For the second time in less than a month we received a last minute invite for a week-end trip that we just couldn't refuse. The first invite was to stay at our friend's family's condo compound at Sunday River, ME. So, free condo to stay and a free Gold pass for the mountain so free skiing. It was a great week-end with great warm skiing conditions.
This past Wednesday we get an email from our friend who was going to NYC with his daughter for the week-end. His wife had to bail out on the week-end so he was looking for someone who also had a child to come along. He had a free two bedroom apartment right off Times Square with free parking, indoor pool and children's playroom. We are talking about a $500 to $600 per night suite in NYC if you were to pay for these accommodations.
It had been several years since either Alissa or I had been to NYC and Oliver had never been. We had stuff we needed to get done this week-end but this was an offer we just couldn't refuse.
Oliver started getting excited about our adventure Thursday night and all day Friday all he did was talking about 'New York City', 'I go New York City now?' 'Where we going? I want to go New York City now.'
So, we met at our friends house around 500pm Friday evening, ate dinner put Lira and Oliver in their pj's then we left Boston for NYC. The drive took awhile, one kid would cry, then the other one, and it seemed that whichever child was crying had the parent that was driving so there was much pulling over and switching drivers to accommodate crying kids. But, after 4.5 hours or so we get into Manhattan find our building and park.
The lobby of this place was nicer than any hotel I had ever been to. We were on the 18th floor which was nice because Oliver's favorite thing in the world is riding elevators and pushing buttons. We get to the apartment and settle in, it was about 11 or so and Oliver was wired. He gets so excited about new places and NYC was unlike any place he had ever been. He had his suite case trying to unlock the door and go outside, telling me he ride on elevator and go outside now. It was about midnight at this point. After convincing him to stay inside and then watching him trying to touch everything in the new apartment twice we were finally able to get him to bed.
Up and early the next morning we ate doughnuts and bagels then headed to the Natural Science Museum. We walked a few blocks to the subway and Oliver was in heaven, huge grin and head on a swivel. Riding in the subway Oliver was wearing a grin the whole time. He had everyone around him smiling too. He has a way with people.
At the museum we saw lots of dinosaur bones, it was really impressive but it there were lots of dinosaurs. Oliver kept trying to ride the dinosaurs, apparently thinking it was a huge playground. So, he got tired of the museum a little before everyone else.
Then we got lunch at the Shake Shack. We got there around 11 which was perfect because we got our food and a place to sit right before everyone else in New York decided they too wanted to eat here. Anyways, burgers and milk shakes hit the spot.
Central park was a great place to wear out the little ones. They ran up and down the paths laughing and playing the whole time. Back on the train headed to Times Square. Oliver was on my shoulders where he rode most of the week-end. We got into a huge crowd in the middle of all the neon lights and huge signs in the heart of Times Square. I couldn't see him but Alissa said his mouth was wide open and his eyes were big.
We hit up the Toys r Us that had an indoor Ferris wheel and a billion toys. Our friend and his daughter headed back to the apartment early and we took our time walking around Times Square. Oliver was on my shoulders and we were posing for a picture in front of the big Times Square signs for Alissa when a younger lady stopped and asked me if she could take our picture too. 'You two are both so cute, do you mind if I take your picture too?' How can you say no to that? 'Alissa could you slide over a little? This nice lady is trying to take our picture.' We had to stop to let Alissa use the rest room on the way back to the apartment so Oliver and I stood outside. Oliver, still on my shoulders, started yelling, 'I want to go to New York City!','Buddy, we are in New York City.', 'No! I want to go back to New York City!', Do you mean you want to back to all the big lights and crowds of people?','Yes, I want to go back to New York City!!!'
Alissa and I thought Oliver would get a kick out of NYC, but he LOVED New York. He loved the people the sights, the sounds, the lights, everything. And he made friends everywhere. We went out to eat in Hell's Kitchen that night at a little Italian place. He met the owner and had the owner stopping to talk to him all night. Then we walked back thru Times Square so Oliver could enjoy the lights again. He was on my shoulders and a group of young ladies stopped us to us that he and I had the prettiest blue eyes they had ever seen. I could see them talking about Oliver from about a block away, in Times Square, the only place brighter than there might be the sun, and these girls are talking about how pretty Oliver is.
We were back on the subway the next day and Oliver made friends with an Italian couple, an Asian lady and an older wealthier white couple all at the same time. He had them commenting on how clear he spoke and how big his vocabulary was, and of course how pretty he was. He was holding court, telling them all jokes and telling them about the park and New York City. He had the whole train car telling him 'bye' as he was leaving. He was saying 'bye, bye' to everyone and he had them all smiling.
After another long car ride back to Boston this afternoon Oliver starts crying about five minutes from our house. I ask Alissa what was going on and she tells me that Oliver just realized we weren't going back to 'our apartment in New York City'. 'I want to go back to New York City!!!' I think he liked it, now we have to plan another trip, soon, with much more expensive much poorer accommodations.
