It's up to you, New York.

A couple of weeks ago it so happened that Chris was slatted to travel to NYC for work.  The boys and I took advantage of this fact and tagged along with him to visit with friends and family!  Although the logistics of the trip meant that I had fly across the country with the boys by myself, this somehow seemed less daunting than being alone with them for the whole week (ha, I only kid!).  In reality, I could not pass up the chance to take the boys to NYC, to meet up with my beloved college friends (and their kids!) and to see my parents, grandma, aunt and cousin!  It was a very short trip but that almost made it easier since there was no time to feel tired or overwhelmed and since we booked the trip with relatively short notice, there was no time to get anxious about traveling either.

The boys and I packed  our things into a tiny tiny suit case (I feel like I earn major traveling points here and that is why I mention it; this was the smartest travel thing I have ever done!  Having a tiny bag made handling the boys and my stroller much more manageable).  Driving to the airport, parking in long-term parking, taking the bus to the terminal, and going through security were stressful and time consuming; it almost felt like a cross-country journey in and of itself!  Our flight was basically boarding when we arrived at the gate and after glancing around, I could tell it was made up of predominantly business travelers.  We rolled up just as they announced that anyone needing more time boarding should come forward.  I think I now know how Moses must have felt when he parted the Red Sea- for as soon as they made that announcement, all of businessmen started frantically waving to get my attention and the crowd of 150 literally parted into two sections to make a pathway toward the ticketing line.  I was the very first person on the plane and getting on was very easy thanks to everyone being terrified of me, the boys, and my stroller!

The flight was pretty uneventful (except for the fact that each boy pooped no less than 4 times.  I have no idea why this happened but I spend most my time taking the boys to the bathroom).  The boys played with toys and the ipads and time went relatively quickly (twice now we have hidden the ipads for a week or more prior to our trips and that has worked great for us.  They become completely new and novel for the airplane!).  We had to change planes in Charlotte and the boys were so cute running through the airport.   We made it onto the second airplane without any trouble and landed in Newark late that night.  Chris planned it so he would meet us at the gate and seeing him after a full day of travel was a very welcome and pleasant sight!  We jetted into Manhattan together and arrived at our Time Square Hotel.  The whole day was incredibly overwhelming but the boys handled it like champs!  They passed out after we got into our room (it was 2 a.m. EST by that time) and woke up late the next day!  I am very very happy with the way they traveled and could not have asked for better behaved kids.

Once we were up and ready the next day, we meet Chris for a quick lunch and then I hoofed it uptown to meet my friends and their kids for a day at the Central Park Zoo.  It was WONDERFUL to see my long-time friends Danielle and Christine and their kids (sans one little one who I did not have a chance to meet).  We had a blast watching all the kids run around and experience the zoo while trying to chat in between bursts of play.  The kids had a blast running around the zoo and playing with each other.  After a few hours of play, we left the zoo and Christine and I continued on to the West side to play some more and eat dinner.  After dinner, I walked the boys back to the hotel making sure to walk them through Time Square.  They were in awe of all they saw, but they were particularly mesmerized by the 100's of Spidermen that they saw walking around. One even gave Brody a fist-bump and that is pretty much all they have talked about since that day.  We hung out with Chris for a little while back at the hotel and then went to sleep after a long fun day.

In my opinion, there is nothing like the warm and fuzzy feeling you get when you see your friends' kids playing with your own kids.  I do not think  it will never go away.

(Photo courtesy of Brody.  This may be my favorite photo ever taken.)

Above are some random snapshots of memories that I want to keep alive.  They show Christine pushing my boys and baby J on her stroller while  I push P in my double stroller, P, Brady and Brody cracking each other up at the restaurant doing something only the three of them understand, the three of them running full speed through Lincoln Center, and the boys playing in one of the playgrounds in Central Park.

The next morning the three of us got up and took the train upstate to my parents' house.  We spent a few hours at my parents' house and a few hours at my grandma's house with my sister joining in on the fun.  It was great seeing the boys play in my parents' yard (who knew acorns were so amusing!) and watching them play with my Grandma (whom they call GiGi).  Chris took a late train to meet us so he was home when the boys woke up the next morning.  We played all morning and then spent the rest of the day at Gigi's.  My aunt and cousin joined us for a great afternoon of family fun.

Sunday we got up early and left for the airport.  Like I said, it was a short but very eventful and fun trip.  I can't believe how much we fit into three full days and I am truly happy with all the time we spent with everyone.  I can't wait to do it again (and that is saying a lot since I usually come home thinking I am never traveling again!).  One thing is for sure, New York left a big impression on the boys!  Until next time. . .  much love NY!