Day 10

Monday! While Renzi was in meetings this morning the kids and I decided we would go to the Children's Museum of Manhattan. We walked out our front door to this:

 

This is the second tv show that has been filmed on our street since we have been here! The show last week they filmed was "Billions" on Showtime and today it was "Elementary." It's amazing how much equipment they bring to film a few scenes.

The Children's Museum of Manhattan was awesome! Totally interactive and the boys had a ball.

 

 

 

On the fourth floor they had an entire exhibit on how the body works. They showed how your heart and lungs work, how your brain works and how your stomach works. They had this sign up that I thought was hilarious. (I'm totally immature and I realize this.)

 

After three hours at the museum we were starving so we walked a couple of blocks over to "Jacob's Pickle" to meet Renzi for a late lunch. 

OMG.

This place.

Ridiculous.

 

We totally over ordered. We ordered four different kinds of pickles, fried pickles, croque Madame, southern BLT, sausage gravy fried chicken and the buffalo chicken mac and cheese. Holy moly. So glorious.

The buffalo Mac and cheese was actually voted the number one dish in NYC this year. Like, the entire city. It did not disappoint and I will dream about it for some time.

We literally rolled out of the joint and hopped on the subway downtown to the Freedoms Tower. We had passes to go all of the way to the top.

Bad selfie but wanted to show how tall the building is!

 

 

The views were spectacular and they did such a great job with the observatory tower. I think the best part though was the elevator ride up! It takes you through NYC in 1600 and you see the NYC skyline through time as you zip to the top of the tower. Very powerful.

After we walked the observatory tower we went back down and walked over to the 9/11 memorial. I have been here a few times but this was Walker's first time to go. I wanted to share with him why the memorial was there, but also shield him from some of the details because the sweet kiddo is still just four years old. So, I kept it simple and explained that there were some bad people who flew planes into the two towers and the buildings fell to the ground-a lot of people were killed and so this memorial is to remember those who died. Boy, oh boy, did he take it so well. He also asked me numerous follow up questions that I thought were very mature for his age.

He asked me the why's (of course), but he was very curious to know where Renzi and I were when this happened. He asked if we knew anyone who was killed...and he asked if some day when he gets to heaven if he will get to meet some of the people who were killed. I told him I really hoped he would get to meet some of them, to which he replied, "oh good, then I can tell them how beautiful the memorial is." Sweet sweet boy.

 

Was a great day for us all.

Day 9

This morning we had a quiet morning at the apartment and then all got ready for church! I was so excited because we were going to Hillsong church in Times Square!!

I'm pretty much obsessed with Hillsong United so I was pumped for the praise and worship music I knew was in store for us!

 

 

As I had hoped, of course it was amazing! They sang new songs and some old ones and it was so refreshing to see the whole room just come alive with love for Jesus! After being in NYC for over a week now, it's easy to become discouraged in the niceness of people. People are just downright rude here sometimes. But in that room...it was so full of joy it made my heart so happy!

The speaker that morning was a Hillsong pastor from Australia and he spoke about choices. We all have choices we get to make in our lives...Jesus died on the cross but he did not do that and we all automatically get saved. No, he died so that we could make the choice to have him live on our hearts. 

After church we had an awesome brunch at the famous Tavern on the Green. It has been totally remodeled in the last two years and it was just beautiful! It is the only restaraunt actually located IN Central Park.

 

 

 

 

We walked home through Central Park after lunch. I swear everytime I walk through that park I wind up somewhere I have never been before.

 

We had a relaxing afternoon in our apartment because it was raining. We all read, played Uno, colored and rested.

We had some friends in town from OKC and we met them for dinner that night at Mr. Chow. Holy cannoli...it was so good.

 

 

Day 8

Saturday started out with Ginny, Dave and kiddos coming to our house for breakfast. We had bagels from Pick-a-bagel. My new fav is an everything bagel with egg and pastrami. Yum-o.

We then all walked over to Central Park for storytime at the Hans Christian Anderson statue. It was so fun-for all of us!

 

 

After storytime was over we hopped in an uber (our first car ride since we arrived in NYC!) and went to Chelsea Pier to catch the Circle Line boat around the harbor.

 

 

 

 

 

It was super touristy and not the best idea-but the boys did great and hung in there. We did get some good shots of the Statue of Liberty so that was a plus!

After we docked, we walked over to Hudson Yard where all of the trains go to be serviced. On top of Hudson Yard is something new called, "The High Line." The High Line is a three mile stretch of walking paths built above the city streets. You literally walk above the streets through the Meatpacking district and Chelsea. So so cool!

 

 

 

 

After we walked for a bit it started to rain pretty hard so we ducked into Dos Caminos for an early dinner and to celebrate sweet TJ's upcoming birthday where he will turn three years old! 

 

After dinner, the Badanes family packed up their things and drove back to D.C. We miss them already! So thankful they were able to spend a few days with us in NYC!

Day 7

What a glorious day Friday was...because we had some family coming in town to visit! Ginny, Dave, Miller and TJ drove in from D.C. To spend two days with us and we could not wait to see them!

We met them for lunch at JG Melon for burgers and even though the food was not that great, the company made up for it!

After lunch we walked to Central Park so the boys could sail the small sailboats at Sailboat pond.

 

 

Each boat is powered by a remote control but there is no motor on the boat. There remote control controls the sail and the rudder so you have to be strategic with the timing of the wind and the sail. 

 

Walker and Miller have really grown theo relationship over the last year and they are just the cutest little buddies. They literally talk and talk and talk without taking a breath.

 

After our time was up with the sailboats, Renzi and I sent Ginny and Dave to their hotel so they could get ready for our date night by themselves and Ren and I took all four boys to play frisbee and to play on the playground.

While the older boys played frisbee I got to spend some one on one time with TJ. Love him.

 

 

After playing for a bit it was time for Renzi and I to take everyone back to our apartment so we could get cleaned up for date night as well...but on our way back we, of course, had to stop to get the boys ice cream (before dinner! Yes!).

All four boys were together at our apartment with a babysitter that night and Ginny, Dave, Renzi and I got to go out all together! We had drinks at The Mark Hotel before dinner, had dinner at "Orsay," and then a night cap at The Surrey Hotel near our apartment.

 

We had such a fab time! And the boys did great. We came home to this:

 

Day 6

This morning the boys and I headed out on the short walk from our apartment to the Central Park Zoo. 

The Central Park Zoo is smaller than most zoos but it was awesome! 

The boys love love loved the Penguins (and so did I!) Jackson did a research project earlier this year on Penguins and Puffins so he was overly excited when we got to this exhibit.

See those big Penguins in the picture? Those are emporer penguins and they are four feet tall!!!

 

 

In the center of the zoo are the Sea Lions. While we were there we were able to see the Sea Lion feeding. So cool.

 

After the zoo we went back to our apartment for lunch and some rest time. After Renzi finished working we all jumped on the subway and headed over to SoHo to check it out. 

 

SoHo is one of my favorite spots in NYC. We walked around and wandered in and out of shops. We people watched and we took in all of the sights and sounds of a different part of the city we are living in.

After a bit, the natives were restless and hungry so we walked over to Little Italy. We found some spots that are pretty special to the Stone family. Many meals were spent at La Mela during Christmas time when the Stone's would all come in the week before Christmas from all over the country and spend time together during the holiday season.

 

We even found the bar we went to two years in a row after we would eat at La Mela.

 

 

We ended up at this cute restaraunt called Sambrosio. We ordered way too much pasta and we ate every bite. Delish!

Day 5

Today started early as we headed out the door to see The New York Times building. We were supposed to have a tour but the guy who was going to give us the tour came down sick, but it was still fun to see the building where some of the greatest reporters work.

 

We had some time to kill before our lunch reservations so we went to the new Discovery Zone museum and saw their Star Wars exhibit. This exhibit had almost all of the costumes worn in ALL of the Star Wars movies!

 

 

 

After the tour we hit up Bryant Park for their free park library and a ride on the carousel.

 

The we headed 

over to the infamous Sardi's restaraunt for lunch before we took the boys to see Aladdin on Broadway!

 

Jackson asked the waiter what you had to do to get your picture up on the wall and she answered that you have to have acted, directed or produced something on Broadway. Walker did not seem to understand this because he kept asking over and over why his picture was not up on the wall. Someday buddy. Someday. :)

After lunch we walked the short walk over to the Amsterdam Theatre to see Aladdin!

 

The show was incredible! The boys loved it and I don't think Walker has ever sat so still for so long. He was mesmerized! The colors, the music, the costumes and the amazing set designs were so eye catching. We had the best time!

 

We finished up the night at "Up Thai," a place near our apartment and the food was so so good. Jackson has been such an adventurous eater as of late and it's been fun to watch him try new things. Walker, well, he still sticks mostly to carbs but he did have some soup at the restaraunt that he ended up loving.