As soon as I found out that we would be so close to New York City once we moved, I knew that I waned to take the kids there during Christmas. It's something that I've always wanted to do, and I was excited to introduce them to such an exciting and iconic place...especially during the holidays!
We left Friday morning, and expected to get there early afternoon, but we were VERY wrong. It took us almost as long to go the three miles into the city as it did to go the 250 miles to get to that point. I've been to a lot of big cities, and driven in a lot of bad traffic, but this was the worst I've ever seen. We didn't plan for it, and got there later than we thought, but such is life, right? The kids were only beating down the windows and doors to get out. :) Driving down the streets of NYC was an experience. So many crazy drivers, people walking in front of you no matter what the signals say, one-way traffic, no parking...but we made it to our hotel, checked in, and and the drove down to the parking garage.
We didn't even unpack..we wanted to take advantage of as much time as we had that night. We bundled the kids up, and started walking. Our hotel was in Times Square, so we were close to a lot of things on our list, which was really nice. We headed up to Rockefeller Center, to see the huge tree, and it was incredible. There were SO many people there, and I was nervous about having so many little kids, but they did great--even Henry stayed right with us and didn't try to give me a heart attack. We loved the tree, all the lights and decorations, and the holiday windows were breathtaking. We just soaked up the atmosphere, the people, and all that Christmas! We passed the New York Public Library, and about 5 billion hot dog trucks, which Henry died over every single time we saw one. Finally, we had to stop and get him one. He was so happy. That boy kills me.
By this time it was late, and we were al starving (even Henry, who had a hot dog), so we stopped to get something to eat. I love seeing people's faces when we tell how many people are in our party...and how many kids' menus we need. :) And the prices? You really have to be prepared. The kids' meals were over $10, and regular entrees over $20, at a chain restaurant that I've been to in other cities...with prices at about half that. But...it is what it is, and we tried not to look at them too much. :) After dinner, it was late, and we were all tired, and it was time for bed! I don't think any of our eyes were open very long after hitting the pillow--even the baby didn't make a peep!
The next morning we woke up bright and early, ready for a very full day. First up...ice skating in Central Park! It was a beautiful day--we go spoiled with weather in the low 40's. The kids were all excited to get out on the ice, and I took them out while Rick watched with Caroline. The girls and Ryan were off, and I stayed with Jack and Henry as we made our way around the rink. It was slow-going, and they held on to the side quite a bit, but they kept going and tried hard, and eventually it got easier. I traded with Rick, and he went out while I was with the baby, until Ryan decided he was done, and then I went back out again. Kate just wanted to go fast (surprise, surprise), so we took off together, and went as fast as we could, around and around. I can't explain to you how idyllic and perfect it was. The huge buildings were in the background, the sun was shining, Christmas music was playing, all the people were happy and smiling--it was honestly one of the best moments of the whole trip. No one wanted to leave, and still, each of the kids proclaim it as their favorite part.
We had a ferry to catch at Battery Park, and we were clear uptown, so we literally ran to the nearest subway station. It took a long time to buy separate metro cards (everyone has to have their own), and we were at the vending machine for a quite awhile. :) Once those were purchased, we wouldn't have to do it again for the rest of the trip, which was nice. We managed to get to the right train in time, and made it to Battery Park and onto the ferry with a few minutes to spare.
We took the boat over to the Statue of Liberty first, and then to Ellis Island. There was a special exhibit at Ellis Island about the effects of Hurricane Sandy, and it was really interesting--all the kids enjoyed it. Although we had hot dogs on the boat, and that was Henry's favorite part. :)
Our next stop was the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. When Rick and I went to NYC a few years ago, our hotel was right across the street, and they were in the middle of building the museum, but we missed the memorial opening by just a week. I was glad to be able to finally see it, along with our whole family.
As emotional and sometimes difficult as it was to see and read about, I wish that every American had the opportunity to visit at least once. New York streets are very busy and very loud, but interestingly enough as soon as you step foot onto the grounds of the memorial, it's almost completely silent. The museum is even more so...not even whisperings. The kids felt it too, although they wouldn't be able to understand why quite yet. They calmed down too, and asked a lot of questions. There was a section of the museum that isn't recommended for children under the age of 11, and so Rick stayed with the kids while Ryan and I went in--the plan was to trade off. There were a lot of tears shed, and not just by me--they had Kleenex boxes posted outside of the alcoves, and they were being used. Some of it was graphic, and many people lost their lives in such a horrible way, and under horrible conditions. As difficult as it was, I feel like we owe them to know what happened, so their lives weren't lost in vain. The museum is built directly over where the towers stood, and they actually have sections of the floor that are open, where the columns and foundation are still existing. It's extremely sobering, but it felt almost religious--it's most assuredly sacred and hallowed ground.
{the fire department across the street}
We left the museum tired and hungry, but grateful. We saw a group of policemen as we were leaving, and one of them told us that we should avoid the nearest subway station--which is where we were headed. He told us that there was a large group of protestors there, and that it wasn't safe. We were so glad he told us, and he also pointed us in the direction we should go. The kids were too tired to go to a restaurant, and I was afraid of a total meltdown if we did, so we went back to the hotel. We got them bathed and in pajamas, then snuggled them up in bed to watch a Christmas movie while Rick and Ryan went out to get us food. We went to The Shake Shack, which is a famous NYC institution, and SO SO SO good. Burgers, fries, and frozen custard...you can't get better than that!
The next morning we packed up, took our things to the car, then headed out for a small adventure before heading home. We stopped at The Crumbs Bakery, which was AMAZING. We decided it would be a good idea to have cupcakes for breakfast, and we didn't any arguments from the kids. We did get them orange juice, so that balanced out the sugar, right? :)
Our way home was much faster--no traffic going out of the city! It was a fairly quick trip, and we got the kids home in time to get into bed at a decent hour of school the next day. It was such a whirlwind trip, but SO fun. We've decided we're going to make it an annual trip--there is just so much to see and do there, I think it will take us years to even scratch the surface!
Overall, it was a wonderful trip. We did get A LOT of stares, which we're used to, but I don't think we are the typical family walking up and down the streets of NYC. We actually didn't see many kids in general, so we really stuck out. But that's okay...I'm very glad that we're able to take them and introduce them to new places, different cultures and people, and a different way of life.
With all the busy-ness of the season, and the craziness that our family has had the past few months, I'm grateful for the few days away that we had together.
It was a wonderful Christmas in New York experience!
