New York

So I've abandoned the 30 day challenge. This is how I figure-if you don't already know what makes me so amazing, or where I've been, or who my celebrity crush is, then you may have no business reading up on my blog. Oh, but still read it. I'll let slide a lil secret every once in a while. SO-like forever ago we got to go to New York. With kids. It was actually really fun, but definitely different. New York does not take kindly to double strollers. But it was really fun because we got to do things that we've never done to keep the kids interested. Alex was already in Albany working, so the kids and I flew out with my parents because I never travel without an entourage. Here's what happened.

We went to the Natural History Museum-you know, the one where Night at the Museum was supposedly filmed. I say supposedly because it is nothing like the movie. I mean, no way did they film any of it there. They don't even have diorama rooms. But it was still fun to see-and Tessa loved it for about 20 minutes

This is where they put all the dinos. Stone would have freaked. Fun fact: if you watched Top Chef All Stars this season (go Richard Blaze) This is where they filmed the one challenge that they did Carnivores v Omnivores. And this is literally, the only picture of the whole trip with Alex in it. Literally.

Sully and Grandpa Ted. Or as I call him-My dad, Ted. Cutest hat, right?

And Tessa with Grandma Linda. This may have been the one time Tessa was actually nice to my mom. Seriously-we had to have several talks after about how we treat the people we love.

This was in the Hall of Africa. It was more of a wing. But I have no clue why Tessa is so pissed off about the ostriches. She's just cannot believe her eyes in this picture. I totally knocked over a 2 year old in here too. Fun Fact. And Sully loved it.

My mom loves taking pictures like these. There was one other one, but I can't remember what it said, and it was with her camera. But the funny part about this is that this was our third attempt to get my dad to do something funny....bless his heart, right?

Tessa looks super awesome in this. So I added it.

On one of the floors they have a whole observatory area that looks onto Central Park, which was cool. But I hate taking pictures of scenery without having a subject in it, so I don't let Alex take those kinds of pictures. So this is what we got.

This is that guy from Night at the Museum. Tessa kept calling him Dum Dum. But I think that's what he called Ben Stiller. She was happy to find it, because it took forever!

Their first ride on a Subway. I'm not sure what my face is, but it's probably something to do with something Tessa said or did...she's a character.

So after that we went to the American Girl store. I've never been to one of them, so I had no idea what to expect. We got zero pictures, so let me just paint one for you. Imagine if you will, a 3 story building. The first floor, the walls are lined with dolls-dolls with blonde hair, dolls with red hair. Some have freckles, some have buck teeth (no joke). Hundreds of dolls. Then, they have walls just for the clothes. Soccer uniforms, wedding dresses, ski outfits-you name it, they had it. Then you take the escalator to the second floor, where you can pick from American Girls Throughout History-those are the ones that have books with them. But they have full on giant display cases full of at least 20 of the same doll in different outfits. THEN, on the third floor is the hair salon-for dolls. And an ear piercing station. And the pet center. Oh, and in the bathrooms, there was a little shelf in every stall to place your doll while you do your thing. And one by the sinks, while you wash your hands. It was every father's worst nightmare. Especially Alex, who can't say no to Tessa even if his life depended on it. So, hundreds of dollars later, we left. And wanna know where that American Girl doll is now?

So do I.

Tessa with Julie. Or Katie. Her name changed a few times. She had to have her-she seriously had a tantrum and a half to get it. And of course, she got it. I blame myself. I was once an owner of an American Girl.

We also went to Time Square to get tickets for a Broadway show-we ended up seeing Addams Family with Nathan Lane. It was awesome to see Nathan Lane, but the show was not the best. It had some good stuff, but I don't need to see it again. We don't have any pictures, but I do have some commemorative cups if you want to come over and see those. We also visited the M&M Factory for the kiddos. Tessa was indifferent to it until she saw all of the pink ones. Then we spent more money.

Tessa and her friend Baylee. We met up with some friends there, so we got to hang out with them most of the time-I didn't want people to be confused as to why I have a picture of Tessa with a friend, so that was my explanation.

Tessa in Time Square. I have one of Sullivan too.

Here it is. He's bundled.

We spent some time in SoHo where there is an awesome Scholastic book store-like seriously awesome. The only bad thing was it was pouring rain that day-like downpour, so that was the only place we ended up going all day.

Tessa reading on the dinosaur tail. Again, Stone would have flipped. (Explanation: My nephew loves dinosaurs. Seriously, he can tell you the name of any dinosaur. And not just the easy ones. He knows what a dipthiomologist is.)

My brother flew in one of the nights and we got to go to dinner with him, but again, no pictures. He knows he was there. It was a super fun trip, especially since everything we did was new to us. And my parents were there, which always makes traveling with the kids easier.

Ugh, too cute to leave out.