NYC part one

Michael found out last minute that he was going to New York City to work for a week. I decided it would be fun to take the kids and go with him. I had a week to prepare to take three kids on a crazy adventure. Michael knew he would be pretty busy with work, so most of the time it was me and the kids exploring NYC together. (I am going to put the week into two posts. Some days I had the chance to take pictures and some days it was too crazy to worry about pictures.)

SUNDAY:

We left Sunday morning and drove up to New York. We were hoping to get there by mid-afternoon so we had time to see the Empire State Building before we had dinner. We ran into a little traffic in New Jersey, but I still wasn't concerned too much. We hit the Lincoln Tunnel at about 3:30 pm. Not too bad, but it all went downhill from there. There was some kind of festival/parade on the street our hotel was on. To make a long story short we couldn't get to our hotel and ended up driving around for 2 1/2 extra hours. Definitly the worst part of the week. This kids were amazingly patient (Michael and I were not) and we finally got to our hotel around 6:00 pm.

After checking in, taking our bags to our room, and potty breaks we headed to find something close to eat. We could walk to the Empire State Building from our hotel so we just found something on the way. We ate at a little Korean restaurant and everyone was happy and full. Now the next fun (read not so fun) part of the night. We knew this was one of the only days Michael would get to sight-see with us so we decided to brave the Empire State building even though we were going to arrive way later than planned. We ended up waiting an hour and a half to get to the top, then once we got up there it was so packed. I really wish we didn't have to go during peak time, but it was still an amazing view. We didn't stay long before we headed back to the hotel for some much needed rest.

MONDAY:

Michael didn't have to be in early on Monday so we all ate breakfast together at the hotel. After Michael went off to work I finished getting the kids ready and ventured out into the city with three young kids. (I have to be honest. I was really nervous at first. I have been to NYC before, but not with children. We bought 7 day passes for the subway, but I worried about the logistics of the stroller.)

While we were at the Empire State Building on Sunday I decided to buy one of the passes that gets you into a bunch of stuff for one price. I decided that while the kids were happy I would first attempt to take them to the MoMA. We hopped on the subway and off we went. Miriam and Simon were really excited to visit a museum. I told them what to expect at an art museum and they were rearing to go. When we arrived a nice employee told us about the children's center downstairs. In the end, we spent the whole time playing there and the kids were happy. We checked out the courtyard so I could stop and feed Levi before heading out to find some lunch.

We decided to get sandwiches at a deli and take it up to Central Park a couple of blocks away. After lunch I asked if they wanted to go back to the museum and actually see the art or just go find a playground in the park. They opted for playing at the park (surprise, surprise). Luckily I guessed as much before we left the hotel so I was prepared with swimwear and towels.

As soon as we left the park Simon fell asleep in the stroller. Instead of waking him up to get back on the train I decided we would just walk for a while to let him nap. Miriam and I talked about all sorts of things and tried to decide what to do next. Miriam decided that it was a good idea to go shopping while the boys were asleep. We walked to the Disney Store in Times Square. Simon eventually woke up and both kids decided on a souvenir.

By this time Michael was texting me saying he was done and where should we meet him. We had a late dinner of none other than some NYC pizza. It was really good. We headed back to the hotel to put the kids in bed. I felt victorious surviving my first day solo in New York with three kids.

TUESDAY:

By the time Tuesday started I felt much more comfortable with how the week was going to go. Since scattered showers were in the forecast for the day, we decided to spend the day at the American Museum of Natural History. The kids loved it. They wanted me to take their picture in front of every dead animal in sight. Miriam loved the gem section (although she wanted to see more jewels like the museum in DC). There is a Shake Shack right across the street from the museum so I figured it would be a great place for lunch. I wasn't sure if the kids would want to go back after they ate, but they were up for more. After we had our fill of the museum we headed back to the hotel before it started raining too hard. Since we ate lunch so late I wasn't quite hungry, but I didn't want to send the kids to bed without dinner. There was a Moe's right next to the hotel and the kids were more than happy with a quesadilla and chips for dinner. Michael brought dinner to the hotel for the two of us on his way back from a late night working.