One night in Manhattan

Tyler suggested that we take a trip during his spring break.  At first I thought he was kidding.  It sounded like more work than fun.  But, neither of us have ever lived on the East Coast before; there's a lot of history to see within a relatively small area.  Why shouldn't we take advantage of a time when there isn't a lot tying us down?  You know, besides bottles and diapers.  It wouldn't have been possible if we didn't adjust things to their pace.  The four hour drive took at least two stops both ways.  Either for me and my tiny bladder, or the babies and their tiny tummies.  And while we were in the city, every half hour or so we turned into an alcove, found a bench, or even pulled into a store or restaurant for feedings, diaper changes, wardrobe changes, etc.  We were constantly juggling the three between our trusty BOB double stroller, the Baby Bjorn for the twins, and Lincoln walking with the monkey backpack (which has a leash).  You can still see a lot with this erratic traveling schedule.  Keep the kids happy, and everything else is somewhat smooth.  Giddy with my taste of the Big Apple, I told Tyler we should star in a reality show on a traveling channel, sponsored by Starbucks, Honda and BOB.

We could portray all the awesome craziness of traveling with young kids.  Plus, you've also got the angle of testing the strength of a relationship, which audiences love.  This time, Tyler and I met the challenge with flying colors.  I think I fell in love with my man all over again in Manhattan, three kiddos in tow!

Part of our success was that we had beautiful weather, and we only stayed one night.  Any longer and our adrenaline might have worn off, and the kids would have gotten restless for home.  As it is, this is our gear for only 31 hours in the city:

Yep.

Our first adventure was the Natural History Museum, mainly for the dinosaurs.  This is where the movie with Ben Stiller, Night at the Museum, was filmed.  

It was recommended to us as a good place for kids.  It was... ok.  Our crew is still a little young, and we do better outside in wide open spaces, so after we rolled past the highlights (dinosaurs, lions and elephants, giant turtles, etc), we rushed back out into the sunshine for a stroll in Central Park.  

The building in the background is the MET.  Just one look at it, even from the outside, and I realized our friend Traci was totally right to recommend it.  This might have been the better museum choice.  Next time, for sure.

Just look at the magnolia blossoms!  New York City might be a concrete jungle, but not without a healthy sprinkle of nature.

Cleopatra's Needle, an obelisk from Egypt, stands amongst the magnolias.  La la la, look at me, I'm from 1500 BC!

Other historical highlights:

Federall Hall, where George Washington took the oath of office.  

We visited Alexander Hamilton's grave in Trinity Churchyard.

 Lincoln is standing beneath a sculpture of a sycamore tree that was uprooted on 9/11.

We were also able to preview the 9/11 Memorial.  You have to walk five blocks away from the actual site in order to procure free passes, and then once you return to Ground Zero, you walk through several hallways and aisles of security,  similar to an airport.  The footprints of the twin towers are now reflecting pools fed by the largest manmade waterfalls in North America.  

The new Freedom Towers are currently under construction.  Although scarred by destruction and chaos, this tribute somehow felt like the calmest part of the city.  The sound of water falling helps to drown out people and traffic.

But, of course, people and traffic are part of the charm of New York City.  It's loud and busy and delightful.  I loved visiting Wall Street, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, NBC studios, 5th Avenue, the Empire State Building and a pier by the Brooklyn Bridge.

Times Square is obnoxious and fascinating.  We held up the natives by standing still on the sidewalk, gazing upward, mouths agape.

Ezra, Hazel, and Charles, front and center.  Cozy in the BOB!  He's a portable living room, diaper changing station, high chair, crib... peace of mind... etc.

BOB did not, however, fit in the hotel elevator or the door to our room.  Here we are squished into the service elevator.  And we just unloaded and collapsed the whole thing when we came in for the night.

St. Patrick's Cathedral.  

I thought the newspaper dress on the left was great.

We happened upon a MINI dealership, and took this photo for my dad.  I don't know how they got the cars into this tiny building, or how buyers are to drive them out!

Disney characters charmed you into a photo and then held out their purses for an obligatory fee.  Annoying but irresistible.

There are more photos on Tyler's phone, but this is a good collection.  They won't remember this trip, but at least we have the story and the pictures.  We're already thinking about where to sojourn next.