NYC Day 2

The boys in the middle of Times Square

Found the Aggie M&Ms at the giant M&M store! We also went to the Disney Store where Annabelle picked out an Izzy doll from Jake and the Neverland Pirates.

The Brooklyn Bridge

The kids on the Brooklyn Bridge

Kyle took this picture...pretty good.

Dylan's Candy Bar - eating ice cream in a giant cupcake.  We walked like 12 miles uphill in the freezing cold and swirling wind (both ways :) ) to go to Serendipity only to find that it was closed that day because the were filming a TV show.  We had talked it up to the kids and they were so looking forward to a sweet treat that we had to find a plan B.  This place was a block away.  

New York City Day 1

I think I am going to have to post about our New York Trip in several installments.  There are a lot of photos and I am having trouble narrowing it down.  I also want to write some things down about what we did and saw.

We arrived in New York pretty late in the afternoon.  When we arrived at the hotel, we found out we had been upgraded (yea!) to a suite that was probably bigger that Cody and my first apartment...2 big bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, living room, dining area and kitchenette!  Perfect except that the windows (on the 17th floor) opened fully and did not lock.  I was kind of a wreck about that, but I didn't want to complain because I was afraid they'd move us to smaller rooms.  We dropped off our stuff and went next door to eat dinner and check "Eat NY Pizza" off our to do list.  After dinner, we went for a walk and checked off "Go to Top of the Rock" and "Eat a Cupcake from Magnolia Bakery."  Pretty good for our first few hours!

Luggage cart shenanigans

Rockefeller Center

 Hot dog vendor, Radio City Music Hall and the new World Trade Center Memorial in the background

         

hugs, kisses and other mommy fuel

Being a mom is hard, messy, and sometimes ugly.  But if I focus on everything that is hard about it, I might miss the stuff that makes it worthwhile, magical, real and beautiful...like spontaneous hugs, and book dedications, and love notes from little boys...

 Kyle's Kingdom Tales book entitled The Slippery Tale of Super Slick the Flying Banana

Barrett's Kingdom Tales book entitled Minecraft Ninja

I'm so lucky.

Enjoying a warm weather weekend in February

We opened up the windows to let the fresh air in and we headed outside for some family time before Cody had to leave on a business trip.

There was a small hole in the screen.  It keeps growing (you should see it now). While the windows were open Barrett sat on the sill and looked out.  I love that gorgeous eye...his other eye is just as awesome too.

 Annabelle and Bailey are best buds...and they now weigh the same too.  I think Bailey's going to pass her up, though.

Coooooool rider,
A cool, cool, cool, cool rider. 

(M.Y. and J.G. that was for you)

Kyle discovered a box and a stick in the garage.  Next thing I knew he was in a "kayak in the middle of a shark-infested ocean."

 Below is a series of selfies taken while swinging on the giant platform swing...none of them are even close to being in focus or properly exposed but I love them.

Tree Climbing

Once there was a tree...
and she loved a little boy.
And every day the boy would come
and he would gather her leaves
and make them into crowns
and play king of the forest.
He would climb her trunk
and swing from her branches
and eat apples.

 ~Shel Silverstein The Giving Tree

The boys were enjoying some warm weather by climbing the tree in our front yard...they have climbed it many times while waiting for daddy to get home from work, or while "helping" Cody and me work in the yard...

Painting

Annabelle wanted to paint today.  It's Tuesday.  She doesn't have school but the boys do, which means we get to enjoy a little girl time.
When she finished, she asked for a piece of tape and took it up to her room to hang her painting on her wall.

 Had to change clothes because Bailey knocked over her water cup and got her wet.

Love that little tongue sticking out...talk about concentration.

What do you get when you mix 3 kids, bubble bath and jacuzzi jets?

This...and a lot of laughter...and a big mess.