?

Seattle is an incredible place to live around the holidays - there are just so many great activities and events to choose from. In my family, we don't do the same things every year, but instead, we try new things and every few years return to old favorites.

So this year, for some reason we found ourselves in downtown Seattle the day after Thanksgiving. And, um, in a mall.

It wasn't intentional: we went to Seattle Center to play arcade-type games and see this huge installation of an electric train set through a winter village. But then we took Seattle's monorail over to Westlake Center, where each year there's an old-fashioned carousel for the holidays. I kind of forgot that the monorail lets you off on the third floor of a busy mall - so busy that there are security guards enforcing the LINE to get on to the escalator...and we had to go down to the first floor to exit.

I looked at my family, took a deep breath and said, "Let's do this. Boy, you take Daddy's hand. Girl, you take mine. We'll move slowly but surely towards our destination - and stay calm!"

We made our way outside. Happily, the carousel line was short - and even more happily, the kids got to choose the color of their horse each time they rode (they just happened to be in the front of the line for the next ride each time).

There were people EVERYWHERE - it was totally the kind of situation John and I would always try to avoid, and especially with the kids in tow!

But I kept it cool. I smiled at the family and stayed patient. When the kids asked for kettle corn, I said sure. It's an unhealthy snack, but hey - it's a special day.

After we rode the carousel, I realized that we were less than an hour away from the lighting of Seattle's Christmas tree and the huge star on the flagship Macy's store. I said to John, "Do you think we can do it? Do we have the patience to deal with the crowds and the stress?"

He said he was willing to try.

We made our way to Macy's to get star wands they were giving away, then found a decent place in the crowd where we could see the tree and the Macy's star. I put The Girl up on my shoulders (can you say OW?) to make sure she had a good view. John picked up The Boy for the relevant portions.

We stood on the sidewalk outside the mall, listening to carolers and Christmas speeches. And then, the tree and star were lit, accompanied by dramatic music.

It was honestly a breathtaking site. And the fireworks that followed - how great was it to see the delight on my kids' faces!

Our little family of four, huddled together on a sidewalk in the midst of thousands of people, soaking up the beginning of the season.

It was totally worth braving the crowds for those memories. They'll last a lot longer than the frustration and annoyance of being in a crowd.