Thursday, March 27, 2008

Part 3: The City That Never Sleeps

Today we took the bus up to NYC. Tom is getting Randy and Aunt Jennie's cold and the weather was a little damp and cold, but other than that, it was another pretty darn nice day.

We started off by heading to a taping of the Today Show. Liv was very excited about this! It was a little bit crowded, but I thought we were pretty well positioned. I was not taking into account Liv's height. She couldn't see a thing. When "the talent" came out, and the crowd got excited, she could see even less. She was crying real tears and I felt so bad! There's no crying on vacation! I must say here, that while saying I'm not exactly Ann Curry's biggest fan is sort of an understatement, the woman is so beautiful she almost seems unreal. She is also extremely personable, staying out long after everyone else has gone in, greeting fans and posing for pictures. So she is beautiful and gracious. Now if she could only learn to conduct a decent interview or deliver the news in a manner that doesn't want me to poke my eyes out with a spork... It's a little harder to hate on her now that her grace has been witnessed close up.

We left there and headed to Central Park. We took a carriage ride and let the kids play in the park for a while. They loved it.

Next stop: FAO Schwartz. We walked in the door and Olivia's chin dropped to the floor. The heavens opened, the angels sang, and Olivia fell to her knees in overwhelming gratitude. Well, she didn't REALLY fall to her knees, but, you know. She had never even imagined that such a place could exist. These bigger than life plush animals met us at the door, and my little Harry Potter freaks were beside themselves.

Liv also wanted to go to American Girl Place, so after a yoooooge lunch (hot corned beef, cold slaw and a big dill pickle, natch) we headed there next. She gets so overwhelmed when there are so many choices to make, but she finally settled on a wheelchair and the "get better" kit.

Lea and I dragged everyone else along on the requisite pilgrimage to the Swatch store. Lea got a very punk rock plaid watch and I got this one, which, to my happy surprise, will result in me having another watch sent to me. Woo hoo! Something for nothing!!! (yeah right!)

A little more shopping and a piece of cheesecake (YUM!!!) later, we were all ready to head home. Tom succumbed to his cold on the way home (he fought it valiantly all day) and I think we were all ready to go back to Aunt Jennie's and relax.

Vacation rocks.

I sure hope the girls and I don't get this cold - it seems particularly wicked. Tom will have all day tomorrow to lay around and recover - I only hope it's enough.

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