NYC Part 1

So... I realize I should be up to date enough to be posting all the Halloween pics today because heaven knows I don't want to drag Halloween out any farther than it has to be. As a dance teacher, I have had to keep up that blasted Halloween enthusiasm for a lot of classes. Bleh. I can't get the decorations down quick enough. I'm ready to delay Christmas a bit and just ENJOY early November. 

But, I've been a little spontaneous and spoiled lately. After a girl's trip fell through that would've happened over UEA, I had a nutty idea to run my 2 oldest back to NYC to visit my brother's family. I've been a little YOLO lately. (plus, this counts as their birthdays. Yeehaw!)

So off we went. Our plane flew right over Manhattan starting at the bottom.  It was so cool. This was the shot as we landed. 

If you are going to head to New York, make sure you have relatives to stay with. It sure makes it way, way funner and way, way cheaper. Mark, Kathryn and family were so wonderful to host us and made our quick trip so easy. Here are the 2 favorite cousins reunited in my brother's newly remodeled kitchen.

Sleepovers! 

Day one, we headed into the city with Mark on the train and walked down to the Empire State. 

Parker has a love of maps and was pointing out tons of buildings that I didn't even know. We had amazing weather on day 1. 

Then we ran into a fully Christmas decorated Macy's on 34th street. I love the Cellar downstairs and the part of the store with the old escalators. 

Subway trip....I snuck this pic with my phone. You never want to look like a tourist on the subway. They got really good at navigating it with me.

We went to NYC five years ago for Christmas and this was one of the favorite parts for the kids. This is down in Battery Park, and I'm really sad to think it was probably under feet of water this week. How lucky am I to have avoided Sandy!

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Statue! We were 2 weeks short of being able to go inside it as they are refurbishing it. 

Did a quick run through Ellis Island and then back to Battery Park. I usually enjoy street performers. But these guys, not so much. Just as I was grabbing my bag to leave, I turn around and they had taken Parker into the show. There was a lot of dancing and fleecing people for money, but this is the grande finale.

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Then off to Time Square for a quick pizza dinner and down to the Circle Line tour. It is a really too bad that my camera sucks with night shots, but it was such a cool way to see the island of Manhattan.

The new "Freedom" tower, but they decided to call it World Trade Center 1 as to not offend out of country clients. Really? 

Brooklyn Bridge. The tour guide had a lot of cool facts about the city. I really enjoyed it. So did Parker. Emi was just exhausted by this point, but she was a trooper. 

Knowing we'd be exhausted, Mark drove down to pick us up. SOOOO welcome at that point of the day. 

Transportation used: Plane, 2 different Newman mini-vans, commuter train, subway, bus, and 2 boats. My kids were obsessed with different ways to travel on this trip.