And on to the next holiday

It has been nine long years since our friends have visited us.  It is only a 5 hour drive, but sometimes it can be worlds away.  Now that two of their three wonderful kids are out of the nest, it seemed a little easier to find a weekend that wasn't totally committed to sports, studies, events, birthdays, etc. etc. etc. and a visit was finally scheduled...the first weekend after the Rock Center tree was lit.  And where did they want to go? NYC of course.  For fun, their youngest brought along her best friend...both with the same name.  They don't seem confused by it at all.  I was thoroughly confused by it.  But no matter. They were both adorable.

It all began with a train ride.  Such a hum drum thing for those of us who use it all the time....very new and even intimidating for them.

They are actually jumping up and down inside....really....I promise...believe me at the house for two days before we left, they were physically jumping up and down!  Maybe they look less excited because we told them to remember the train stop in case we got separated in NYC and they had to find their way home. 

Unseasonably cold for early December...we bundled up well and made our way down to Battery Park so they could see Lady Liberty.  She was awfully small out in the harbor...but they still thought it was worthwhile.  Here they are at the sight of the Korean War Memorial (I checked Mom, Uncle Lambert wasn't listed) bravely fighting the wind.

For the Mr./Dad we had to hit the courthouse steps.  He is a law and order junkie.  So while he posed on teh steps, we all yelled:  Dun-Dun.  Or is it Bum-Bum?  Well whatever.  If you know the show, you know the sound.  It's amazing how all the sights of NYC have so much history and yet people always get the most excited about those that resonate from movies, tv, and other things they experience from their LaZBoy at home.  I have to admit, when we returned from Italy, we did sit up a little straighter when we connected movie sites to what we had seen.

Next was all about ChinaTown.  Thoroughly daunted by the whispers in our ears (Gucci? Coach? Fendi?) we stuck with the actuall retail shops.  The girls crowded in to the little shop to find their Hello Kitty glitter necklaces.  "Two for $15!"  "You no want one!  One is $12"  "I make you good deal" 

In one of my favorite shots of the day...Tay shows she's happy, but certainly overwhelmed by the crowds.  I didn't tell her she hadn't seen anything yet...we were still downtown of the true hordes.

We were working our way uptown, hitting all the items on the checklist.  It's hard to get two short girls and one tall building (Empire State, minus the recognizable top).

And of course FAO Schwarz.  But take a tip from me.  Don't try to get in around Christmas.  The line was three blocks long, so we opted for the picture with the cute and tall toy soldier man instead.

The most amazing Starbucks coffee shop in the city - the one in Trump Plaza.  Nothing like a multi-story wall of water with an equally large christmas tree to say HOLIDAY.

But the city always wears her best colors at night.  And THIS is what got all of our juices flowing. Times Square after dark.  Spectacular.

And of course - Radio City. With our own little dancer giving us her streetside kick-line.  (And as an aside, can I just say what a pain in the a$$ blogger video upload is.)

The crowds got thicker and thicker as we moved on.  Really, if we hadn't had Tay#1 to serve like an icebreaker ship, our team of cruisers wouldn't have gotten far at all.  That little girl can weave her way through a NYC crowd like a pro.

Happy Pre-Holiday's everyone!

Rock Center Christmas Tree 2010