Today I was going to hang out with the kids. I had a tentative plan to check out the Central Park Zoo…if I could find it.  Who would of ever guessed that one day the kids and I would go on an adventure in Central Park in New York? 🙂 In my normal life, I like waking up in the morning, and deciding my plans for the day as I have my morning coffee. I did the same thing in New York.

So we entered off Central Park West and just started walking. It kind of rained in the morning, but luckily it stopped by the time we were ready to head out.

OK, now we’ve been walking quite a bit. Where the heck are we? Do you know how to get to the Central Park Zoo? Turn left, then right, and through there? Uh, sure, OK.

Heck, we’ll just go through this tunnel. Didn’t I see this shot in a movie somewhere? I think it was the movie Twelve.

Balto? Didn’t you study that in school, Myk? Fine, I’ll take a picture of you guys with it.

OMG, it’s the zoo!  I recognize those twirling iron animals from the movie Madagascar! 😆

OK, so here’s the funny part. You have to pay to get into Central Park Zoo. I think it’s $18.00 for an adult, and $13.00 for a child. So I’m looking around and I can’t see where I’m supposed to go to buy the tickets. Then I see a bunch of moms (some with strollers) with preschool-aged children lining up, so we join them in the huddle. There was a park employee who was holding on to the gate. Before I knew it, she exclaims: “OK, you can all go in now.”  And then everyone walks through the gate. As I follow the group in, I do a double-take because I’m thinking: “What the heck? I think I’m IN the zoo. The seals are right in front of me, and I don’t see a ticket booth.” The lightbulb goes off, and I realize that the group we huddled with was probably part of a school trip! And that because we had joined them, they thought we were part of the group!!! Hahahaha. And no, I am not so righteous that I marched back to the park employee and told her the truth. Bonus! I saved some money! 😆 But I mean, I don’t know why they didn’t clue in. All those kids were pre-schoolers, whereas Colts is 6, and was taller by far. Maybe because he had a backpack. But I made him carry a backpack because I wanted him to have his water bottle (with all the walking we did). And then there was Myk, who is 10, but is as tall as a 14 year old.

Once again at the insistence of my kids, I took TONS of pictures of animals, but I won’t bore you with all of them.

Neat how the zoo is surrounded by all the New York buildings.

My favourite was the penguins. We could only see them through a glass. Probably because it had to be made cold behind there.

So once we were done at the park, we exited out the other end. And turns out that end was probably the entrance, as the tickets booths were there. As you walk out, there were all the caricaturists and this guy making balloons for donations.

The Peninsula Hotel. We started walking up to 5th Avenue (great shopping) as Colts wanted to get a pair of new sneakers, and I knew that the NIKE store was around there somewhere. Anyway, enjoy my camera-happy ways.

They have amazing churches within the metropolis.

This was St. Patrick’s Cathedral. I was an idiot and didn’t even think of going in. My mom told me how she and my dad went in, and she bought herself a rosary.

My mom went in the shoe department there and saw Andre Leon Talley shopping with a female friend. I couldn’t fathom that she didn’t go up and gush over him. 😆 I would have. I didn’t bother going into these high-end shopping meccas as I had my kids, and it would be torture for them. Well, for my son. My daughter is becoming this little mini fashionsta.

So there are just so many places to shop along 5th Avenue. My poor kids. I made them walk so long. We started out at 5th Avenue/59th Strret. I took them all the way down to 5th Avnue/47th Street (where the NBA Store) is. And then I realized that I went too far! I only had to take them to 5th Avenue/57th Street. Doh! I cracked up and apologized to my kids. Oh well, extra exercise is good. Plus there were alot of touristy stores around that area, and we had to pick up some stuff to bring home to people. I had to feed them after that too. 😆

Turns out that the NIKETOWN store was right inside Trump Tower! I remember seeing it the last time we were there, but it slipped my mind.

It was a four-level store. It was probably one of the nicest NIKE stores I’ve ever been to. And their stock is amazing. There were so many things I wanted.

He founds his kicks.

It was alot of walking that day. Started heading back to the hotel. My kids are so great! Any other kids would have whined on & on about the ridiculous amount of walking we did, but mine were troupers!

After resting at the hotel, I decided to take the kids for a walk around the neighborhood to find some place to eat. We walked down Columbus Ave (which changes to 9th Avenue).

We walked down, then off to some street, and up one. Then we came to Cancun Restaurant on 8th Avenue, and I realized that I was craving some Mexican food.

My kids are usually not big salsa fans, but they couldn’t get enough of that and the homemade chips. They actually finished off all those chips, and my son took the initiative to ask for more. 😆

We ordered the chicken quesadillas, guacamole and nachos. Loved everything, except for the nachos. They were “eh”. While eating, we got a call from my brothers. They wanted to know what we were doing for dinner. Told them we were eating already. So we agreed that we would meet them at PJ Clarke’s.

We met up with my bros & cousins. The latter really wanted to take us back to Top of the Rock again.

So when you go in, you see all these crystals hanging down. Did you know that the crystals are formed in an upside-down replica of the building itself? So cool!

Unfortunately for us again, the weather was way to foggy, and if we went up there, we would see nothing. 😦 So we just walked around the neighborhood till we decided that we were going to go bowling!!!

We were able to get some building security guard to take this picture for us.

And then my kids insisted on getting their picture taken with him. 😆

Cuz said that this bakery is known for their outstanding cupcakes.

Colts took a picture of this building. I think it is the Barclay’s Building. It reminded him of LEGO.

Had to walk through Times Square to get to the bowling place.

Bowlmor Lanes is relatively new. It is so cool inside. Huge. There are themed streets for their different bowling areas. I think the theme was ‘streets’. We ordered some appies there too, and they were very decent! There is actually a sports bar inside there too! Totally cool hangout place.

To my own surprise, this was both my kids first time bowling. In my mind, I always thought they had gone…through a classmate’s birthday party or something. But it was their first time! OMG, I make sure they experience so much, and I totally missed bowling. 😆 They were both so stoked. I loved watching them.

I would totally recommend this bowling alley. It’s probably the best one I’ve ever been to. Usually when someone suggests bowling, I groan. But I would be enthusiastic about bowling if this was the destination. Too bad it’s in New York.

We walked through Times Square again to meet up with our parents, who had just come out from watching The Lion King.

Can our parents get any cuter?

I dared my brother to plank in Times Square. Haha. Then some young boys yelled that planking is not in anymore, and it was the Tebow. 😆 And the Tebow is probably old news now too.

I had no interest in checking out the M&M Store, but my kids wanted to. So we did. I must admit that the Statue of Liberty M&M is pretty darn cute. I would of bought it if I hadn’t of bought so much other stuff throughout my trip. I was getting poorer and poorer. 😆

So I told my son to pose by the blue M&M shelf. Then he decided he wanted to reach for that puppet, and I was like: “Nooooooooooo!!!!” I was picturing him falling into that shelf of glass mugs and teapots! OMGoodness!

So today’s morning plan was to check out The American Museum of Natural History. We just had to walk up Central Park West from our hotel, so it was very easy to find. Colts was studying dinosaurs in school, and Myk was studying the Haida. So it was so great for them to be able to check out the museum. The Museum of Modern Art is also close by, but I could just foresee my children whining: “When are we going to leave?” 😆 They both love drawing & painting, but their artisitic appreciation isn’t there yet.

Beautiful. Looking towards Central Park as we walked.

As you know, I’m on a tight budget, and I was worried about how much it would cost to get in. Turns out there is a “donation line-up”. However, when I got to the cashier, she told me that it would cost me $30.00 for me & the kids. So I didn’t know what was up, so I paid it. Later I found out from my brother that I could of said: “I would like to pay $20.00“. 😆 Or whatever amount you thought would suffice. Oh well. The next time. 😆

I took a ridiculous amount of pictures in the museum. I won’t bore you with them all. But each display was cool.

There are 4 floors, and alot to see. Once you buy your ticket for the day, you can actually go out, and come back in. I think we were there a good 5 hours, and we still hadn’t seen everything. And the thing is…you get so tired!!! Yes, you’re only trouncing inside a building, but you’re more tired than if you were walking around Central Park!

In the olden times, they made musical instruments out of gourds.

In the movie “Museum of Natural History” with Ben Stiller, I think there was a scene where they shot from this angle. I love the view of the skyline off Central Park.

I was totally fascinated by the dinosaurs portion too. And Colts was in all the pictures because (1) he’s a ham (2) I keep a close eye on this one. I’m scared to lose him. 😆 My daughter was mostly with my brothers. And then my parents kind of did their own thing because they wanted to check things at their own slow pace.

So we exited out this park. And it’s not really a park. More like some bits of green space. It wasn’t a “park” where you could throw around a ball.

My cousin recommended that we try out The Shake Shack on Columbus, just outside of the museum. This is a very popular joint, and always a long line-up to purchase their burgers and shakes. And yes, the burgers were huge, and the shakes were amazing!

After the meal, we decided to walk back to the hotel down Columbus Avenue this time. Here are some shots of the New York ambience.There are always alot of outdoor cafes/restaurants.

A school amidst the concrete jungle.

I love the architecture of all the old buildings.

abc, where my cousin works. It was also close to our hotel.

Across from Lincoln Centre is this little sitting area where people sell their wares, or organic produce, and take a break from the concrete jungle.

A picture of our room inside the Empire Hotel.

I am not an “animal print” type person, but for some reason, I really want that chair my daughter is sitting on.

So there was a partial glass partition, but there was no shower door. Aesthetically, it looked totally cool. Functionally, the water kept spraying out. It was stupid, really. I was talking to Sonja’s cousin who had took us out the previous day, and he was saying that alot of hotels are doing that. And that the bathroom doors are made with a see-through glass. He was saying how he’s held some parties at hotels, and it’s always awkward when you can see someone in the bathroom. Sometimes the glass are opaque, but you can totally see what is going on.

View down from our hotel window.

Later that night, our cousins picked us up and took us to Rockefeller Center.

Walking to Rockefeller Center, behind where those lit up trees were.

My cousins really wanted to take us up to the Top of the Rock. They said that if you do anything in New York, you have to check this out at night. They’re New Yorkers, and they said that it’s breathtaking. Unfortunately for us, when we were going there, the people told us that it was way too foggy that night, and we’d be wasting our money as we wouldn’t be able to see anything. 😦

So instead we decided to check out the LEGO store around the corner, to the kids’ delight.

For $9.99, you could make 3 of your own personal LEGO people. I think the adults had just as much fun.

Each one of those circles holds a partticular type of LEGO piece. You choose a size tub, and then you pick out the LEGO pieces you want.

Our cousins took us out to eat across the street at this restaurant called Brasserie Ruhlmann. To my surprise, it was a very high-class restaurant, even though there was an outdoor patio. FYI: Very pricey. My brothers paid, and I felt bad as my kids were there. You don’t take kids to fancy restaurants as they will never appreciate the fancy food enough. And their tastes are simple, so you pay this absorbent money for their meal, and the kids only really want the basics. 😆

I ordered this appetizer that was an avocado, crab and grapefruit salad. I loved it! The waiter (a very prim, and proper waiter…he seemed more like a manager) told me that it was very small, so I may want something bigger. I told him I was fine. Little does he know that I already anticipated that my kids would not finish their meals, so I knew there would be no lack of food for me. In fact, both kids ended up taking home leftovers. My kids will never finish off a fancy meal. Give them mac n’ cheese, chicken strips or fries, and they will inhale it.

We sat on the outfoor patio, so this was my view as we were eating. Breathtaking!

Started out at Columbus Circle that morning. This time my parents were joining us. My plan was to take the the kids to FAO Schwarz again (they didn’t have time the previous day to buy something), and I also wanted to check out Dylan’s Candy Bar. I saw it on an episode of “Tori & Dean” and decided I needed to take them there. 😆

My parents in front of the Columbus Circle Shops, and then us walking into Central Park. They were pretty tired from winding down from the cruise. And there was alot of walking in New York. Today’s plan was to meet up with our cousins & aunt, and do some shopping. They were staying with one of their relatives, but they were in lower Manhattan.

My brothers & Myk were thisclose to making their own Muppet. But my daughter decided against it when the guy said she couldn’t mix and match outfits. She definately has her own convictions. 😉

You basically piece together the doll you want, and then they make it for you.

My kids refused to go on the piano, so I have pics of stranger kids.

There was a floor where you could make your own Madame Alexander dolls. “Creepy dolls”, as my daughter referred to them.

This cool burger joint was across from FAO Schwarz. I wish I had actually went in to check it out. On the last day when we were taking the taxi to the airport, I peeked in, and saw Andy Warhol art all over the walls. I love Andy Warhol. I’ve been fascinated with him ever since I read “The Andy Warhol Diaries”.

The Plaza Hotel was also across from FAO Schwarz. Where Kevin Arnold (Macauley Culkin) stayed in “Home Alone”. 😆

Just camera-happy walking up the streets.

We got there!

Two floors of candy, and the top floor is where you can sit down and eat. Supposedly their hot chocolate is amazing, but it was too hot that day.

Here is the top floor. Myk had their ice cream. One of the most amazing ice creams I’ve tasted.

My brothers wanted to check out the Abercrombie and Fitch store. As we walked in, we were greetied by two pretty young girls (dressed), and some male model with his shirt off. Seriously, like one of the models off their advertisements. Did I do a double-take? Hell yeah! Who wouldn’t? Then I felt creepy as I’m obviously way older than him. And probably could have birthed him, without being a teen mom. 😆

To backtrack, we had met up with our cousin-in-law Sonya’s cousin, who lives in New York. He actually works in the same building where FAO Schwarz is located, so he was taking us on a stroll around 5th Avenue to find a place to grab some food. He wanted to take us back to the Trump Atrium to eat. It was quite a walk, so I was getting worried about how my parents were doing. My cousin’s family are speed walkers, whereas my parents like to stroll leisurely. My parents ended up staying at the restaurant to eat their food, and head back to the hotel on their own. We headed back to Trump Tower.

The Atrium was very nice.

Never wanting to miss a photo op. 🙂

After lunch my brothers headed out on their own to shop, and I explored with my kids. There was a whole lotta walking going on, and finally we headed back to the hotel to rest up.

That’s the hotel we stayed at, “The Empire”. You can see the restaurant below it. It’s the PJ Clarke’s located in Lincoln Square. My cousin said that their burgers are fantastic.

After our rest, I decided to take the kids across the street to check out Lincoln Center. I mean, that is an art mecca. Plus New York Fashion week is held there. So many events are held there.

What kid can resist putting their hands into the water fountain? Well, a NY cop approached me, and informed me that the kids shouldn’t do that. That there are chemicals in the water too. And then I looked around, and I realized that everyone that was walking through, or resting on benches or grass…everyone was very demure and…chill. I don’t know how to explain it. There were alot of people hanging about, but everyone seemed very…respectful. I think that they work in the concrete jungle, and being around Lincoln Center gives them this opportunity to just slow down…and rest. So you can imagine how much my kids seemed like rogues, being confronted by the cop and all. Hahahaha. The cop was nice about it, but I got the hint that Lincoln Center should be respected, and not be treated like a playground.

Next door to Lincoln Center was The Juilliard School of Music. It was so sweet watching kids entering or exiting in little ballet uniforms. And watching people walking out with large cello cases. Total art ambiance.

We just people watched on the steps at the Juilliard building for a while. They also played their Miyachi hacki-sack thing they bought from FAO Schwarz.

Another Apple store.

I swear, our hotel location was just perfect.

Eating in New York can get expensive. So I decided to take the kids to this soup & sandwich place across from our hotel. For $10.00 we got a soup and sandwich that the kids shared.

Around this time, my parents called and asked what we were doing for dinner. Obviously we weren’t hungry, but we agreed to meet back at the hotel. We were going to hang out with them in the evening. We decided to take our parents up the same stroll we did earlier on, around Lincoln Center.

Yes, the symphony just walks around nonchalantly through the streets of New York. 🙂 The city energy is just amazing. My parents wanted to see if they could catch a symphony show one of the days, but unfortunately none were really playing during the last few days we were going to be there.

My parents hadn’t ate yet, so they wanted to check out PJ Clarke’s. I pulled the next photos from their website, but I was pretty impressed with their restaurant and staff.

We sat at one of the checkered tables, but this bar was just crazy busy. It was just such a cool hang-out place. People were coming in alone, and just sitting at the bar. It was like “Cheers”, where everyone knew each other once they came in. They also serve fresh oysters at the bar. I sat there just thinking how I would love hanging out at a place like this at home. And yes, the burger was amazing.

In the day time, they can actually take out those panes of windows. Out! So it was like a semi-outdoor-patio, but with a roof over your head!

Some night pictures!

I always struggle with nights shots on my camera. 😆

You can’t see it, but those lights on the stairs of Lincoln Center are actually scrolling words. Sometimes they give info on shows that night. Very cool.

Our view looking down from our hotel room. Those are taxis zooming along. And I tell you, NY taxi drivers are crazy! That, and you can also call them stunt men! The way they ease in and out of the streets is ridiculous, scary, and awe-inspiring! 😆 If there’s a millisecond time frame where they can cut in front of another car, they will do it! And because it’s almost expected, no one gets honked at! Hahaha.

Yes, my travel post is totally delayed! 😆

Hey, I got the job!!!! Woo-Hoo!

Anyway, back to our trip to New York…

We were so tired that morning (on the last morning of our cruise). We had to wake up early to make sure we packed everything. We had to line up to get off the boat. Then we had to line up to go through Customs. Such a long process. A good thing about travelling with kids is that you get to go into the faster line-up sometimes. We finally get on the streets of New York, and we were going to take a taxi to the hotel. And we weren’t that far off from the hotel. The Pier was on 48th Street, and we just needed to head up to about 63rd Street. It probably would have been a $6.00-$7.00 cab ride. I know because later we took a taxi to Times Square, and it’s about the same distance from our hotel.

However, none of the taxis wanted to take us up there as that day was the New York Half Marathon, and all the streets were blocked off. New Yorkers are serious about their running, which I have a story to tell you later on that reiterates this fact. Some taxi guy said that he would drive us there for $50.00!!! And that’s just a regular taxi that holds 4 fares. Are you kidding me? They said that we would basically either have to take the subway, or walk to the hotel. Even my parents refused that price and opted to walk. We had no idea about the subway system yet, and didn’t feel comfortable. Luckily the blocks were short blocks!

I was an idiot and didn’t bring a good pair of walking shoes (sneakers). I think that when I was packing, I was just focussed on shoe wear for the cruise. Lots of sandals. I only had a pair of calf length leather boots with heels, which I was wearing at that time. Oh, did I pay for it during this little walk!

So we got to 9th Avenue and started walking up. Such an adventure. I was just soaking up the sights of New York (all camera happy)!

It was still morning, and we couldn’t officially check into the hotel till 3:00pm, so we just dropped off our luggage and did more walking around. My feet killed me, but I was just so excited to explore New York! My brother had booked us at such a great location too!

We were staying at The Empire Hotel, which was just right beside Lincoln Center. And it was a little away from Columbus Circle and South Central Park. Wonderful location!

We had so much time that my brothers insisted we take the kids to FAO Schwarz. So we walked from our hotel, and got to Columbus Circle / Central Park.

Hi Anderson! I love you!

There is supposedly some new mall built in Columbus Circle. They call them The Shops. Here we are inside, looking out. My feet were killing me, and I noticed that there was this store called “New York Running Company”. I needed some sneaker love! I did a quick scan, but decided my feet cold bear it just a bit longer. So we headed off.

Fact: Trump has alot of real estate in New York.

As you walk through (or on the outskirts) of Central Park, you’ll be accosted by tons of guys trying to sell you carriage rides or bike rides (where they will do the cycling, and you sit in the carriage). They just know to pick out the tourists, because the tourists would be walking slowly and making eye contact. 😆 Tourists are just soaking all the sights in.

The Apple store is right in front of FAO Schwarz. The store itself is actually underground. And it was crazy busy!!!! Turns out the iPad 3 had just come out.

This was seriously one of the highlights of my trip to New York, seeing how happy my kids were to go into this store!

They have a floor just stocked with candy. Get the bulk chocolate rocks. They look like mini colored rocks. They are to die for!

You can make your very own personal Muppet for $99.99. They had certain heads you could choose from, certain outfits, certain facial additions, etc. You would piece what you wanted together.

The view looking down from upstairs.

My favourite stuffies…the Ugly Dolls. My bros had bought the kids each a big one from their trip to FAO Schwarz in Las Vegas the previous year. I bought myself a little one. So simplistic, but so adorable.

The Statue of Liberty built completely of LEGO.

So we’re outside FAO Schwarz, and we see this cop.  If you know me, you know I am not shy. My brother was looking on at me in horror as I approached the cop. He probably thought that I was going to do something to embarass him. 😆 But all I wanted to do was ask him where the closest NIKE store was! Hahaha. And the guy was so NICE! He said that he wasn’t from Manhattan, and was actually from Brooklyn. Or was it New Jersey. I can’t remember. But then he totally whipped out his phone and checked on Google on where the closest NIKE store was. He said it was in Times Square, which was a ways from where we were. I found out later on that there was a closer one on 5th Avenue. Anyway, I got a pic with him because I am that corny.

Okay, and that’s when we started heading back to the hotel because it was time to officially check in. My feet were dying, and I didn’t care if I spent a fortune on sneakers. Well, not really…I certainly don’t have money to throw away…but money wasn’t a factor in my mind at that point as my feet were screaming in pain.

I headed back to “The New York Running Company” at the Columbus Circle Shops to pick up a pair of sneakers. It was the only sneaker shop I came upon. I am a speed shopper if I know what I want. I just want to pick the shoe I want, have them get me my size, try them, and bop over to the cash register. However, as I was perusing, I could tell that the salepeople were very knowledgeable. There was a male customer there who tried on a pair of sneakers and was running down from one end of the room to the other. And the salesperson was taking his time, and providing all this information on the sneaker.

So I pick a shoe off the shelf…one of the cheaper ones…but still around $79.00 or something. I told a salesguy that I don’t really jog seriously, but do spend most of my time in a gym. So most of the shoes weren’t for me, as they were too light. Made for serious runners. Then the salesguy tells me that he wants me to run on the treadmill to see what kind of shoes are good for me. What? Run on a treadmill?? I’ve never been told to run on a treadmill when I’m in a store to buy sneakers. So I’m like: “You see, I’m just visiting here, and I forgot to pack sneakers. And my feet are killing me, and I just want to buy a pair.” And you know…I don’t think he heard me. Or wanted to hear me. He was like: “But I really need to see how your feet are when you’re moving, so I would like you to go on the treadmill.” He looked so serious. My feet were screaming in pain, and if I had to appease this dude and run on a freaking treadmill…then <sigh>…I’ll do it. So then he has to go in the backroom and grabs me a pair of random sneakers to put on so that I could run on the treadmill. By this time my daughter comes in (probably instructed by my brother), asking what’s taking me so long. So I whisper under my breath to her: “Myk, the dude wants me to run on a treadmill.” Of course Myk thought that was totally cool, and insisted on staying to watch me. 😆  So he gets me the sneaker. I wanted so bad to try them, and then just go to the cash register. But he was getting the treadmill all set up, and making sure the camera was angled right. What!!! I’m going to be filmed!!! So yes, he makes me run and walk on the treadmill, and its being filmed. I get off, and he analyzes the footage. And supposedly as I run, my weight leans inside. I don’t know the exact words he said, but I think my instep tends to lean in when I run. Something like that. So I’m sitting there, impatient, and he tells me that I will need a certain insole to fix this problem. Insole!!! Oh for christs sakes.  I am not going to pay a mint for sneakers, and then pay more for a freaking insole! I laid it out to the guy and said to him once more: “Look, I am NOT a runner. I am from out-of-town visiting, and I forgot to pack sneakers. And so my feet are killing me. I just want to walk out with a pair of sneakers.” And he looked at me blankly, and insists: “But you need these insoles.” So it was a back and forth of this. It was like his mind couldn’t fathom that I didn’t want to buy these shoes properly, made 100% to fit my feet. I finally got exasperated, and admitted defeat, waved the white flag, and said: “You know what, I have to check into my hotel right now. I’ll come back.” With absolutely no intention of coming back, of course. And I left with my feet still in utter pain. My pain was so annoyed with him. I couldn’t get through to him. I was telling this story to my NY cousins later on, and they informed me that New Yorkers are serious about their running. My aching feet was not impressed with the saleguy, but I have to admit that I admire his passion for making sure his customers get shoes that are custom-made and perfect for them. Who am I to get ìn the way of some guy’s passion. Plus his passion was obviously escalated, what with it being the day of the New York Half Marathon. Only this kind of thing happens to me. 😆

So we check into the hotel and have a little nap before dinner. We had already prearranged to meet my uncle, aunt and cousins for dinner at John’s Pizzeria. My parents, Myk & I took a taxi to the restaurant, which was around Times Square. My brothers and Colts decided to walk from the hotel.

How do they get the cars up there

I got this next pic off my brother’s phone later on, but on their walk, they encountered some Smurfs. Supposedly my brothers have to pay for a picture.

It is so busy in New York. But somehow it’s this exciting energy all around.

We got to meet my cousin’s little boy for the first time. Myk fell totally in love.

John’s Pizzeria is located in what was an old church, so the ceiling was unbelievable.

We ordered lots of salads and pizza. Unfortunately for me, my stomach was revolting from the cumulation (pig-out fest) of all the food I ate during the cruise. I literally could not take a bite of anything. I had some gingerale, and forced myself to bite a spinach leaf. So I can’t tell you how the pizza was. It looked amazing, though.

We were laughing about how the males (except for my one brother) was wearing plaid.

Shots like these are priceless!

After dinner we took a stroll into Times Square. I actually spent most of my time in the Footlocker. I tell you, the universe did not want me to find sneakers that day. 😦 I must’ve chose 3 sneakers I liked to try on, and each time I would have to wait for-evah for the guy to come from the backroom, only to tell me that they don’t have my size. And my salesguy would also be helping 3 other people. It was crazy. Finally they had the 4th one, but a size larger. I can be kind of in the middle, and I just took it. And then when I was paying, the cashier gal ran out of bags, and she took her merry time chatting away as she went to the back to get some more. I was about to go ‘postal’! I had to miss out checking out the huge Toys R Us store there as my time was forever occupied inside that Footlocker! My brothers took my kids.

I got the above pics from my brother’s phone too. I guess Toys R Us also has a floor devoted to candy. It sucked that I missed out on checking it out.

Family pic of us at one of the dinners.

So this was the bartender that dad got chummy with. His name was Oswell. Now, my dad doesn’t drink. Ever. In his life. But my mom would tell him what she wanted, and my dad would do the ordering. He became buds with Oswell, and Oswell would triple-shot the drinks my dad ordered. 😆 OMG…all the other bartenders were lame compared to Oswell. It got to the point where even my brothers & I would use my dad as a middle-man to order drinks from Oswell for us. See that martini? It was some lychee sake martini that Oswell made me, and it was so amazing.

Remember our second night at dinner, my bros saw a waiter would looked just like Laurence Fishburne (CSI version – the chunkier one)? We were trying to get a pic of him, but he was too far away. Well, that morning I was at a table with Colts and my cousin. I was trying to take a pic of Colts, but he wasn’t being cooperative. Then this waiter comes up, and tells Colts he should smile for my camera. And it was freakin’ pseudo Laurence Fishburne!!! Hahahaha. Go figure. So then he offers to be in the picture. 😆 Then my brother comes by, and he does an about-take when he sees pseudo-Laurence. You had to be there. It was funny to us. 😉

Rock climbing wall, but you had to pay extra to use it.

Pretty wicked to be able to play basketball like this, eh?

Some more tanning.

There was a chocolate buffet at one point.

We went to one of the specialty restaurants where you had to pay extra ($25.00/head). It was a bit less for a kid, and I don’t think they ended up charging us for Colts as he barely ate.

I ordered the prime rib, and it was the thickest sucker I’ve ever seen. We all seriously could not even finish it.

We were there on St- Patrick’s Day, so lots of people dressed in green that day.

All the kids in the Tree Top childcare practiced circus stunts, and then performed in the theatrefor everyone. It was so cute!

Myk is in the green to the right, doing the devil sticks. Colts was sitting beside me. He didn’t want to be in it. He was on & off on the cruise. Now that I think back on it, it could have been slight sea sickness.

A pic of the fam during our last dinner there.

So on our first night of dinner, I saw this giganto man in the chefs hat walking around. I’m a geek and I wanted a pic with him so bad. He was just towering over everyone. So turns out he’s the executive chef of the whole ship, and was from New Zealand. He came out on this last night, and I got a picture with him. He told me to stand on the staircase behind us so that I didn’t look so small next to him. Little did he know that I wanted to look like a shrimp beside him! 😆 So yeah, in reality, I didn’t hit his shoulders. I was lucky if I was his chest height.

My bro wanted in on a pic too. And yes, on the stairs too.

So my cousins woke us up early the next morning so we could see the sites entering New York.