Gingerbread Houses at the Sheraton

Driving down to Seattle to the Sheraton is my favorite annual Christmas tradition. We went here as kids with my Aunt and Grandma and I loved it.
We would always come down, get mini donuts, look at Gap and Macys and then come and see the Gingerbread Houses. I always felt so high class and fancy coming into the big city and shopping and casually sauntering around a swank hotel in downtown Seattle.
I never remember waiting in lines though, ever.

In the history of my childhood, never a line.
Now, I'm pretty sure this is the tradition all of the Greater Seattle Area has grasped on to because they're all at the Sheraton, waiting in line to see the houses.
I convinced my brother to come with Steve, Summer and I, well I think I told him he had to come because a) driving in Seattle terrifies me and b) I'm older and he has to listen.
We bee-bopped on down there and chatted about GMO foods and podcasts we enjoy while the kids fought about snacks in the backseat.
Among the many things I don't enjoy are elevators, escalators, parking garages and/or driving downtown; I did all of those things on this day trip.
I took lots of pictures of the place we parked so that I didn't feel as panicked about leaving the car and never finding it again, we found the elevator and Steve tried to jump around, I screamed "NO!" in terror while holding Summers hand in a steel grip and then shoved everyone out so no one would get stuck in the elevator alone.

Safely emerging from the parking garage we walked over to the hotel which has a revolving door (another thing I dislike) I shoved Summer into one and leaped in carefully behind her, just avoiding the door taking out my back pack.
We pushed through and immediately looked left because looking right and seeing the huge, long line is disheartening.
I turned around just in time to see Chaz trying to jump into the same door as Steve but jumped a little too late and got stuck in the door. He tried to go through the same one again and got stuck again, all while Steve pushed harder and harder on the door trying to get inside.
It was hilarious and embarrassing, the best kind of laughter.
After that escapade of ridicule, we hopped in line, where we waited for about an hour.

Slow moving lines with a backpack full of food and hot jackets along with the smell of dirty diapers is not the most ideal way to spend an hour but its a yearly Christmas tradition that we do and the line is just part of it, I suppose.
The nice thing about chilling in a loud smelly line is that I cant hear Summer whining and crying below me about how she doesn't want a candy cane, but then she does want one, but then she does again, so that's a nice little bonus.
Steve and I were super pumped about the trip this year because it was Harry Potter themed and we are huge HP fans.
Once we finally made it up the Gingerbread Houses, it was all worth it, especially for a couple of Harry Potter nerds like Steve and I.

They had all the books represented in incredible candy detail, it was so amazing. I always wonder how long it takes and how many people it takes to build these things. They are huge, one of them with Dumbledore, was as tall as the ceiling. They have to be crazy heavy and super awkward but anyway, I love them and I think the kids enjoyed them too.
Afterwards, we walked around and grabbed some Starbucks, and found a little park next to the carousel where the kids played for a while in the cold.

Steve got bored after a while and I told him we were going to run and check out the Macy's window.
I think his reaction was "UGH!" which was expected.
However, the window was so awesome I'm pretty sure it was the most exciting thing they saw the whole day.
One year maybe Ill get my shit together and we can get up to the Sheraton early and avoid the crazy line, but probably not.
Its part of the experience, right?

Cheers.