New York, New York!

Wow, what a trip.  

Well, it all started with our fun ride on Amtrak.  The trip to NY is about 2 1/2 hours, and it is a GREAT way to travel with a toddler.  Maybe not for a 20 hour trip, but for about 5 hours and under, you can't beat it.  You can walk around, sit in the snack car and eat pretzels, plug in your laptop or portable DVD player...it is great.  We had NO problem.  

Upon arrival, we took a cab ride to our hotel.  The traffic was crazy, as expected, but we got there just fine.  When we got there, Shelby and Stacey Bruney had made the long drive in so we could take the kids to FAO Schwartz.  They had a BLAST.  I think the big piano was the favorite, but for LJ, the cute little stroller with a baby doll in it was a close 2nd.  After the fun, we bought the kids a toy each and ate at McDonalds for dinner.  We navigated our way back to the hotel, and it was bedtime.

It was about 3 a.m. before Lance got in that night, but LJ slept in his big boy bed until after 7 with no problem!  With our combined before and after sleep, Lance and I were ok...LJ was great.  We ordered a delicious, although expensive, breakfast in before hitting the streets to go to Robert Graham.  

Robert Graham is a clothes, (mostly shirts?) brand, and LJ has made friends with one of the founders.  He's given Lance a few shirts in exchange for tickets, and they have become buddies through this exchange.  Lance goes to see them every NY trip, but I had never been.  They had the stuff out from their latest runway show, and the designers were in the back on their computers working on future catalogs.  It was really cool, and the people were so kind!  

After our fun trip to Robert Graham, we took LJ to get another Happy Meal :) while Lance and I grabbed something from a street vendor.  I got a falafel sandwich - it was awesome.  We walked back to the hotel and got LJ ready for naptime before Lance had to leave.  

That night, LJ and I took the train to Yankee Stadium.  Packed with just a fleece, the camera, some money and a straw, (for a water bottle), we hit the metro with the rest of New York City.  There was not enough room to nod your head, so I'm glad we did it without a stroller or big bag.  We left early enough to grab food at, you guessed it, McDonalds!  We hadn't had Micky D's in months, but got our fill this weekend.  LJ and and I shared a burger by the field then found our way to our tickets.  We were there about an hour before the game and stayed the whole time!  LJ was awesome!

Lance's Godmother and her 3 daughters, (Wilder, Brandi, and Lindsey), were at the game too.  It was awesome to see them, and we got some great pictures with the field in the background after the game.  We got to see Lance pitch, but the O's didn't win..it was still a great night, though.  We all took the train back together, (LJ fell asleep) and we headed to bed when we got home.

Saturday morning, we woke up and ordered the same thing for breakfast.  It is so much fun and so easy to sit on the bed and eat together.  The room's so small you can't go anywhere else, so you're forced to have a fun breakfast in bed.  Lance left for the field after breakfast, and LJ and I set out to explore Grand Central Station.  It's attached to our hotel, and is slammed with travelers and shoppers alike.  The ceiling, (which I failed to get a picture of), is AMAZING, but it's hard to stop and look.  People are rushing all around you, so you have to find a quiet corner to enjoy the view.  

After a little running around, LJ and I found some pasta and cupcakes and headed back to the room for a late lunch before his nap.  After eating another meal on the bed together and tackling the cupcakes, I got him ready for his nap.  When we woke up, we headed down to the lobby to wait on Lance.  

When he got home, we met our friends Wyatt and Rachel Allen and Lance's Nanny and cousins for a tour through China Town.  LJ was ready to run, so I didn't shop, but I think everyone came out with something they liked.  They guys got some "Lacoste" shirts, the girls some scarves and purses.  

After that, we parted ways -- Lance's family headed to Little Italy while Rachel and Wyatt headed to Central Park before their late 9pm dinner reservations.  LJ, Lance and I headed back to the hotel.  We stopped at a little Mexican restaurant and almost ordered before deciding that LJ needed to able to run.  Instead, we got another meal from a street vendor and let LJ run around in his undies, playing ball, while we all watched football and ate.  It was a nice night.

This morning, we woke up and ate breakfast with family one last time before heading to the amtrak station.  It was an awesome, easy trip home...LJ was SHOCKINGLY FANTASTIC all weekend.  I just wish I could reward him in a way he could understand.  What a good boy~!

Lance has the honor of being at the last game in Yankee Stadium History tonight.  We will be watching it on t.v., (or I will - it starts after 8 p.m.), and it's so cool for him to be involved in fun stuff like that.  He will get home early tomorrow morning, and we'll have 3 days together to pack before LJ and I head home to Alabama.  

I have tons of pictures from this weekend - Lance has the camera now, so I'll post them tomorrow.  I know he'll take some great pics today of the last day in "the house that Ruth built".  I'll post those, too.  

I hope your weekend was great!  Ours was - I think LJ and I are headed to the pool before dinner time :)  I wonder what we'll eat...I know for sure it won't be McDonalds!