‘Tis the season to get up early, work late, and try to meet all of my holiday deadlines.  I make my clients happy but in the shuffle it’s all too easy to postpone time with my own kids.  I swear I’m trying to do better.

Yesterday I actually did do better, and in the afternoon V and I decided to give Kelly a few hours off.  V and I took the train into Philadelphia for a day full of fun, Christmas cheer, and junk food.

I was in full keep-my-3-yr-old-from-running-into-traffic dad mode and not in dutiful-and-creative-photographer mode.  Most of the ones I did take were on my phone since it was easier than digging my “real” camera out of the bag, but I got to be focused on my daughter instead, so it’s for the best.

Favorite part of the day #1: riding on the SEPTA train.

Favorite part of the day #2: Pizza and — more importantly — soda.  The rest of the afternoon was a constant tug of war between an excited child who hardly ever drinks anything with sugar in it, and a dad who was very aware that the drinks he foolishly purchased were decidedly un-kid-sized 16-ouncers that just might require an urgent potty break at any time.

It all worked out.

It was chilly.  Yes, parent police, she had a hat and gloves.

The Macy’s Christmas light show was a big hit, as were the model trains at Reading Terminal Market (favorite stop of the day #3).  By that point we were pretty tuckered.  Homeward bound.