Hands down - this is the best Christmas that I can remember! (outside of having to leave Edmond early and in a rush to beat the snow storm)
John had SO much fun with everything about Christmas. He loved his Little People manager set, the Christmas trees and ornaments, the house lights, "rudos fiing Sant Taus say" (Rudolph flying Santa Clauses sleigh), "els make toys", making cookies for Santa with Nana, leaving cookies, milk and carrots on Christmas Eve, giving "pesents" to everyone, opening presents, the white snow, etc,etc. I could go on forever.
Probably my favorite thing was him telling people Merry Christmas. The way he would draw out 'Merry' and skip the 'r' in Christmas; and always with a grin from ear to ear. It was priceless.
We informed him that Santa only came to visit good boys and not bad boys. Well, he picked up on 'bad boy' and would repeat it several times. Probably because we would laugh every time. :) However, he did respond favorably when we would tell him that he had to be good if he wanted Santa to come.
We also continued the tradition that Carl had in his family of the elves coming to visit the few weeks before Christmas and leaving presents for good boys. Every now and again, we would hide a small toy in the stockings, or hang a candy cane in the tree, etc. and let John find it. Next year we are going to get the book and stuffed elf from "Elf on a Shelf". I feel bad about teaching my kid to only be good if there are presents involved. But whatever works at this age, right? right?
He got a ton of great gifts. I don't think he has decided yet which are his favorites. He keeps jumping from thing to thing. Santa brought him an art easel (chalk board and dry erase board), a Mickey Mouse choo-choo train, a basketball goal and a big remote control dinosaur. He loves them all, well, only the dinosaur if it is turned off. He also got a ton of Diego stuff that we have set up as a little village upstairs, a play kitchen, books, a remote control car (loves to get the dogs toes with this one), a tricycle with pedals, a Thomas the Train set, and a ton of other fun things that we have not taken out of the boxes yet. I was trying to spread out the fun while he still does not remember! :)
A few other memories - He loved being around Maggie at Christmas, he could not get enough! Grammy hand made dinosaur suckers for the boys (too cute, and very labor intensive). He made a snowman with Daddy and Nana, out of the thin layer left on Christmas Day. He was SO upset about leaving it outside that Nana brought it in on a cookie sheet and put it in the freezer!?!?! I can ONLY imagine what he would have been like in Edmond after the Blizzard of 2009! He loved to go next door to Frank's house and "pet" the wire reindeer EVERYDAY!
I was worried how we were going to turn Christmas off after the holidays. However, it was not a problem, we waited until he was napping, and packed up everything Christmas. When he got up he looked around with super sad face and said "Merry Christmas" in the saddest little voice EVER. It was pitiful! But then he just sort of forgot.
Next year we have both vowed to go all out on decorations and what not because he loves it so much.
Monday, December 28, 2009
22 months
A few milestones and memories this month:
- Sentence explosion. We can have a limited conversation now. This provides for comic relief several times a day.
- Favorite things this month are Diego and Dinosaurs.
- His stuffed animals still make an appearance, but are falling on the priority list.
- Think he grew a little bit this month, as the 2T clothes I bought a few months back are starting to fit.
- Bought his first suit, and Nana and Da gave us the lapel pin that Carl got on his first suit.
- I think this is the first month he has played "with" other children. Although, I might call it "against" other children. He had 2 friends over one day and he proceeded to throw crayolas at them, pushed one of them off the trike, and snatched Mr. Potato Head right out of their hands. It was the first time that I had EVER seen this bad behavior. So I started exploring the different discipline options....
- Quite a bit of tooth pain this month, those 2 year molars are about to pop through.
- "No" is his favorite word.
- HATES hair cuts. He is "that kid" that s-c-r-e-a-m-s the whole time. We have tried everything. We finally just held him down, so I am sure that we scared him for life when it comes to his hair. He will let Daddy fiddle with it on the bathroom counter, so we may have a new haircut next month...
- Sentence explosion. We can have a limited conversation now. This provides for comic relief several times a day.
- Favorite things this month are Diego and Dinosaurs.
- His stuffed animals still make an appearance, but are falling on the priority list.
- Think he grew a little bit this month, as the 2T clothes I bought a few months back are starting to fit.
- Bought his first suit, and Nana and Da gave us the lapel pin that Carl got on his first suit.
- I think this is the first month he has played "with" other children. Although, I might call it "against" other children. He had 2 friends over one day and he proceeded to throw crayolas at them, pushed one of them off the trike, and snatched Mr. Potato Head right out of their hands. It was the first time that I had EVER seen this bad behavior. So I started exploring the different discipline options....
- Quite a bit of tooth pain this month, those 2 year molars are about to pop through.
- "No" is his favorite word.
- HATES hair cuts. He is "that kid" that s-c-r-e-a-m-s the whole time. We have tried everything. We finally just held him down, so I am sure that we scared him for life when it comes to his hair. He will let Daddy fiddle with it on the bathroom counter, so we may have a new haircut next month...
Monday, December 21, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Evolution of the car ride
Evolution of the car ride
(note: after reading this, it appears this is more of an evolution of MY car rides with John, not the other way around. :))
- Stage one (newborn) – although we did not really go anywhere more than 10 minutes away, it was really hit or miss at this age. It was either sleeping or screaming, and nothing I could do about it. He was of course facing backward and behind the drivers seat. If Carl was with us, I was always in the back seat with him.
- Stage two (infant – crawler) – still hit or miss, either loving it or hating it. Towards the end of this stage, we were doing all we could to keep him awake in the car. He would decide that a 10 minute snooze in the car was all he really needed and a nap was inappropriate. But still facing backwards presented a challenge for tossing toys to him or checking the alertness status. I would still sit in the backseat if we were going anywhere more than 15 minutes away.
- Stage three (crawler – walker) – HATED the car, from beginning to end! Unless of course I was in the backseat with him, which proved difficult when it was just the 2 of us. I asked around for advice and Lindsay came to my rescue with suggesting the “wee-sing” toddler CD that Amelia loved. I guess it is something about hearing a little kids voice, but this and many other CD’s have kept the peace between John and I during car rides. This stage also marked the beginning of eating and drinking in the car, which helped to fill the time and keep him awake. Still facing backwards, and I would still sit in the back for extended rides.
- Stage four (walker – forward facing) – I was counting down the days until it was time to turn John around . So much so, that we did it a couple of weeks early. I just KNEW a whole new world would open up and car trips would somehow be “fun”; I was mistaken. In the beginning, there was a little improvement, but the CD’s still kept me sane, and I still dreaded long car rides. We moved him to the middle so he could see out and it was very helpful as far as checking on him, giving him toys, food, drinks, etc. I would still sit in the back on extended trips.
- Stage five (forward facing – talker) – This is where we are now. MAMA GETS TO SIT IN FRONT! Which could not have come sooner, those backseats are NOT comfortable for an extended period of time. This is the fun stage! John and I rode up to Oklahoma on our own and he was an angel! We talked about the things we were going to do, we pointed out all the horses and cows and trucks, etc. We sang songs (he knows the hand motions to most all the songs we sing), ate a snack, watched pieces of The Jungle Book and some of Diego, etc. He did not sleep the whole way there, and was happy as a clam. He still gets a little agitated every now and again, but nothing that a little toddler music won’t help!
I can only imagine what is in store in the next stage?
(note: after reading this, it appears this is more of an evolution of MY car rides with John, not the other way around. :))
- Stage one (newborn) – although we did not really go anywhere more than 10 minutes away, it was really hit or miss at this age. It was either sleeping or screaming, and nothing I could do about it. He was of course facing backward and behind the drivers seat. If Carl was with us, I was always in the back seat with him.
- Stage two (infant – crawler) – still hit or miss, either loving it or hating it. Towards the end of this stage, we were doing all we could to keep him awake in the car. He would decide that a 10 minute snooze in the car was all he really needed and a nap was inappropriate. But still facing backwards presented a challenge for tossing toys to him or checking the alertness status. I would still sit in the backseat if we were going anywhere more than 15 minutes away.
- Stage three (crawler – walker) – HATED the car, from beginning to end! Unless of course I was in the backseat with him, which proved difficult when it was just the 2 of us. I asked around for advice and Lindsay came to my rescue with suggesting the “wee-sing” toddler CD that Amelia loved. I guess it is something about hearing a little kids voice, but this and many other CD’s have kept the peace between John and I during car rides. This stage also marked the beginning of eating and drinking in the car, which helped to fill the time and keep him awake. Still facing backwards, and I would still sit in the back for extended rides.
- Stage four (walker – forward facing) – I was counting down the days until it was time to turn John around . So much so, that we did it a couple of weeks early. I just KNEW a whole new world would open up and car trips would somehow be “fun”; I was mistaken. In the beginning, there was a little improvement, but the CD’s still kept me sane, and I still dreaded long car rides. We moved him to the middle so he could see out and it was very helpful as far as checking on him, giving him toys, food, drinks, etc. I would still sit in the back on extended trips.
- Stage five (forward facing – talker) – This is where we are now. MAMA GETS TO SIT IN FRONT! Which could not have come sooner, those backseats are NOT comfortable for an extended period of time. This is the fun stage! John and I rode up to Oklahoma on our own and he was an angel! We talked about the things we were going to do, we pointed out all the horses and cows and trucks, etc. We sang songs (he knows the hand motions to most all the songs we sing), ate a snack, watched pieces of The Jungle Book and some of Diego, etc. He did not sleep the whole way there, and was happy as a clam. He still gets a little agitated every now and again, but nothing that a little toddler music won’t help!
I can only imagine what is in store in the next stage?
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
6:00pm
I have decided that for the last year or so my world revolves around 6:00pm.
This is John's dinner time.
I look at this as an improvement, as my day used to be regulated by the clock several times a day (nap times, wake up times, eating times, playing times, tummy time, etc.). I have let go of everything but 6:00pm and don't plan on letting that go.
Everything else during the day has a two hour window, all depending on when John wakes up. We start our day anywhere between 7:00am and 9:00am; lunch is anywhere between 11:00am and 1:00pm; nap starts anywhere between 12:00 and 2:00; bedtime is anywhere from 7:30 to 8:30, etc.
6:00pm is a reference point when planning our days - what errands do I need to run and when? what time do I need to start dinner? Is there time for park before or after dinner? etc.
Dinner remains the same every day, and that is the way I like it. I think family dinners are important and want to start the tradition now. I know it will have to change when he gets involved with activities, but as much as I can hold on to it, I will.
Anyone else have a time like this?
This is John's dinner time.
I look at this as an improvement, as my day used to be regulated by the clock several times a day (nap times, wake up times, eating times, playing times, tummy time, etc.). I have let go of everything but 6:00pm and don't plan on letting that go.
Everything else during the day has a two hour window, all depending on when John wakes up. We start our day anywhere between 7:00am and 9:00am; lunch is anywhere between 11:00am and 1:00pm; nap starts anywhere between 12:00 and 2:00; bedtime is anywhere from 7:30 to 8:30, etc.
6:00pm is a reference point when planning our days - what errands do I need to run and when? what time do I need to start dinner? Is there time for park before or after dinner? etc.
Dinner remains the same every day, and that is the way I like it. I think family dinners are important and want to start the tradition now. I know it will have to change when he gets involved with activities, but as much as I can hold on to it, I will.
Anyone else have a time like this?
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
New Family Tradition
We woke up on Sunday morning after Thanksgiving and Carl had the idea to go to the Zoo. John slept in until 9:00am, so we did not get out of the door until 11:00am. But it was a GREAT idea, and one that we want to do every year on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
The weather was good, we had front row parking, and we saw maybe 30 people. It was like we had the Zoo to ourselves. The biggest dilemma we had was trying to find a stuffed animal that John did not already have. Since the Zoo was having Thanksgiving sales too, he got a turtle (he calls it a “sea turtle” because that is what Diego rescues) and a Kangaroo “Ka-roo”.
So for all you locals, if you have the energy left next year – take your kids to the Zoo the Sunday after Thanksgiving for a good time!
The weather was good, we had front row parking, and we saw maybe 30 people. It was like we had the Zoo to ourselves. The biggest dilemma we had was trying to find a stuffed animal that John did not already have. Since the Zoo was having Thanksgiving sales too, he got a turtle (he calls it a “sea turtle” because that is what Diego rescues) and a Kangaroo “Ka-roo”.
So for all you locals, if you have the energy left next year – take your kids to the Zoo the Sunday after Thanksgiving for a good time!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Thanksgiving
I am thankful for so many things this year, but most of all for my husband and my healthy baby boy, they are my life! I thank the good Lord every night for blessing me with them.
I am thankful for our families and the love and support they give us. It takes a village and we have an incredible one! Thanksgiving is a great excuse to tell you all, but I hope you know how much we love and appreciate you! I am also thankful for the miracles of the new babies in our family.
I am thankful that this year Granddaddy and Great Granddaddy are cancer free!
I am thankful for making new friends this year and spending time (and reconciling) with the old. “Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other one is gold. Circle round, has no end, that’s how long I want to be your friend”
I am thankful that we still have our jobs in this time of economic hardship.
Here are some pictures from November:
I am thankful for our families and the love and support they give us. It takes a village and we have an incredible one! Thanksgiving is a great excuse to tell you all, but I hope you know how much we love and appreciate you! I am also thankful for the miracles of the new babies in our family.
I am thankful that this year Granddaddy and Great Granddaddy are cancer free!
I am thankful for making new friends this year and spending time (and reconciling) with the old. “Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other one is gold. Circle round, has no end, that’s how long I want to be your friend”
I am thankful that we still have our jobs in this time of economic hardship.
Here are some pictures from November:
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
21 month
Here are a few memories and milestones this month that stood out to me as my baby boy changes to a big boy right before my eyes!
- makes and hold eye contact when you are talking with him.
- language explosion, will put sentences together, although some words may be flipped.
- There seems to have been a crack in his shell (I can go to the bathroom by myself, he does not hang on to me at the park, venturing out at little gym, etc.)
- Was a big Daddy's boy this month
- says "pee-pee" and runs to the potty, but this is WHILE he is pee-peeing. We are really not in potty training mode, he has done this on his own. I will take his diaper off and put him on the potty and read books anyway. Towards the end of the month, he dropped all interest in this.
- Is using "pee-pee" as a stall tactic at nap and bedtime - sneaky!
- Sits his animals in a circle and sings Old McDonald and fills in the names (although now he also fills in with random things like "football" and "bowl" which makes for a creative answer from Mama).
- Still loves his animals. When he is playing with them he knows when one is missing. God forbid you take one up with you to take a bath and forget him upstairs! John will repeat that animal OVER and OVER and OVER until you go get him.
- Knows most all of his basic colors and shapes.
- Started to replace “uh oh” with “oh no”, one of my favorites!
- Climbs in the bath by himself (silly milestone, but one that stood out to me)
- Puts his hands over his ears and SCREAMS at the top of his lungs, smiling the whole time. This is a fun new development
- Can do a forward roll! After almost a year of getting stuck in a downward V, he watched Ethan do one at Thanksgiving, and Wa-La!
- Molars started to come in, but seemed to have stopped right before breaking through
- Knows the hand/body motions to “itsy bitsy spider”, “I’m a Little Teapot”, “Hokey, Pokey”, “Hawaiian Rainbow”, “5 Little Monkey Jumping on the Bed” (I made these up), “10 little Sausages Frying in a Pan”, “If You Are Happy and You Know It”.
- He is such a quick learner and has a great memory. I could list 1000 different examples, but I won’t. :)
- Sleeping like crazy – goes down at 8pm (although sometimes will kick around until after 9), sometimes sleeps in until 8:30am, and then takes close to a 2 hour nap every day. YEAH! Had he been taking these long naps his whole life, I might have lost a little less sanity. :)
- makes and hold eye contact when you are talking with him.
- language explosion, will put sentences together, although some words may be flipped.
- There seems to have been a crack in his shell (I can go to the bathroom by myself, he does not hang on to me at the park, venturing out at little gym, etc.)
- Was a big Daddy's boy this month
- says "pee-pee" and runs to the potty, but this is WHILE he is pee-peeing. We are really not in potty training mode, he has done this on his own. I will take his diaper off and put him on the potty and read books anyway. Towards the end of the month, he dropped all interest in this.
- Is using "pee-pee" as a stall tactic at nap and bedtime - sneaky!
- Sits his animals in a circle and sings Old McDonald and fills in the names (although now he also fills in with random things like "football" and "bowl" which makes for a creative answer from Mama).
- Still loves his animals. When he is playing with them he knows when one is missing. God forbid you take one up with you to take a bath and forget him upstairs! John will repeat that animal OVER and OVER and OVER until you go get him.
- Knows most all of his basic colors and shapes.
- Started to replace “uh oh” with “oh no”, one of my favorites!
- Climbs in the bath by himself (silly milestone, but one that stood out to me)
- Puts his hands over his ears and SCREAMS at the top of his lungs, smiling the whole time. This is a fun new development
- Can do a forward roll! After almost a year of getting stuck in a downward V, he watched Ethan do one at Thanksgiving, and Wa-La!
- Molars started to come in, but seemed to have stopped right before breaking through
- Knows the hand/body motions to “itsy bitsy spider”, “I’m a Little Teapot”, “Hokey, Pokey”, “Hawaiian Rainbow”, “5 Little Monkey Jumping on the Bed” (I made these up), “10 little Sausages Frying in a Pan”, “If You Are Happy and You Know It”.
- He is such a quick learner and has a great memory. I could list 1000 different examples, but I won’t. :)
- Sleeping like crazy – goes down at 8pm (although sometimes will kick around until after 9), sometimes sleeps in until 8:30am, and then takes close to a 2 hour nap every day. YEAH! Had he been taking these long naps his whole life, I might have lost a little less sanity. :)
Friday, November 20, 2009
Big day in John's world
Big day at Little Gym....John did the 'skill of the week' with the teacher. He even volunteered by walking up on the mat. Everyone was watching just him. He was smiling and loving it. It was everything I had in me to not bust out in tears (wiping a tear now). I was so proud! He has not done this in almost a year. I think the other Moms and the teacher shared in my pride as they have only seen him be sort of shy. It was a great moment!
Big day on the potty.... we have not been pushing the potty, but he has been showing so much interest. We let him lead the way. Today, after nap he was dry, so we sat on the potty and read books. Then he moved to the floor. Then he looked up at me and said "uh oh, pee-pee" and got up and sat on the potty. He knew he had to pee before he actually peed! And then he stopped real quick, and I told him to push more pee pee out - and sure enough, he thought it was fun to push (picture gritting his teeth and squinting his eyes) more pee-pee out. I think he recognized that he can control when and how it comes out. I know we have a long way to go - but this was big step!
I am so proud of my little monkey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Big day on the potty.... we have not been pushing the potty, but he has been showing so much interest. We let him lead the way. Today, after nap he was dry, so we sat on the potty and read books. Then he moved to the floor. Then he looked up at me and said "uh oh, pee-pee" and got up and sat on the potty. He knew he had to pee before he actually peed! And then he stopped real quick, and I told him to push more pee pee out - and sure enough, he thought it was fun to push (picture gritting his teeth and squinting his eyes) more pee-pee out. I think he recognized that he can control when and how it comes out. I know we have a long way to go - but this was big step!
I am so proud of my little monkey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Take me out to the ball game....
Carl and I took a last minute trip to NY to watch Game 1 of the World Series a couple of weeks back... I know, odd, right? We were only therefor 24 hours and I have to say it may have been one of my favorite vacations of all time!
I jotted down notes in the car ride to the airport on the way home in hopes of remembering all of the fabulous things I wanted to include in this post. I wish I had a writer I could employ to narrate this post, as I KNOW I will not do it justice.
To start, I want to give a big shout out to Nana and Da, as they kept the monkey basically for 3 days straight. Thank you so much for letting us take advantage of this opportunity and some much needed Mama and Daddy time!
We started early Wednesday morning, leaving the house with a shared bag and coats in hand, we were traveling light but prepared. The airplane had wi-fi!!! YES!!! Not sure why that excites me so much, but it does. Carl had bought us one of those cameras with the views on both sides, so we practiced using it for self portraits on the plane. It is a really cool camera for trips.
When we landed, we followed the masses to the ground transportation and hopped in the car. I heard Carl tell one of his brokers "I will never again complain about Dallas traffic", I adopted that view as I was praying for our safety. Literally cars would swipe each other within inches. And although we were crawling at a snails pace, I think I held my breath the entire time.
The views coming into the city were less than spectacular due to the clouds and rainy weather, but luckily cleared up later that night. The hotel was awesome, we stayed at "The London" which is where Gordon Ramsey is the head chef. We only packed jeans as we were not going to have time for dinner, but next time! It was very swanky and modern; we were on the 43rd floor, so we had a great view.
One of Carl's friends loaned us a 'walking tour' book of NYC. BEST thing that could have happened to us, this was a lifesaver and I will always get one of these going forward. We had, of course, scoured that thing front to back on the plane ride trying to figure out what all we wanted to do in our short time.
No time to waste, we freshened up and headed down for some lunch. We were determined to try all the authentic foods we could (or at least the ones we see on the Food Network). As luck would have it, there was a restaurant right across the street that had been featured in one of the Food TV shows. The restaurant was called "The Stage". NY has HUGE proportions, and a price to go along with it. After eating less than half our sandwiches, we HAD to get a slice of NY cheesecake. Good stuff.
Our hotel was on 54th street between 6th and 7th, we only had a little time before we needed to hit the subway for the game, so we walked to the famous shopping on 5th avenue. It was raining so we had to stop at one of the many corner stores and buy umbrellas. Having an umbrella opened up a whole new dimension to a city that walks everywhere.... Carl is pretty sure I poked several eyes out on our walk, but I was just tying to flow with the crowd. I actually liked having the umbrellas as it gave me a sense of personal space! The only shopping we did was at F.A.O. Schwartz for a Mickey Mouse and a Polar Bear for John (two big hits in our house right now). And I had to stop at a news stand, because I felt like that was what I should do. I bought Mentos. Carl thought this was really weird.
After realizing I had forgotten my license (shout out to Lindsey Marino!), we ran up to the hotel and then to the subway. The subway was JUST like the movies; EVERYTHING was just like the movies, everywhere we went I could see a scene in a movie, I discovered I am more star struck than I would like to admit.
Sorry for the side note... on to the subway story.... Of all the things I was looking forward to, riding on the subway was high on my list! Everyone on the subway was either sleeping, reading, listening to headphones or eating (nasty!). I am SURE we stood out like sore thumb to the locals, I could not quit smiling, and I don't know why!
We got to Yankee stadium SUPER early due to the fear of the unknown and public transportation, etc. This is the first world series played in the new stadium, so it was cool to be at this game. First thing we did was buy a hot dog and a beer, yep, cliche, I know. It was not very good and we had high expectations.
The atmosphere at the game was incredible, I don't know if it was the people, the ballpark, the energy, or what, I can't quite describe why or how, it just was amazing. I of course choked back the tears during the National Anthem. It was cold, but not unbearable. A very heavy mist stated during the game, but luckily we were under the overhang, so we stayed dry.
It was really cool to me to be in the same company as A-Rod (we are tight like that), Kate Hudson, Mathew McConeghy, The First and Second Ladies, Yogi Berra, Derek Jeter and many more I am sure. Our seats were great, 2nd section above the Phillies batters box. Unfortunately the Yankees lost that game, but went on to win the 2009 World Series.
During the game we tried another hot dog and some fries, everything was disappointing expect for the beer. :)
We left the game and headed for the subway, which was a MUCH different experience this time. It was shoulder to shoulder, literally. We followed the masses and shoved our way into a subway car. Only to discover we really did not know what stop we wanted. As people started to get off at all the stops, I started to get a little nervous. Luckily we asked this lady JUST in time and got off at the right stop.
It was late, but we were determined to see the city that never sleeps. We went to Times Square (still hoping at 2:00 in the morning). We stopped and got some "street meat" from a sidewalk vendor - BEST hot dog, finally! Walking around the city at night was again, just like the movies, with the weirdo people, the steam coming from the man hole covers, the subway rattling underneath you, the lights, etc. We jumped in a horse drawn carriage and went for a ride around the area. One thing that I was surprised by was the amount of trash bags in the street. The trash must come every day and at very odd hours. The sheer volume was incredible. I tried to take pictures, but I was not familiar with the flash on the camera so they did not turn out well. The horse took us right to our hotel.
We set the alarm for 7am (WHAT?!?!?). There was still so much to see. Quick shower and off to the subway again - we had no idea and no masses to follow this time. We asked a couple of people, but decided to basically guess, so we did, and without getting into details, I am pretty sure we were lost and on the wrong trains, but in the end we made it to the Financial District.
We saw the Statue of Liberty from a far (no time for the fairy) and then walked down Wall Street, this was super cool to me. Street vendor coffee and donuts (again, we wanted the full experience!) got us through the morning. We walked and walked and walked. We saw the site of the World Trade Centers, which right now just looks like a big construction site. As we were taking pictures, the wall that Carl was leaning against started to open - it was a fire station and the truck was coming back. The side of the truck and the names of the firefighters lost on 09/11, there were a lot and it was very surreal knowing that some of those very men that we saw could have experienced the tragedy first hand. We also saw a Best Buy commercial being filmed in City Hall Park. Another thing that stood out to me was the grave yards that are smack dab in the center of the concrete jungle. It makes you remember how old this place really is!
On to the next "big city" experience - we hailed a cab (hee hee) and went back down to Rockefeller Center. I wanted to be on The Today Show!!! Unfortunately we had missed the main news time, so they were not outside anymore, but I think we were on TV through the windows. We walked back up 6th street, saw the NY Invesco office, grabbed some lunch, and then back to the hotel and then the airport.
Other things I learned and/or loved about New York
- In a city where walking is one of the main forms of transportation, they should have rules of pedestrianism posted somewhere (if they don't exist, they should!). You must have a death wish if you try crossing the street at the wrong time, walking against the crowd or walking too close the subway tracks - talk about SCARY!
- Rain boots can be very stylish and come in a variety of colors and designs.
- Tights with long shirts, short dresses or skirts and boots are in this season.
- The "GP" (general public) in New York is very different than the midwest. People are not mean, but they are not nice either. Also very international.
- I would be in GREAT shape if I lived in NY, my body hurt from all the walking.
- There is SO much to do in NY and I can not wait to go back!
I jotted down notes in the car ride to the airport on the way home in hopes of remembering all of the fabulous things I wanted to include in this post. I wish I had a writer I could employ to narrate this post, as I KNOW I will not do it justice.
To start, I want to give a big shout out to Nana and Da, as they kept the monkey basically for 3 days straight. Thank you so much for letting us take advantage of this opportunity and some much needed Mama and Daddy time!
We started early Wednesday morning, leaving the house with a shared bag and coats in hand, we were traveling light but prepared. The airplane had wi-fi!!! YES!!! Not sure why that excites me so much, but it does. Carl had bought us one of those cameras with the views on both sides, so we practiced using it for self portraits on the plane. It is a really cool camera for trips.
When we landed, we followed the masses to the ground transportation and hopped in the car. I heard Carl tell one of his brokers "I will never again complain about Dallas traffic", I adopted that view as I was praying for our safety. Literally cars would swipe each other within inches. And although we were crawling at a snails pace, I think I held my breath the entire time.
The views coming into the city were less than spectacular due to the clouds and rainy weather, but luckily cleared up later that night. The hotel was awesome, we stayed at "The London" which is where Gordon Ramsey is the head chef. We only packed jeans as we were not going to have time for dinner, but next time! It was very swanky and modern; we were on the 43rd floor, so we had a great view.
One of Carl's friends loaned us a 'walking tour' book of NYC. BEST thing that could have happened to us, this was a lifesaver and I will always get one of these going forward. We had, of course, scoured that thing front to back on the plane ride trying to figure out what all we wanted to do in our short time.
No time to waste, we freshened up and headed down for some lunch. We were determined to try all the authentic foods we could (or at least the ones we see on the Food Network). As luck would have it, there was a restaurant right across the street that had been featured in one of the Food TV shows. The restaurant was called "The Stage". NY has HUGE proportions, and a price to go along with it. After eating less than half our sandwiches, we HAD to get a slice of NY cheesecake. Good stuff.
Our hotel was on 54th street between 6th and 7th, we only had a little time before we needed to hit the subway for the game, so we walked to the famous shopping on 5th avenue. It was raining so we had to stop at one of the many corner stores and buy umbrellas. Having an umbrella opened up a whole new dimension to a city that walks everywhere.... Carl is pretty sure I poked several eyes out on our walk, but I was just tying to flow with the crowd. I actually liked having the umbrellas as it gave me a sense of personal space! The only shopping we did was at F.A.O. Schwartz for a Mickey Mouse and a Polar Bear for John (two big hits in our house right now). And I had to stop at a news stand, because I felt like that was what I should do. I bought Mentos. Carl thought this was really weird.
After realizing I had forgotten my license (shout out to Lindsey Marino!), we ran up to the hotel and then to the subway. The subway was JUST like the movies; EVERYTHING was just like the movies, everywhere we went I could see a scene in a movie, I discovered I am more star struck than I would like to admit.
Sorry for the side note... on to the subway story.... Of all the things I was looking forward to, riding on the subway was high on my list! Everyone on the subway was either sleeping, reading, listening to headphones or eating (nasty!). I am SURE we stood out like sore thumb to the locals, I could not quit smiling, and I don't know why!
We got to Yankee stadium SUPER early due to the fear of the unknown and public transportation, etc. This is the first world series played in the new stadium, so it was cool to be at this game. First thing we did was buy a hot dog and a beer, yep, cliche, I know. It was not very good and we had high expectations.
The atmosphere at the game was incredible, I don't know if it was the people, the ballpark, the energy, or what, I can't quite describe why or how, it just was amazing. I of course choked back the tears during the National Anthem. It was cold, but not unbearable. A very heavy mist stated during the game, but luckily we were under the overhang, so we stayed dry.
It was really cool to me to be in the same company as A-Rod (we are tight like that), Kate Hudson, Mathew McConeghy, The First and Second Ladies, Yogi Berra, Derek Jeter and many more I am sure. Our seats were great, 2nd section above the Phillies batters box. Unfortunately the Yankees lost that game, but went on to win the 2009 World Series.
During the game we tried another hot dog and some fries, everything was disappointing expect for the beer. :)
We left the game and headed for the subway, which was a MUCH different experience this time. It was shoulder to shoulder, literally. We followed the masses and shoved our way into a subway car. Only to discover we really did not know what stop we wanted. As people started to get off at all the stops, I started to get a little nervous. Luckily we asked this lady JUST in time and got off at the right stop.
It was late, but we were determined to see the city that never sleeps. We went to Times Square (still hoping at 2:00 in the morning). We stopped and got some "street meat" from a sidewalk vendor - BEST hot dog, finally! Walking around the city at night was again, just like the movies, with the weirdo people, the steam coming from the man hole covers, the subway rattling underneath you, the lights, etc. We jumped in a horse drawn carriage and went for a ride around the area. One thing that I was surprised by was the amount of trash bags in the street. The trash must come every day and at very odd hours. The sheer volume was incredible. I tried to take pictures, but I was not familiar with the flash on the camera so they did not turn out well. The horse took us right to our hotel.
We set the alarm for 7am (WHAT?!?!?). There was still so much to see. Quick shower and off to the subway again - we had no idea and no masses to follow this time. We asked a couple of people, but decided to basically guess, so we did, and without getting into details, I am pretty sure we were lost and on the wrong trains, but in the end we made it to the Financial District.
We saw the Statue of Liberty from a far (no time for the fairy) and then walked down Wall Street, this was super cool to me. Street vendor coffee and donuts (again, we wanted the full experience!) got us through the morning. We walked and walked and walked. We saw the site of the World Trade Centers, which right now just looks like a big construction site. As we were taking pictures, the wall that Carl was leaning against started to open - it was a fire station and the truck was coming back. The side of the truck and the names of the firefighters lost on 09/11, there were a lot and it was very surreal knowing that some of those very men that we saw could have experienced the tragedy first hand. We also saw a Best Buy commercial being filmed in City Hall Park. Another thing that stood out to me was the grave yards that are smack dab in the center of the concrete jungle. It makes you remember how old this place really is!
On to the next "big city" experience - we hailed a cab (hee hee) and went back down to Rockefeller Center. I wanted to be on The Today Show!!! Unfortunately we had missed the main news time, so they were not outside anymore, but I think we were on TV through the windows. We walked back up 6th street, saw the NY Invesco office, grabbed some lunch, and then back to the hotel and then the airport.
Other things I learned and/or loved about New York
- In a city where walking is one of the main forms of transportation, they should have rules of pedestrianism posted somewhere (if they don't exist, they should!). You must have a death wish if you try crossing the street at the wrong time, walking against the crowd or walking too close the subway tracks - talk about SCARY!
- Rain boots can be very stylish and come in a variety of colors and designs.
- Tights with long shirts, short dresses or skirts and boots are in this season.
- The "GP" (general public) in New York is very different than the midwest. People are not mean, but they are not nice either. Also very international.
- I would be in GREAT shape if I lived in NY, my body hurt from all the walking.
- There is SO much to do in NY and I can not wait to go back!
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