"New York City, You're So Pretty"

Last week, my little brother Eric called us up and said he was flying out to NY to interview for an internship with an investment banking firm. I asked if he would stay a few extra days after it was over so we could rendezvous up there over the weekend. He politely acquiesced and we had a blast doing all the fun New Yorky things there are to do up there.

We knew it would be rainy Friday morning when we got there, but didn't anticipate rain ALL DAY, or 35 MPH wind gusts all day the next day and snow in the afternoon (wind chill was in the teens; I know, I know: it's February, but still). However cold we were, the fun factor outweighed any discomfort we had and the girls had a blast with their Uncle Eric.

First up, the Wall Street Bull photo-op. We especially loved the cop tasked to man the statue continuing to scream at the spectators lined up along the street, "GET OUTTA DA STREET PEOPLE! I'M GONNA BE LAUGHIN' WHEN A CAR COMES SPEEDING BY AND RUNS YOU ALL OVER." Enter strange New Yorker #1.

Second, FAO Schwartz (I felt we needed to reward the girls after our drive up there and for being angels in the car). Makenna, Addison and Drew tore it up on the Big Piano. Beat that, Tom Hanks.

Then we headed up to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which is one of my favorite places in the city. Drew was insistent on proving what an awesome mate he is and begged me so that he could take the girls to the basement to run around while Eric and I leisurely roamed through the museum to our hearts' content (okay, it may not have happened exactly like that, but it ended up that way). One of my fave pieces...

(Edward Hopper's "The Lighthouse at Two Lights", which we visited last summer while up in Maine...gorgeous)

The afternoon proceeded quite uneventfully at the Met, until it was time to leave and I needed to change Addison's diaper in the bathroom's handicapped stall. It started with her running in and attempting to open up the stall door. It ended with a certifiably INSANE woman who informed me that as an American, she "had the right to urinate in peace and quiet without an awful little child terrorizing her in the bathroom." The screaming went on for quite awhile longer ("You're not allowed to use this stall. It's only for the elderly, not for little babies. Go away NOW," with fellow patrons casting sympathetic glances our way and Addison grabbing at her diaper from behind. Enter strange New Yorker #2.)

Day #2: Ferry ride to Liberty Island and Ellis Island. Always wanted to do it, never have. We buckled down on the windiest day in New York history and did it. Collectively, I think we wore every piece of clothing we brought (I was literally wearing 5 layers of clothing and still freezing). Uncle Eric is not one to leave extra layers going unused and, very elegantly, fashioned a head scarf out of Addison's mimi (blanket).

Lady Liberty was amazingly beautiful up close, although we didn't get any pictures with her b/c I brought the wrong lens and couldn't back up enough to get everything in the shot. But here are Drew and me nearly getting completely blown over on a tiny island in the middle of a big bay.

We spent the minimum time of 30 minutes there before the next ferry arrived and we ran onto it, taking cover from the cold.

Ellis Island: Amazing history. Haunting photos and artifacts. Beautifully restored. LOVED THIS PLACE.

We ended the day with a delicious dinner at Lombardi's Pizzeria in Little Italy. This is Addison exhausted after 2 days of nonstop FUN. She nearly fell asleep with cheese stringing from her mouth.

Times Square: What kind of doting parents would we be if we didn't make a stop at the Disney Store? Terrible ones, I'd say. So here's Makenna in front of the magic mirror, where if you wave a wand, a princess shows up and talks to you...MESMERIZING to my 4-year-old. We may or may not have caved and bought her the Tangled figurines which may or may not have kept her utterly entertained the entire drive home to Virginia.

Rockefeller Center. Don't worry, it's just so cold it's SNOWING. We had fun watching the ice skaters, though, and got a super nice guy to take our picture (although it's pretty blurry).

The next day we packed up, did a drive-by of Central Park and a little bit of street shopping, then we reluctantly said good-bye so Eric could head to the airport and we could make our way home after a super fun, impromptu vacation up to NYC.

(St. Patrick's Cathedral by night)

Thanks, Eric for a fabulous weekend! We miss you already.