NEW YORK CITY

Ali has a pumpkin carving party every year. Every year for the last 7. This year was the first time I went. Part wanting to see her after so much time had passed, part the desire to take the boys to New York, on the last Sunday in October my mom and I and Chase and Ryder boarded NJTransit and headed up the Northeast Corridor.
What a day! When I told the boys about the adventure we would be taking, sure, the idea of going to the largest city in the world was cool, but the real excitement was in the dual treat of a first train ride and first taxi ride. Two exciting new vehicles for three year old boys.

The boys waited, hand in hand and beyond the yellow line, for a real train to pull in. They were pushed back, literally, by the forced wind of the passing Acela train and their anticipation grew waiting for the next arrival. Wide eyed they stood before trotting onto the train with delight when our commuter train arrived. Unlike any NJTransit car I had ever been on, this one was new, and clean, and double decker. Chase and Ryder both checked it out with curiosity before settling into our area.

Though I had packed books, and toys, and stickers, and more. And though we did read Toy Story, the train ride passed with all of the built in entertainment.

First there was the staring out the window in utter fascination at how quickly the trees were passing by. I too saw the beauty in the way my favorite autumn colors blended as they raced by us. Next, there was the studying of the posted train station map. Using our pointer fingers to trace the route from our starting point (Hamilton) to the destination - Penn Station, NYC, was a geographic lesson for the boys even at the elevated risk of exposure to H1N1.

A brief discussion about Big 10 schools was triggered when, after I said it aloud while pointing to Penn Station, Chase smiled and said "Penn Station? That's where daddy went to school!!"
Proud of his knowing Penn State at all, I chuckled and corrected him, both on the school name and the fact that it was I who went there. And, just to make sure Todd's Mountaineer pride would not be understated, I reminded him that daddy went to WVU. "That's right Mommy, he is a Mountaineer!"
Next, we looked for letters we recognized, both on the EMERGENCY EXIT window and on the sign indicating the next stop. R's, C's, and T's (for obvious reasons) are always spotted and counted, but E's both boys seem to know well too. Luckily, there are several of them in emergency exit!
Next, there was the fascination with the coat hook. When you pressed the bottom of the lever it came out of the wall. How Neat!!! But, when you let go, and put no coat on it, it sprung right back into the wall. MacGyver needed to do this at least ten thousand times, and several times I showed them how it stayed down with the weight of a coat. Nope, not as cool as it springing right back.
All of this and the few potty breaks to the amazingly clean, and large, potty (thank god for the new train) and we rolled into Penn Station.
From there we walked, two adults, three back packs, two high-energy boys, and one, empty double stroller, to Times Square. It was a beautiful day in late October and the New York streets were bustling with the expected crowds and energy. Chase and Ryder had no problem matching the energy level and were excited by everything they saw: the buildings, the sights, the people!

Our walk included a stop for a hand bag for mom, a picture of Chase outside the bank that bears his name (oh the Joy he felt when he saw his name so BIG - Gadol)), a picture of both boys with a large Bubba Gump Shrimp, a quick viewing of the Naked Cowboy whose underwear clad guitar playing was just oh so silly to my boys, and a game of eye spy in which we spied Shrek, Spiderman, a witch (from Wicked) and the M&M characters.
Once at Times Square we let those characters lure us into the colorful, chocolatey world of the M&M store. I think I may have hungered for the chocolate bits more than they did. Inside we let each boy choose their color from the rainbowed wall of choices- Baby blue (Chase) and light pink (Ryder).

Next we took photos with the Yellow M&M and had the boys collective color mood to be determined by the computer as Gold.
When we left the store we hailed the long awaited cab, finally, and Chase and Ryder climbed into the yellow taxi and strapped on their seat belts- without car seats. They were so excited, and sat perfectly still looking out the windows as we drove to NY's Upper East Side!
By this time we were exhausted. At least my mom and I were, the boys still had some energy left. We headed to Ali's and put on their Spidey costume. There, they banged on a piano, helped me carve a pumpkin, ate lots of candy and played with other kids. They were thrilled!! Of all the kids there, Snow White, AKA Anna Tucker, had their attention and it was a constant flirtatious battle for hugs!

 

By the time we were ready to head home we were near spent. We went back to the train station unsuspecting of the crowds awaiting us. A large group of Giants fans, blue jerseys and hats heading to Giant Stadium aboard our same train, took up more space than there actually was forcing us into a small space, double stroller and all. Unbelievably the boys did great amidst the crowd remaining quiet and still, but I was glad when they piled out and we were able to sit. The boys chatted up the two ladies who sat behind us, who not only, coincidentally, were members of Beth Or and Ohev Shalom, but were, by ride's end, well versed in my boys' life. Names, birthdate, parent's name, baby brother's name, cousins' names, where they went to school, and who their teachers are were just part of the revelations they made.
In the car they were asleep in no time and transferred right down for the night. I could not wait to hit my pillow but really had such a great time!!!