Return to the Big Apple

Hooray I'm home!

Travel to NYC the second time this year- not bad for an Arizona gal. :-) But we couldn't be on the east coast and NOT come down and visit my aunts and Dad! We left actually on Tuesday- just have had limited access here.

We did learn something on the drive down- our poor little Sammy gets car sick. We're on the road not even half and hour and we hear from the back seat:

"Mom.... my tummy hurts...."

Then- HURL! Ug.... but after thinking about it, the same thing happened when we left Disneyland back in April. AND, they had just started watching a movie in the car. I knew those portable DVD players were a horrible invention!

After that, the trip down was uneventful. We did get to try out my Christmas present, an FM receiver for my iPod. Worked very well, until you changed cities and states and all the stations would change. But at home it should work quite nicely.

The girls were VERY happy to see their Aunts, because they knew they would be spoiled rotten. I don't think I've actually SEEN my girls more than once or twice since we got here! Wednesday night we took them into NYC to see the Tree in Rockefeller Center. Which was completely nuts. I had never seen so many people in my life- and it's not like I haven't been to NYC before. Eventually Samantha ended up on Bret's shoulders, which actually helped us because we could see the bright pink coat over all the people. Allison had a hard time of it, the crowd got to her, along with the fact she couldn't see. I could definitely relate to that- a short person moving through crowds is NOT fun. :-) But once we reached the tree, well they enjoyed it very much. Watched the people ice skating for awhile, took numerous photos, then stopped in St. Patricks cathedral across the street. (No, I was NOT struck down by lightening).

The rest of the trip so far has just been hanging out with family. Catching up with my aunts, that whole thing. For me, I could spend the entire week just sitting upstairs in my Aunt's kitchen, drinking coffee and bs-ing with them. Bret needs a little more activity.

I did notice however that the older sister is getting increasingly tired of the younger one. After all, they have had to share sleeping space, and just about every moment together this entire vacation. So today, I took Allison back out into the city to visit one of the most sinful, cavity-inducing places there- Dylan's Candy Bar. Oooohhhhhhh.... I had an instant sugar high just opening the door to enter.

It was fun though. Me and my daughter shopping in NYC. Of course this is also the side of town with all the 5th Avenue stores, Bloomingdales, Barney's... a woman with a shopping problem's worst nightmare (for her husband anyway). I was good, we only window-shopped. I think I was feeling guilty at what I spent in the candy store....

So, tonight it is off to the island of my birth (Staten Island), to see my dad and his wife for the evening. Yay!! We're supposed to end up at a carnival I think.... hmmm....