Our final day in the city

Day three in the city ended up being pretty low key. We were all tired and I wasn't feeling so great, so we didn't do all that we had originally planned. But, we enjoyed what we did do and I saw some things I hadn't seen before. My favorite was Grand Central Station. That place was absolutely beautiful and I could just imagine it filled with soldiers coming home from a distant war. It really is like a piece of modern history. These pictures don't do it justice, but here they are:






I mentioned in one of my other posts that my cousin, Nadia, lives in the city. She works in midtown Manhattan and she has managed to get us addicted to this yummy bakery there. She loves the cupcakes, but Ryan and I are crazy over their Magic Cookie Bars. She has made a tradition of bringing them to us when she comes to visit each year at Easter. We knew we couldn't leave the city without a taste of that yummy coconut goodness. These pictures make me laugh because I think Lily has such a before and after set of expressions...

Here we are just before entering our beloved Magnolia Bakery. Obviously, Lily is not aware of the heavenly goodness on the other side of the glass.

Here we are mere moments later, armed with countless calories and a couple of milk boxes thrown in for good measure. Notice Lily's expression now?

These are the pigeons who wanted to share our picnic. Lily called them the "city birds" the whole time we were there.

Filled with plenty of carbs, we strolled along Fifth Avenue and stopped wherever we saw something interesting. It was fun just taking in the city atmosphere without really being headed anywhere.

Rockefeller Plaza

A random photo shoot that caught my eye. I noticed this lady as we were walking by and I thought, "she looks like something you'd see in a magazine advertisement," and about that time I noticed a photographer with a really big camera. All of you Parents Magazine subscribers out there need to be on the lookout for her in your next edition!

Of course, the girls had one thing on their mind!

Here's the deal. We gave the kids no money for souvenirs. We told them from the start that we weren't buying any toys, gadgets, etc. We did give them their normal monthly chore money a few days early. Then, one of the grandparents surprised them with some pocket change too, so they had that. By day 3, poor Isaac was anxious to spend his. He was not happy to wander around the girly store with money in his pocket that I wouldn't let him spend. I knew that if he bought something at American Girl, he'd regret it. I assured him that if he would just wait a few more blocks, I would show him a place that would have something he would enjoy much more. He wasn't convinced, but he held on.

Our final retail stop paid off for the little guy. As soon as we walked inside, he looked at me and said, "I am so glad that I saved all my money for this place!"

Isaac and the famous FAO Schwartz soldier

Isaac is eager to see what's on the 2nd floor.

Lizzy and Lily were out of money, so they happily spent time on the big piano while Isaac searched for the perfect treat

Isaac found something he really wanted, but since the "make your own Muppets" started at $130. He went for this really cool dragon puppet instead. He's carried that thing all over creation since he purchased it.

Isaac also found something he thought I would really want too.

What can I say, he is a boy after my own heart!

Finally, the sun decided to come out for the first time since we'd arrived in the city. So, we left the toy store and headed across the street to stroll through Central Park. We spent a couple of hours enjoying the park and soaking in the green that we were beginning to miss. It really is a beautiful place.

Of course, they couldn't resist climbing on the rocks

Isaac and Balto (which was really cool, but what in the world does Balto have to do with NYC?)

The kiddos really wanted to rent a rowboat, but it was windy and cool. That's on our "next time we go we're gonna" list now.

After finishing our walk, we headed back to the apartment where we ordered pizza and hung out until the rush hour traffic had thinned. Then, we hit the road and headed south. . We had a great time, but felt like we didn't get to see a fraction of what the city has to offer. Someday, we'll go back. But, then again, there's a Grand Canyon, some Rocky Mountains, a Pacific Coast, and some Niagra Falls calling our name too. Oh, if I could just have a wealthy benefactor who would pay me large amounts of money to travel the world with my family. Oh well, I'd be rotten and so would my children, right?