A Wicked Mother's Day

Spending Mother's Day in NYC was definitely a treat. Too bad Jaxon and Baylor weren't with me to celebrate! Anh & I actually went back and forth on whether the boys should make the trip with us. I was fairly confident that Jax would be able to handle the busy schedule, but at the same time, I knew Baylor wouldn't be as flexible. He has a set schedule and doesn't like to deviate from it. In the end, Anh and I both agreed it would be best to leave the kids at home with Aunt Nguyen. Therefore, I was childless on Mother's Day 2009, my first with Baylor. So sad!

Our day started with a trip to Chinatown for dim sum. As soon as we exited the subway terminal, we were "attacked" by street vendors hawking their counterfeit goods. Evidently, Kelly and I looked like we were in the market for some Gucci, Prada, Coach, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton. Oh! Plus, some Tiffany jewelry. Can't forget the jewelry!

I don't know who buys their fake stuff, but these folks must make a pretty penny because there were vendors everywhere! They're pushy too. NYPD must have cracked down on them at some point because they don't actually have the goods with them on the street. They have pictures of the merchandise and thrust the papers in your face while chanting, "Gucci, Prada, Coach, Chanel, Louis Vuitton" over and over and over. It's almost hypnotizing. Maybe that's how they get you!

Somehow we resisted the urge to follow them, and instead we found our way to Oriental Garden restaurant for dim sum! It was beyond good! I think Kelly will probably become a regular there.

Dim sum was definitely a treat, but my actual gift required a trip to the theatre district to see Wicked on Broadway! This is something I have wanted to do for years, and it was everything I had hoped for. I see why this production is always sold-out.

We ended our day with a special dinner at Perilla. Chef Harold Dieterle is the original "Top Chef." Kelly and I love the Bravo series, making this a must for the trip. Harold is definitely a talented chef. Both the food and atmosphere were great.

After dinner, we wandered the streets of Union Square and found ourselves right smack in the middle of filming for Nicolas Cage's new movie, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice." We debated whether it was safe to stand there and watch them film the chase scene because some believe the film is cursed. In recent weeks, there have been a number of incidents that resulted in injuries while filming, including 2 car accidents. We decided to risk it, but didn't see any real action. Oh well.

Finally, it was Monday, our last day in the city. Eating at Perilla the night before reminded me of another stop that we needed to make during our visit, Chelsea Market. It's like Foodie Heaven! I wanted to buy & eat everything! Of course, winning the lottery would be necessary to make that happen. Let's just say, Heaven ain't cheap! We did splurge on some gourmet cookies and brownies though. Yummy!

That pretty much concludes the trip report. Anh and I may possibly have a new favorite city. We certainly aren't interested in calling it home, but I will definitely look forward to visiting Kelly in the city that never sleeps!