Nothin’ like a little early morning run/walk to kick off your Thanksgiving day of eating!
Happy Monday, friends!
I hope you all had a fantastic holiday filled with food, friends, and festive feels. (See what I did there?)
We were in New York and it was fabulous. Our flights were smooth sailing (I guess the trick is leaving on the first flight out in the morning, even if that means waking up at 2 a.m. to do it), we spent two fun-filled days in the city seeing the sites and hanging with friends and fam, and Chris got to tick off deep-frying a turkey from his Thanksgiving bucket list.
It was one for the memory books, friends.
Here’s a bit of what we got up to in photos.
No Thanksgiving trip back East is complete without a viewing of Wicked! What did you guys think? I know it got mixed reviews, but I thought it was fun and beautiful and a good way to spend an afternoon.We spent the afternoon after Wicked at Aspire Brewing with my aunt, uncle, and cousin’s daughter. We didn’t get a chance to see my cousins on this trip, but seeing those three was an acceptable substitute 😉The American Girl store in Manhattan was a VIBE. I think we spent something like four hours there on the Monday of Thanksgiving week! The dolls got their hair done (as dolls do), we wandered around and shopped, and we had tea at the cafe. (Which was shockingly good, I must say!) I mean look. Is it incredibly overpriced and silly? It sure is. Will the girls remember it for the rest of their lives? They sure will.I mean look at this place! Gorgeous.The city was just getting set up for Christmas, so of course we toured around a bit, too <3Who could pass up a candy cane display AND free candy canes?The Rockefeller Tree wasn’t lit yet and the Saks Windows weren’t decorated, but the things we did get to see were enough to make me very happy.While the big girls and I were in the city during the day on Monday, Chris & Emilia stayed back in Newburgh so Chris could work. They decided to grab dinner before heading into the city to avoid traffic, which meant that Chris finally got to achieve one of his dreams … dinner at the Alexis Diner. Hah! It’s an institution in Newburgh, so I’m glad he and Emmy both got to experience it, even if I wasn’t with them.We slept in the city Monday night at my friend’s Brooklyn brownstone, and then we hit up the Bryant Park holiday booths on Tuesday, including drinks and snacks in a Cozy Igloo at the ice skate rink! Look. Was it overpriced and was the food pretty terrible? Sure was. Was it incredible and super fun and something I would do over again in a heartbeat? YOU KNOW IT.Spending time in Bryant Park allowed us to stop into the New York Public Library, which is gorgeous and worth a visit no matter what, but the reason we were there was to see the original Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal (the one that inspired the beloved books and movies) and all of Pooh Bear’s friends!No visit to midtown is complete without Chris’ patented Grand Central Tour, which he taught to Grace and she can now give, as well!Then it was onto Emmy’s early birthday surprise .. Christmas with Bluey! CAMP has set up shop with an immersive experience for kids and it’s all decorated for the holidays, which was a lot of fun. I mean … how stinkin’ cool?!Then we high-tailed it back from the city to be with these monkeys … the REAL reason for our visit <3My brother-in-law’s co-worker hosted an informal Turkey Trot the morning of Thanksgiving, which was great because Lotte has some training to do!She even bought medals for all the participants, which I thought was the sweetest added touch.Then it was back home and time to prepare for a deep-friend turkey Thanksgiving! I don’t eat meat, but rumor has it this was without a doubt the best way to cook a bird. Love ya, sis <3Three little monkeys, sittin’ in the fold-out chair …We. Sure. Do.
New York just gets better and better as the girls get older and start to remember all the small details of our trips. Like, I’m sure Lotte and Grace will always remember visiting the American Girl Doll store (and are both still playing with the dolls I gave them more than a year ago even after we’ve returned home), but they’ll also remember the ladybug we found on Thanksgiving morning. Trying deep-fried turkey for the first time. Piling into the pull-out bed downstairs to watch a nature documentary. The slime they spilled all over Rosalie’s dresser and carpet. (Okay, maybe that’s not the most fond memory.)
I treasure these trips, not only for myself, but for my kids and the memories we’re creating.
Now we’re off to Knoxville, Tennessee on Thursday so that Lotte can run in the Youth National Championships for track. We’re so proud of the effort she’s put in this season. Whatever happens with the race, she’s already a winner in our minds.
