Friday in NYC 2012

Friday morning found Tate and I cuddled up, well me trying to cuddle and him wanting to watch trains on my phone, at 6:25am.  I handed over the phone and let him watch a couple of videos of trains, just regular, real steam trains on YouTube for about 30 minutes while everyone else continued to sleep, myself included (I dozed).  The apartment slowly came awake around 7:30.  Tate and A played a bit, Lindsey washed her hair and Silke and I blearily made breakfast for the kiddos.  I had picked up some plain yogurt the night before as we walked home from Columbia (where we saw the snow) from a farmer's market for Tate.  I had brought some of his oatmeal and picked up Cheerios the night before as well.  Well the yogurt looked different (shocking!), so that was a no go.  But he gobbled up the oatmeal and cheerios!

Lindsey, Tate and I got dressed for a day out in Manhattan.  We had some fun planned!!!  First up grabbing a cab to take us uptown!  Tate was thrilled!  He sat between Lindsey and me and had to touch everything (EWWW! :) )  He kept saying he was riding in a police car (how he knows what the back of a police car looks like is beyond me, but they do always have that plastic screen in them just like cabs.)

First stop....FAO SCHWARZ!!  Tate and I have been here before, but he was not quite 2.  He had a blast then, so I knew he would have even more fun this time.  Here he is dancing on the Big Piano, a la the movie 'Big.'

After he made some music he of course found some trains...

We then behaved like true New Yorkers and walked to Serendipity 3 for some lunch and Frozen Hot Chocolate!  Yum-o!  Tate thought the frozen hot chocolate was the best thing ever, though the pictures appear differently.

What do you mean I'm supposed to share?

Look at that face!!!

We then bundled Tate back up and enjoyed another cab ride downtown to the World Trade Center.  My mom, Marcus and Aunt Lynette (Marcus' mom, my mom's sister) came in from the Bronx on the train and met us, so we could all go see the 9/11 Memorial.  I won't even try to explain what each part of the Memorial means or represents because I could not do it justice.  So, click here for an explanation.  Walking into the plaza it's overwhelming to know you are walking on hallowed ground.  A place where so many of our fellow Americans perished not only on 9/11/2001, but also on 2/26/1993.  Seeing the names of each and every one brought a chill to my soul.  We shall never forget.  May God rest their souls and keep their loved ones wrapped in His arms of consolation.

Waiting in line for about an hour while Tate snoozed.

 

We left the Memorial, my mom, aunt and cousin caught the train back to the Bronx.  Tate, Lindsey and I grabbed a cab back to Silke's.  Lindsey made her way to the train station in Harlem on 125th to catch the commuter train up to Stamford, Connecticut to hang out with a friend for the weekend.  Tate and A played trains, read books and had fun while Silke and I arranged her new rugs and enjoyed another glass of wine.  Dinner was ordered for the adults, made for the kiddos and then it was bath and bedtime!  Like Thursday night I fell asleep in the bed with Tate who fought going to sleep a bit this time, but finally passed out.  I wandered out to the living room and hung out with Silke for a while.  Then bed called my name!  Curled up with my babe and off to dreamland I went!