WICKED!!

Before Wicked we went to a Japanese restaurant where both Esher and Tristan fell off  their chairs. Lunch was really good and the Nigiri was amazing! One of the things that is really cool about New Yorkers is that they really don’t mind kids. In the restaurants we have been at there are no kid menus or kids other than ours, but no one seems to mind. Everyone one has been super nice everywhere we have been! It is such a fun city!!

   

YES!!  Today the girls and Jared went to see Wicked. I was so excited for them and I couldn’t wait to hear what they would say about it. Now all the songs would make sense to them-yeah!!

 

Esher was really sad he wasn’t able to go. You can’t tell from this picture but right after it his voice got whiney. Next year I think he will be able to go to any plays we go to.

I promised him I would take him to Central Park to play but it was really raining hard so we ended up sitting at an Italian place playing video games, drinking chocolate milk and eating dessert.

 

When it cleared up a little bit we walked around the town, but ran out of time before we could make it to Central Park. We stayed 2 blocks away from the park but we always got back to the hotel at night and there was no way we were going there at night.

 

Jared took some pictures in the theatre.

 

We couldn’t get a seat for Maria near Jared and the girls so she sat by herself up in the balcony section. The girls and Jared went to see her during intermission. She said she could see everything just fine. She loved it, seriously how could you not!

Esher and I went to the hotel, picked up our luggage, and took a taxi to the theatre to pick the others up. I was almost in tears thinking about what our girls had just seen and playing back in my head my favorite parts.. Tristan came running up and said “Mommy, I want to see it over and over again for the rest of my life!!” That made the expense of it all, worth it!!!!

I really wanted to go to Joe’s again, but for some reason we ended up at Applebee's. Seriously the most expensive disgusting food I have ever had. I will never go there again!!! I couldn’t believe that place was packed. I know that it having a view of Time Square had a lot to do with it not the food or service. Biggest regret ever!!!

After our gross dinner we took the bus to Madison Square Garden where we caught our Bolt bus back to DC.

These are some of the things we saw on our way.

 

 

This time we made sure we sat in seats that had the outlets. It was a wonderful ride back. There was hardly anyone on the bus.

So…. I LOVE NEW YORK AND I CAN’T WAIT TO GO BACK!!!!

 

A Day In New York

When we got off the ferry Spiderman was there to greet us. It really is a very creative way to ask for money. The first time we saw this was in Paris in front of Notre Dame.

The park had some cool things in it. These musical squares were really fun.

We all joined in.

Then we had to get more expensive ice cream to have in the park. This guy had a very heavy New York accent-it is so fun to listen to. I wonder if he is saying the same thing about us?

 

   

 

As we walked through the park there were people playing all kinds of music-it was so fun!!

My Love was in New York in February for work. He was such a wonderful tour guide to have in the city. He took us to the most AMAZING Chinese restaurant every!!!

I want to go back just to go there again!

                          Joe’s Shanghai Restaurant

 

The tables were traditional round tables with a revolving center platform so you could share all of your food and not have to pass it down to anyone-you just spin it.

 

Okay these are the best things on Earth-SOUP DUMPLINGS!!!

There is soup in the dumpling and it is AMAZING!!! My only regret is that we only went there once in three days. Dan Mullins was right we should have been there for every meal. He and Jared found this place when they were there together in February. There is always a line out the door to this place. So forever in my heart I will remember Canal Station, walk up to Mott take a right, take a left on Pell and on the right there is Joe’s. Like all amazing places it looks like a total dive and you can barely see through the from window because it is so coated with stuff. We even saw two waiters fighting in the back. One of them was our waiter and is in the first picture of us sitting at the table.  Fists and words were flying! Maria was in love with one of the college kids that were sat at our table. One of the guy was very cute. Maria was sad we didn’t take a picture of him. When we left they asked to have our left over food and ate it. Funny! College students just don’t care!!

 

Before we left Esher fell asleep so my wonderful love carried him all the way back to the subway. He held him while Paris, Tristan ,and Maria shopped. It was hot and that boy is getting so heavy!

We went back to our room to relax. About midnight Jared really wanted some street food. So he went out and found two places. One with a very long line

and one without a line but an incredible smell. He came back and had us all do a taste test. I liked the one with the line better than the one without and he liked the other. It was so much fun just staying up late,eating and talking!!!

I love my husband!!!

The kids were so cute and put themselves in the closet to watch a movie on the video player. Maria braided their hair so they would have wavy hair the next day.

 

 

 

 

Lady Liberty

We are going to the Statue of Liberty today and we are all so excited. This morning I woke up really pissed off. I thought My Love had left the window open, but he really hadn’t, so at about 7am the construction down the alley started and it sounded like it was in our room. Everyone else slept through it all. I tried to go back to sleep and I did for a little bit but couldn’t for very long. Our building is old so the windows are too and they stop absolutely no noise from coming in.

Today we got to ride the New York Subway system-IT SUCKS!! There is a lot of construction going on. At every step we had to ask someone if we were going the right way. They have numbered and lettered lines that are all different colors. if you need to go in any direction you have to memorize all the stops going towards UPTOWN or DOWNTOWN because that is all the signs say even on the platform while waiting for the train. It doesn’t even tell you what your next stop will be once you get on the train, so you don’t know if it is the correct side or not. It isn't hard to memorize if you live there but they definitely don't make it tourist friendly. Even Paris, our master Metro girl, had a hard time with it.

We ran to the line for the Statue of Liberty because on the internet the last tickets they sold were at 1pm and we had 5 minutes to get there, but there were tons of people there so we were okay. We were not able to get tickets to go up into the pedestal because they are booked until September. They will reopen the crown on the 4th of July, it was shut down after 9-11.

While in line

Then on the ferry where Tristan was instantly sick. I do hope she gets over all this sickness stuff on planes and boats because we really want to take our kids on a cruise one day and continue flying everywhere we possibly can.

 

There SHE is

Ellis Island

 

A cool bridge & sail boat

It was amazing being there!!

We only bought two headsets for us and not the kids because we didn't think they would like it and they were $10 each. When the lady handing them out heard that we didn’t have any for the kids she handed every one of them one for free. Okay they were so good about it and listened to all of it. I was very impressed with them.

I know we all look super dorky but I love listening to all the stories and facts. The only thing I hate is that I can’t remember everything.

Esher looked the cutest!!!!

 

 

Then he multitasked, while he listened he also was digging in a hole in the wall.

The city looks so beautiful from here.

 

We had to take a group picture!

Some of the thing I remember from our head set tour.

The French man who created the statue used his mom’s face as  a model. The entire thing came in crates that had to be but together here. The first person that was in charge of building the inside structure died and it’s a good thing since his big idea was to just build it then fill it with sand. Well if they had done this the statue would not be standing today because it wouldn’t have been flexible enough to take the terrible wind that goes through here and the difference in temperature throughout the year. So they got a new architect by the last name of Eiffel. Yes, the same man who later created the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

The inside of the statue is a lot like a bridge (It said like the Eiffel Tower is too) making  it very flexible so it will bend and expand as needed without causing damage to the statue and maintaining its form. The statue has 7 spikes representing the 7 continents.

 

She is strongly and confidently walking forward towards all nations to spread democracy and freedom. The torch of light guiding the way and serving as a beacon of light for all to go towards. Her arm is raised high in complete assertiveness.

When the statue was dedicated no women where allowed to be present “for their safety”. I think this idea of safety was used very often in those days to keep woman at home and away from anything fun! So a very large group of women hired boats to circle the island during the ceremony. Can you imagine the immense bravery of these women to go against an entire gender and I’m sure many of their own gender for such a strong belief in being equal. Especially when during their entire lives they had been taught the complete opposite!!! 

 

The copper statue itself is the thickness of two pennies put together.

Joseph Pulitzer came up with a brilliant idea on how to come up with the money to build the pedestal. He sent out an ad saying that if anyone donated money to fund this project he would put their name in the newspaper. It didn’t matter if it was just a penny your name would be put in. Donations covered the entire cost of the pedestal. PRETTY CLEVER!!! 

 

We loved being there.

We live such an extremely blessed life in this country!!!!!

 

My Love has this cute thing that he does so we are all listening at the same thing at the same time. So we always count to three before pushing play. We did it all though Europe when we had headsets available. It was so cute because the kids all did it  with us too. I know we probably look like dorky tourist counting to three every few minutes but it’s so cute!!  Tristan was so excited to tell us that they use to hang pirates at the base of where the statue stands now which was also at one point a fort.

The kids had left over Mc Donald’s from the night before, so they ate a little before getting back on the ferry.

 

This girl looks so cute even with a missing tooth!

So again another dream comes true for me. Earlier this year Tristan and Paris both learned about The Statue of Liberty.  And here we are at her feet, learning more and visiting a place our children heard about in school. Months ago Tristan’s teacher was very impressed when she told the class that the statue was a gift from France. She commented that only Tristan would know a fact like that.

It was cute when the kids waved good-bye.