NYC Day 1

Waking up the morning of our trip was a little strange because I was super SUPER excited to get to NYC but I was also hoping that the night before had been a dream and the election results weren't really true.  The kids were disappointed.  We were disappointed.  But, we were fortunate to have the distraction of the trip ahead of us and I focused on that!

As with every trip, the kids are beyond helpful and fast-moving when we need to get up early and get going (I wish they were always this agreeable and eager to get ready!).  They love going away, especially when it involves an airplane.  Although, I am starting to think that Riley's favorite part is taking the shuttle from the parking lot to the terminal ... she gets SO excited when the answer to her question, "Do we get to do the little spotted bus?" is YES!

Here's a little proof of how helpful the kids are when we pack for a trip ... Riley is notorious for being difficult with her clothing and choosing what to wear, especially when it comes to long sleeved shirts for some reason.  So, I had the brilliant idea to have her draw the outfits we were packing for her so that she a. wouldn't try to change up the fact that I had managed to get things matching without her really clueing in and b. wouldn't argue and want to wear something different or something dirty or worse ... something we didn't pack!  She was beyond happy to work with me to decide what outfits would work best based on what I knew we'd be doing each day and what the weather would be like.  She even picked out the socks and underwear for each day and we packed the clothing for each day bundled together to eliminate yet another opportunity for Riley to change her mind so it would be easy for her to get dressed every morning! She looked at her little 'menu' every day and wore what we had planned.  Score one for Mommy!

Anyway, back to the airport ... the kids (especially Leighton) was VERY happy to see the Super Bowl countdown clock in the airport.  I knew there was one at the stadium and had said I'd try to take them to see it, but getting to see it at the airport was cool (and saved me figuring out parking at the stadium!!)!  First we checked in (probably the quickest it's ever gone - yay!) and then took pictures with the countdown clock.   Security was also really fast, so we were left with a little time at the gate.  The best way to fill time?  Eat!  There was a subway nearby and Leighton had been begging to try it (yes, the kid who doesn't like sandwiches other than basic cheese/mustard or peanut butter) and Riley is always up for breakfast these days since she has become a lover of the breakfast at school.  Riley and Roy opted for a breakfast wrap, but Leighton wanted to try a pizza sub, so that's what he had for breakfast!  And it fit the theme of the trip so well since we had promised him that he could have pizza for every meal while we were in NYC if he wanted!

After a relatively short and easy flight, we landed at La Guardia.  Such a different airport than Houston.  I've gotten spoiled with all the fancy, shiny, clean, and big things in Houston.  La Guardia is anything but!  The taxi into the city seemed to take forever, and the novelty of being in the taxi wore off for Riley pretty quickly!  But soon enough we were checking into the hotel.  I had never stayed in a hotel in NYC, so it was kind of funny to be a real tourist in our old home.

I had planned to do some quick tourist stuff with the kids while Roy got some work done in the afternoon, but he didn't end up needing to work, so the 4 of us headed out!  The way Riley walked the streets in Manhattan was honestly a joy to watch.  She always talks about being from New York and I swear, she feels it to the very core of her being.  She strutted her stuff like she owned that city!

We started by walking to see St Patrick's Cathedral (Riley REALLY wanted to go in, but we were trying to maximize our time ... next time, I promise, Riley!), Rockefeller Center (both kids love watching the tree lighting every year on TV so to see where it really happens was a thrill for them), and the lions outside the NYPL.  Leighton used to like seeing them when he was little and in his NYC books after moving away, so this was a request of his.  Riley was fine with seeing them, but she wanted to go INSIDE.  Since we didn't at St Patrick's, we did at the library.  Roy had never been in before, so I took them all up to the places I had gone years ago on a tour.

Next up was Grand Central Station.  Leighton was super psyched to see the Chrysler Building all lit up and made me take pictures.  It was at this point that I told Roy it felt so weird to have my camera around my neck taking pictures of these things.  We used to see all these things daily, but to see them through the eyes of the kids was such a fun experience.  Once inside I again showed the kids things I knew about, and then we hopped on a train to hear to Washington Square Park.  The kids love the subway.  LOVE it.  So funny.

When we came out of the subway, I took the stairs that led us to see my great uncle Tony's sculpture.  It is a famous landmark in the city, and Leighton was highly impressed that he was related to the person who had made it!  We hung out under the arch at Washington Square Park while it drizzled on us until it was time to go to for dinner.  Riley even checked out he playground but it was dark and the rain picked up a bit, so that didn't last too long.  I was very glad I had checked the weather forecast and had bought and packed some little travel umbrellas.  And I was even more glad that we didn't have to use them again the whole trip!  Leighton noticed we could see the Empire State Building all lit up, and I think at that point his trip was a success!

Then it was off to Otto for dinner.  I couldn't wait to go!  It is a place we had taken so many out of town visitors and whenever we went, the food, ambience, and wine were always perfect.  But the best thing?  The olive oil gelato.  I wish I could have brought some home with us (Leighton was skeptical at first, but he is now a true fan like myself!)!  We met Alex (Roy's boss from our first 4 years in NYC) and her husband Dan and their kids Rowena and Nate for dinner.  It was really great to get to see them again.  Alex had come to Houston a few months prior, so had the chance to see the kids then.  The kids loved the breadsticks just as much as Leighton did when he was a little guy.  Riley was entertained by the Wikistix for ages.  We enjoyed the food and the company.  And Leighton had pizza number one of the trip!  He wrote a little 'scorecard' in his travel journal to compare the sauce, cheese, crust, and overall taste of each he tried!  Riley also ate my pasta AND her pizza.  Apparently she was hungry!

We took another LONG cab ride back to the hotel (we learned that there were some anti Trump demonstrations causing a lot of blocked streets, so that could have been part of the problem, but there is also just so much traffic!) and called it a night.