WE ARE SOOOOOOO TIRED...
We jumped on this train and then switched to another and pushed and pulled bags through turnstyles, even setting off an alarm or two just trying to get all of our stuff through. Skinny people have a hard time fitting through the subway turnstyles, let alone all of us with luggage. Well, we did make it, thanks to a few nice New Yorkers leading us along and pointing us in the right direction. I have rode the subway quite a few times, but those first few take some time to get your bearings. After walking and dragging and riding and then walking more, we made it to our apartment at about 9ish in the morning.
We settled in on Saturday, took a little nappie and then headed out to Times Square. It was way busier than the last time we were there, just two months after 9/11. The kids thought all the signs and huge buildings were cool, of course, who wouldn't? We wandered around like kids in a candy store for quite awhile and decided to eat at Heartland Brewery in Times Square. Good choice, it was sooooooo good. They had the best drink ever called the "Vanilla Vixen", it had vanilla vodka and their homemade black cherry cola, it was a guzzler as I quickly downed the first one. They don't cheat you there either. As I debated another (at $11 a pop), my sweet hubby replied, "we could all die tomorrow, might as well enjoy yourself.) So true! Enjoy what you have when you have it, so I ordered another. Since I would be in NYC over my birthday, they all thought it would be great so celebrate EVERY night at dinner. Oh, I just love my birthday anyway (NOT), I got to celebrate everyday. After dinner and dessert, we headed out for some more people watching and shopping at the biggest Toys R Us in the world. I don't even know how many stories it is, but it had a huge ferris wheel on the inside that we rode. The kids were in heaven, all 1 million of them that were in the store while we were.
Sunday we decided we better go see Shea Stadium, since it is in its last year too this year. So, we went and watched the Mets play the Cardinals. Johan Santana (wish the Yanks would have got him) pitched a complete game and looked great, I think. We were so far away from the field it could have been the Bad New Bears playing and I wouldn't have noticed.
Of course J decided he would take T and they would skulk up closer, yes he loves to do that.
These seats are waaaaaay better. Thx Dad!
So, away they went. They ended up behind third base dugout really close to all the action. I found them in the last inning and me and B sat with them and watched the end of the game. The kids got FREE Mets lunchoxes in a giveaway, which was the only reason we have anything Mets.
It just goes against everything I am to have Mets stuff in my house. Oh well!
Monday came and we headed out to see the Statue of Liberty. The last time we were there, you couldn't go see it cause of 9/11, so J had never seen it before. We waited forever in line to see it and then with the masses, took the ferry to visit ole Lady Liberty. Apparently to go in it now, you have to get a pass two weeks in advance, which we didn't know or do. So, we wandered around with the trillions of other people and took lots of pics. The kids learned about it in preschool, so they thought it was pretty cool to see in person. We then went to Ellis Island, which I don't know if I was just tired, or the kids were getting to me, but I was bored there, to death. I know there is a lot of history there, but I just couldn't get into it.
We decided to check out the South Street Seaport for dinner that night. So after wandering around Wall Street a little, we walked down to Fulton Street. Fortunately for me, they had a great Yankee team shop there (they are all over there, I Love it) and got me a cool jacket for my birthday present. We ate at a nice place called Il Porto, which was outside. It was pretty good food, Italian restuarant. There was a lady there, a street performer, who was doing balloon creations. T got a spider man one and B got a fairy princesss deal, not really sure what it was. B made really good friends with the hostess at the restaurant and we got a great pic of them together.Of course it wouldn't be dinner unless, of course, birthday singing and dessert. YUMMY cheesecake here. It was some of the best ever. We walked to the subway after and back home we went.
The subway was funny to watch, or at least funny to watch my kids on it. T acted like all the other New Yorkers, you would think he does it all the time. He would crowd in like everyone else and then snag the last free seat. I was proud of his subway saavy, he fit right in. B used her smiles and charm to get people to give her a seat, and it always worked.
Tuesday, we were on our own. Just us and the kiddies. Since Night at the Museum is one of their favorite all time movies and it was highly recommended as a must see, we went to the Museum of Natural History.
We were a few blocks walk from Central Park, so we walked to Central Park and then the whole width of it to the museum. I love Central Park, it is so amazing and beautiful and needs its own zip code. The kids were dying to see "dum dum" at the Museum, so we were off. The place was absolutely amazing. You could have spent a couple of full days in there, it just went on and on and on. It was fun for kids and adults. The movie made it even more fun for the kids cause they recognized a bunch of the stuff and wanted to see Teddy Roosevelt and the T Rex and dum dum. They also couldnt wait to see all the little people, I think they were waiting for everything to come to life. We saw a really cool live exhibit of lizards and snakes, which B loved. We saw dum dum and all the kids were there saying the same thing, it was kinda comical. They had so much to offer and is a must see if you are in NY. That night we went to Spanky's bbq to chow~
Finally we made it to the first Yankee game on Wednesday afternoon. Holy sHi* was it hot. I felt like I was melting into my seat at the game. I don't know if I would do another day game in NYC, unless it was Spring or Fall, definitely not in the heat of July. However that being said, I was so excited to be there. Joba pitched and the Yankees won. A-Rod and Abreu both hit home runs and Edwar Ramirez got thrown out of the game after throwing only one pitch. It happened to be at Kevin Millar's head, big deal. It was a big time butt kicking over the Orioles and I felt like maybe we were going to start them on a big comeback. 
Well, not so fast. Thursday was my "real" birthday and we were heading back to the Yankees game that night. Not a better way to spend a birthday than at Yankee Stadium. Me, J and the kiddies spent the day doing fun stuff for the kiddies. I really wanted to take the kids to Build a Bear in NYC, since it was supposed to be the mega store of Build a Bear, and I was not disappointed. It was huge. Both of the kiddies got a Yankee Bear made, one pink and one blue. Perfect. They had so much fun stuffing them and putting their hearts in. They then got to pick out their outfits and off we went. We actually hit FAO Schwarz that day too for some toy browsing and shopping. That was the toy store that had the big piano in it from the movie "big". Not quite like the movie, what is I ask, but they still got to run over the keys and they thought that was great. They got to each get a toy and then we were off. We checked out the Plaza Hotel, Trump Towers (where T asked the doorman if Derek Jeter lives here) lol and Madison Square Garden.
We tooled around on the bus for quite awhile and then went home to get ready for the big game. Unfortunately, they played the Angels and Pettite didn't pitch real well. However, one big plus was we were there to see Pudge Rodriguez's first catch as a Yankee and his first hit. I am so happy that we got Pudge, what a great pickup!But, we lost. Oh well. We had so much fun at Yankee Stadium and was so glad that we made it before they rip it down. The new one, right next door, looks incredible. I can't wait to go check it out too. Maybe this time without the kids. :-)
We got home and my mommy and daddy had got me a delicious birthday cake from a bakery that we kept drooling over every time we passed. We almost started a fire with all the fire and smoke from my candles, but it was fun. Thanks to my mom and dad, Bev and Rex and J and kiddies for making my birthday a great one to remember. Although I hate my birthday, I loved celebrating it in NYC!
Finally the last day of our trip and we decided to head out to ghetto island, I mean Coney Island. We tried out Famous Nathan's hot dogs, YUCK!!!!!! I will take Oscar Mayer anyday! However, it was a great place to people watch and boy did we see some interesting people there. They had a game on the boardwalk called "shoot the freak". Some dude in paintball gear ran around while you paid to shoot a paintball gun at him. We got funnel cakes and the kids swam in the Atlantic Ocean, which was probably the highlight for them. Give them a beach and they are in heaven and remarkably quiet and well behaved.
What a great trip. Thanks to my family for letting me go live my dream in seeing Yankee Stadium this year. I don't know if it lived up to all the hype, but it did for me.
Can't wait to do it again...
