#211 Take My Kids To NYC For Christmas

The very first time I took my kids to NYC was back in 2005. We visited during the holiday season. I was so excited not only to see their reaction to the city in general, but was hoping they would feel the same wonderment I felt when I first glimpsed the Big Apple at Christmas time. I decided to stick to Midtown for their first outing in the big city. I knew it would be crazy busy since we were visiting on a Saturday in December but I was most comfortable navigating that area. 

Besides, there were so many famous landmarks and decorations for them to enjoy in Midtown. 5th Avenue, Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Radio City, Times Square, Broadway and Central Park were just some of the places we were going to visit. In fact, we started our big city adventure by taking a carriage ride through Central Park. My daughter, whom loves horses, picked the carriage for our journey. She chose a beautiful white horse with a fluffy white tail. She did a great job. 

Snowflakes on Saks

It couldn't have been a more perfect day for a wintry carriage ride through the park either. The city was experiencing a gentle snowfall the day of our visit. Large and billowy snowflakes were drifting slowly from the sky, falling onto our heads ever so softly. The air was crisp and cool but not at all frigid. A glistening blanket of beautiful white snow coated the grass which surprisingly was untouched by footprints. It was like being inside a snow globe.

As we rode along the paths in the park, we happened upon the skating rink. Our carriage driver mentioned that this was the ice skating rink Macaulay Culkin famously slide across in the movie Home Alone 2. My son is a huge, huge fan of the Home Alone movies so he was beyond thrilled to see this ice skating rink in person. He also wanted to visit the Plaza Hotel, which was right next to Central Park.

Carriage Ride through Central Park

The Plaza was also in the movie, but unfortunately for us, the hotel was closed for construction. He was pretty bummed about that. So, after our ride, I took them to some toy stores. I talk about Toys R' US Times Square briefly here. Unfortunately, Toys R' US is no longer located in Times Square. No more Ferris Wheel. In fact, FAO Schwarz is no longer operating either although there are reports that it will be re-opening in 2018.

FAO Schwarz...WTG lady bombing my pic!

Inside FAO Schwartz

The kiddos loved both stores. FAO Schwarz was really cool and my favorite of the two. Sure, they had a lot of the newest, most popular toys on their shelves but they also had some truly vintage, old fashioned toys from even before my time. I imagined my father and grandfather playing with those toys as children. Such simpler times they were. I miss that sometimes.

Also, many of the toys at FAO Schwarz were unique and very educational. I loved that. I think it is great that a child can learn so much while having fun playing with a toy. They are the best toys in my opinion. I bought my kids many, many educational toys through the years and they always played with them. Naturally, we purchased a few vintage, unique and educational toys on our visit to FAO Schwarz. How could we not?

Godiva Hot Chocolate

We also stopped in Godiva for some delicious hot chocolate. I figured my daughter would definitely share my appreciation for the exquisite chocolate Godiva creates. She has good taste like her mum. However, my son was the one who raved the most about how delicious their chocolate was. He was walking around, sipping his cocoa, speaking about it as if he were a food critic who just discovered the holy grail of hot chocolate. I found it very comical but endearing.

The kiddos and I strolled around midtown taking in the lights and the music around us. We talked about the history of the city. They didn't ask many questions, instead they observed and admired the spirit of this city. Walking through Times Square after dark, with all of the neon signs lighting up the New York sky, I watched the expressions on their faces. They were as star struck with this place as I was my first visit.

Beautiful Japanese art. 

They loved looking at all the wares and artwork the street vendors were peddling up and down every sidewalk in Midtown. There was an artist that made really cool panoramic air brush paintings of your name with designs like dragons, sports and butterflies. My kids thought they were awesome so of course, I had to get them each one. My daughter chose a red background with her name designed with an Asian flair complete with Chinese Dragons. My son chose a blue background with skyscrapers towering around his name.

The one mistake I made that day was taking them to TGIFridays in Times Square for dinner. Earlier, when we first arrived, I had initiated them with a traditional NYC dirty water hot dog from one of the sidewalk carts. It's not an official first trip to the city without partaking in that event. But, dinner should have been somewhere cooler. New York has so many fantastic, original restaurants and I took them to a restaurant we frequented back home. Boo! Not cool. They didn't care but I did. I made up for it on later trips to the city. Promise!

We explored Rockefeller Center and the Avenue of the Americas. We were all entranced by the huge tree towering above the skating rink. To this day, it's beauty and enormity never cease to amaze me. We visited some stores in the Plaza while I treated them to cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery. Their buttercream frosting is so divine. We also picked up a few hot pouches of roasted nuts from a sidewalk cart. The aroma emitting from the cart was too wonderful to resist.

M&M World. Oh The Colors!

LV. Colorful fun for the big girls! 

Gene Wilder was not there! So sad. 

Our feet were beginning to ache from our long adventurous day in the city. We headed down to  Famous Famiglia Pizza on 8th Avenue and 43rd street to grab a fantastic slice of pizza and some tasty garlic knots for an evening snack before the bus arrived to retrieve us near the Fox News building. Famous Famiglia has almost become a family tradition for us now. Many times we visit the pizzeria before heading back home.

Magnolia Bakery deliciousness! 

Eventually the bus arrived and it was time to say goodbye to the city. We climbed in, stored our packages where we had room, then took a relaxing bus ride back to Hazleton. It was on this day that I truly recognized both of my children were so much like me in ways deeper than I had initially believed. Yes, I had always noticed it, but children change as they grow.

My children were in fact, growing deeper. They were old souls and connoisseurs. They were intense and passionate about the things they enjoyed. They had such a keen sense of appreciation which was unusual for children of their age. They were open minded, wanting to experience much in life. This was one of the best Christmas gifts I have ever experienced. There is no value I could ever place on this moment. I was influencing my children in a way that was so very important to me and they were instilling this influence into their personality.

My kids first trip to NYC 2005

It is very complex to put into perfect words but I have always wanted my children to have the best parts of me. I hoped to give them what I believed were the best parts of who I am. And as a parent, there is no instruction manual on how to do this. All I could do was hope that I was doing something right. So, as much as I talked to them about what was important, meaningful and special to me, and I had a tendency to always speak to them as little adults rather than as children because I honestly did not know any other way, I also showed them what I was trying to communicate.

I created opportunities to share experiences and moments so that they could see it, feel it and hear it for themselves. Words speak volumes, yes, but it is actions and experiences that create the biggest impact to our minds and souls. Children are very impressionable, so, it is important to always keep this in mind. Our actions, both positive and negative, will impact the character of our children. Looking at my two little ones, I felt so much happiness, warmth and excitement.

The spirit of Christmas appears in many forms but no form is more precious and meaningful than in the eyes of a child who has been untouched by the sometimes harsh realities that accompany the grown up world. Allow your children to have a childhood. Allow them to be children. Do your best to give them that time. The years go by so fast. Eventually we all have to grow up, whether we want to or not. And while we can always be young at heart, we can never go back to being a pure, innocent child.

Near Rockefeller Plaza

All grown up! 

Fess