Part of the weekend "fun" involves assembling a scrapbook of the time you spent with Freddy Frog who is supposed to accompany you everywhere! Let me just say that I was beyond thrilled to discover that Jaxon's huge honor would require me to complete yet another project on what turned out to be the busiest project weekend (Christmas shopping, present wrapping, party planning, Christmas cards, etc.) of the holiday season. All sorts of holiday responsibilities on top of the usual list of chores, and then, the last minute inclusion of the class project. Fun! Of course Jaxon would be honored this week and not some less busy week in August, September, October, or November. Yay! Just what does Mrs. P have against me?
Regardless, we did as instructed and incorporated Freddy into our activities. Jax took his Pond Pal title very seriously. Freddy went EVERYWHERE with the boys.
There were a few close calls with Freddy, however. At one point during our Christmas shopping excursion, we found ourselves in Pottery Barn Kids. Logically, the boys got wrapped up in all of the toys on display, and as I wandered the store shopping, I stumbled upon Freddy ALONE lying on a table nowhere near any member of our family. Good thing nobody decided to take him home! Of course, I'm sure it helped that Freddy doesn't appear to have had a bath since the start of the school year. Still, it was a close call. Jaxon got a little lecture on responsibility when I returned his stuffed pal to the safety of our stroller.Freddy also wandered off on his own once we returned home. As we all frantically searched the house, I swore I was NOT going to be the mom that had to explain to 18 Kindergartners and 1 teacher that we were irresponsible and lost the class mascot. I was having flashbacks to the day that I forgot my assigned snack day during Preschool. Thank God, we discovered Freddy had used Baylor as an accomplice and was simply hidden away upstairs.
After all that excitement, Freddy spent his final night at our house tucked safely in Jaxon's backpack. I can only hope that this will be the one and only time this school year that Jaxon is rewarded with this special honor! Way to go, Jax! Now, why don't you tone down the excellent behavior. Live a little!
After a quick power-nap for Baylor, we bundled up prepared for a chilly night on the town (errr...city).
By far, my favorite seasonal accents were the brilliantly illuminated snowflakes dangling over some of Manhattan's major intersections. The only thing better was the real snow that started to fall on our final day in the city.
The boys did a little window-shopping and daydreaming on the way to dinner. Jax selected a vibrant yellow Ferrari, and Baylor frantically pointed past the gas-guzzlers to the Ferrari pedal cars. At least, he was working with a realistic goal.
Although, if you're gonna dream, dream BIG. So, Jax really had the right idea.
A quick stop at Rickshaw Dumpling Bar provided some tasty appetizers for our gang. While the dumplings were okay, the real showstoppers were the juicy beef and pork buns. The combination of flavors was truly mouthwatering good! We enjoyed a second round and had to stop ourselves from ordering a third since we intended to travel another few blocks for our next course.
We switched gears and continents for dinner. Kelly had explored Mario Batali's EATALY Marketplace a few weeks earlier and felt it provided an amazing variety of options in a child-friendly setting. This place was perfect for us!
The options were truly overwhelming. The marketplace featured a number of dining venues intermingled with a top-of-the-line gourmet market. I wanted it all! The only downside was that the secret was out, and the market was PACKED with people all eager to sample the delicious offerings.
After putting our name in for a table, we wandered a bit and discovered the patisserie. The options were endless and narrowing down our selections was no small feat.
Luckily, our purchases met Baylor's approval.
Dinner turned out to be more of an adventure than we had anticipated thanks to EATALY's overwhelming popularity. Without a doubt, it's good to be Mario Batali. Not only is he making the dough (Actually, that job is probably for one of his minions.), he's raking in the dough!
Day 2 seemed a little colder even though the forecast was nearly identical to the previous day, and before you attribute it to the fact that we're from Florida, I should share that Aunt Kelly (the NY transplant) was also commenting that she wished she had worn a hat and selected a thicker scarf. We wanted to experience chilly temps to put us in the holiday spirit, and Mother Nature was doing her best to cooperate.
Day 2 was all about the boys. We set out early with a plan to see Santa at Bloomingdales, and our route took us right by Central Park. After a few quick pictures, we were on our way. We had a date with the Big Guy and couldn't afford to be late.
Thankfully, the line wasn't terribly long, and the boys were whispering their requests in Santa's ear within the hour. Success!
Our second stop was Dylan's Candy Bar. Could there be a more perfect place to celebrate our successful mission than a sugar wonderland? The boys walked all THREE floors carefully making their selections, and then they picked out a few treats to take home for others. So very thoughtful!
After lunch, we piled Jaxon, Baylor, & our shopping bags into the single stroller and set out for what I was sure would be a HUGE hit...FAO Schwarz toy store. Whoever tested our brand of stroller and declared it's weight limit at 40 lbs really underestimated it's capabilities!
When traveling with kids, you have to be flexible. It's certainly a good idea to have a plan, but don't be afraid to deviate as needed. Like when passing a ginormous Christmas tree, for example.
Another quick photo opp, and we were back on the trail in search of toys. You probably thought I was exaggerating about the holiday sights in the city. I'm telling you the Rockefeller tree has some stiff competition!
Once we arrived at the toy store, we discovered that in addition to serving as our pack mule, the stroller provided us with immediate access to the store. Evidently, those with strollers are allowed to bypass the line to enter the store/insanity. Thank goodness for small perks because a 30-60 minute wait in the cold would definitely have taken a toll on our holiday spirits.
While the store was extremely crowded, the boys were able to tickle the ivories on the BIG piano after only a few minutes of waiting. Obviously, they were clueless that the piano was famously featured in a movie, but that had zero impact on their experience. The expressions of joy on their faces was priceless. I'm shocked (yet very appreciative) that they didn't hit me up for the smaller home version.
The rest of our time was spent perusing the toys scattered throughout the three-story wonderland. Much to Jax's disappointment, we left the store empty handed. The checkout line was just too intimidating to even consider making a purchase. Both boys handled the disappointment well, thankfully.
When we exited the store, we discovered the sidewalks and streets were just as crowded as the toy store. Clearly, everyone was on a mission to tackle the Christmas shopping list on 5th Avenue. At that point, we unanimously decided to head back to the hotel and rest up for another fun night in the city. Round 2 would require all of our energy since we would without a doubt be facing colder temperatures and bigger crowds.
Wrapped in multiple layers, we headed back out into the biting cold for what was certain to be a memorable adventure.
We strolled past the crowds at Radio City Music Hall...
Paused briefly to pose with a super-sized Nutcracker...
But, we stopped dead in our tracks when we rounded the corner at Rockefeller Plaza and saw the world-famous Rockefeller tree and the 4 million people also there to gaze at it's beauty. What a sight to behold! Some thought it would be bigger. Personally, I think it just seemed small in comparison to the skyscrapers surrounding it. Others commented on it's imperfections like the gaps and holes in the foliage. I simply thought it looked majestic covered in thousands of twinkling lights and imagined the joy it must bring to the millions that visit every December.
Of course, the joy in your heart is eventually overwhelmed by hoards of people jockeying to get a better view, and that's when we knew it was time to move on to another New York holiday tradition...the window displays at the major department stores. Holy Moly! They are like works of art worthy of an exhibit at The Met. All of the stores we visited (Bloomingdales, Saks 5th Avenue, and Bergdorf Goodman), showed great imagination in their efforts. However, Bergdorf Goodman was my personal favorite. Their displays just seemed to take whimsy and artistry to a completely different level, like something out of a Broadway set design.
To warm up, we made a pit stop at Bryant Park to explore the holiday village of tents offering holiday gifts and tasty treats. Hot apple cider and warm, savory Turkish treats were exactly what we needed to raise our core temperatures.
The final stop of the evening was Times Square and the flagship Toys R Us store. There is a 3-story ferris wheel inside, People! The boys were starting to doze off in the stroller as we made our way into this electrifying section of the city, but within seconds they were jolted back to life.
After touring Toys R Us, I asked Jax, "Which store did you like better, Jaxon? FAO Schwarz or Toys R Us?" "Toys R Us!" Jaxon blurted out in response. Something tells me that the fact that Jaxon left Toys R Us with a Star Wars Transformer in hand compared to walking out of FAO Schwarz empty-handed might have helped in the voting. Just saying!
On our final full day in the city, we ventured down to Chinatown for dim sum with Aunt Nguyen and the boys' second cousin, Jerome, who had recently moved to the city. Of course, the food was delicious, but the real fun came after leaving the restaurant as we bartered on the streets for "luxury" items. Oh the fun!
They sat on Daddy's lap (despite the fact that I had purchased them their very own seats) and gazed in awe at the miraculous stunts being performed on stage. At times, the music seemed to overpower them, and they simply couldn't resist the urge to dance in the aisles. Thank goodness we selected the front row of the balcony. No innocent parties were elbowed or bumped as the boys danced along to the beat.
In the final moments of the show, the audience was enveloped in a blizzard of snowflakes, and the crowd went wild with applause. The look on Jaxon's and Baylor's faces sums up the entire trip experience...Magic!
All in all, it was a great holiday with family, but I think I missed the insanity a bit. It's sad when 2 grandparents, 1 uncle, 5 dogs, and a cat don't seem like enough. We're a crazy bunch, but I wouldn't want it any other way. Somebody remind me of that at Christmas when I'm questioning the number of people and animals that we decided to entertain!
After the lighting, we made our way across the street to one of the museums for dinner, dancing, and you guessed it...more drinks!
For an added touch of pomp and circumstance, British guards led the procession. It was certainly a nice touch!
The museum provided a wonderful backdrop for the celebration. Everyone enjoyed a glorious evening surrounded by thousands of twinkling lights. What a way to kick off the 2010 Holiday Season!
