As I had mentioned in my last post, it was a bit of a last minute scramble to the finish as we got ready for our East Coast trip. It certainly didn't help that Kai was sick and at home, and that Nik had to work all through the weekend before our departure, but we made it! For Nik and I, that meant waking up at 4 am (after Nik had gotten home from work at 12:30 am, no less!) to complete any last minute preparations, pack up, and then load our sleepy, pajama-clad children into the van. The kids perked up on the way to the park 'n ride and The kids enjoyed the "jerky, jumpy ride" on the airport shuttle from the parking lot to the airport. The kids were all smiles and excitement on the airplane, but eventually (and thankfully) settled down for a nap. Once we arrived, we met with David who was flying out just as we were arriving (perhaps we could've coordinated our trips better), and headed into the city.
All smiles at 6 am!
We didn't see the "Great American Eclipse" since we were in the air, but we did catch a nice sunrise
"Hi, Uncle David!"
Teaching the kids to travel light from a young age
"Don't cross the yellow line!" Waiting on the train platform with two young kids was a bit nerve-wracking
Family taxi cab selfie
We spent our first night in NYC at Harsha's. Remarkably, this was Kai's third trip to NYC and the third time Harsha had hosted us in the city. It had never been a problem before, so perhaps it's just because our kids are getting older and more rambunctious, but we were constantly worried that Kai or Sora would break or damage Harsha's things, so after our first night, we opted to stay with Greg and Ali, whose home was already child-proofed and overrun by kid stuff.
View of the Empire State Building from Harsha's kitchen window
After a night at Harsha's, we met up with Ali at a nearby playground to play with the kids. The kids loved the abundant water features at the playground and after playing, Greg and Jeff met us for lunch at Shake Shack. The kids then played together at Greg and Ali's and in the evening, Nik and the boys quickly packed our things up and moved our stuff over from Harsha's. In the evening, Nik headed out with the Usual Suspects for a well-deserved night out.
Nik's Shake Shack verdict? The meat patty is good, but everything else is unremarkable and In-N-Out is still better (your California bias is showing, Nik)
Bonding over screen time
The next morning, we set out: Kai and Sora have read a lot of books about dinosaurs and Kai had been constantly singing a song about the Eight Planets, so we thought that the Museum of Natural History would be a good fit for the kids' interests. After only one day, Kai and Parker were already becoming fast friends, although Parker and Ellie left the museum early to have lunch and take a nap. Ethan served as our impromptu tour guide, leading the way through the museum and pointing out sights along the way.
Ethan leads the way
Brief stop for snacks
We adopted a new member to our family :)
Show me your "roar face"!
The kids enjoyed the Discovery Room, which offered hands-on activities
Excavating requires safety googles
After the museum, we reconvened with Greg, and Kai and Sora dropped in on Parker's tae kwon do class. At first, Kai and Sora were apprehensive and watched from the sidelines. But eventually, both kids were interested and the instructors let Kai participate. After such a full day, Nik graciously put the kids to bed so I could enjoy a mom's night out with Ali and Gloria.
That's my hand on the left, I was really worried he was going to whack himself in the head with the nunchuck.
The next morning, we set out after breakfast for the Roosevelt Island Tram. The kids enjoyed the tram ride over to the island. Roosevelt Island is so relatively peaceful and felt like a world apart from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. We stopped at the new Cornell campus to grab a snack and enjoyed the ample open space, and we then walked onward to the Four Freedoms Park on the southern tip of the island. The kids enjoyed climbing up the inclined walls of the monument, even though signs explicitly stated, "Do not climb on walls." By the time we made it back to the tram, we were exhausted.
Impossible to resist
Out of over 30 pictures taken by a friendly passerby, this was the best shot :P
Taking a shortcut
Feeling rejuvenated after free yogurt samples, a nap, and playing with playdough, we had dinner with Harsha at Brother Jimmy's. The restaurant was a bit loud, but kids eat free and Sora loved the mac and cheese. Later, she impressed all the bar-goers with her dance moves.
Kai loves his NY manny
The next morning was low-key as I prepared for the second leg of my journey: attending Suzanne and Tom's wedding in Maine. Suzanne and Tom wanted to keep their wedding an adults only affair, and Nik and I determined that the best way to proceed would be for him and the kids to remain in NYC while I attended the wedding. So after a morning of playing at the playground, I headed out to catch my flight to Maine.
Couch potatoes
Buddies <3
My trip to Maine was for less than 48 hours, but I've never left the kids for any extended period of time. Just to put things in perspective: there have been two times when Nik has left for brief overnight trips when we only had Kai. We've snuck out a handful of times for weddings and date nights, but most of the time, we only leave after we've put the kids to bed. So traveling without my family felt very foreign, but overall, it was a positive experience.
I wanted to send pictures of my travels to Nik and the kids as I went along, but I was worried that sending Kai and Sora pictures of myself would make them miss me more, so I decided to take pictures travelling gnome style and took one of Parker's stuffed friends along with me for my trip (more Maine pictures here). Maine was rural and green, and it truly felt like small town America. I was worried about attending a wedding without a "plus one" when I only knew the bride and groom, but it was a small wedding, so I had ample time to catch up with Suzanne and fortunately Suzanne and Tom's friends were awesome and friendly, so I never felt lonely.. although I did miss my family.
A campfire is a great way to kick off a wedding weekend
Meanwhile, Nik was minding the kids in NYC, with help from our friends and treats-a-plenty. Apparently, I missed dinner at Jeff and Gloria's, visits to playgrounds, and a ride on the subway.
While I was away, Nik learned useful skills: like how to tie up a ponytail
All six kids in one shot!
Dessert + TV = a captive audience
Single parent mode
Dancing in the subway. Sora has a t-shirt that says "Star of the Show," perhaps it's getting to her head
"I found a friend!"
The kids enjoyed my penguin pictures and as they were wishing me a good night, they took pictures with their animal friends :)
Partway through my trip, I got an accident report from Nik: as they were unloading from a taxi, he was holding Kai and a bag, and Sora fell over while climbing out of the cab. Minding two young kids in the big city as a single parent isn't a walk in the park.. but fortunately, dad is an ER doc. :P
Uh oh..
All better now!
After an early, early morning flight (I had to wake up at 3 am!) to NYC, I was back and ready to head out with everyone to Hudson River Park. On the way there, we had a subway car all to ourselves. We then walked along the High Line toward the park. It was a long and meandering walk with four distractable young children. We stopped at a playground which had some awesome water features and eventually made it to the waterfront. After playing at the waterfront and a whopping five rides on the carousel, the kids were pooped and everyone passed out as we strolled to Madison Square Park. At the park, we met up with Sagar who had come down from Boston to visit.
Penguin's back in Manhattan!
Subway selfie!
Kai's climbing ability continues to impress
Sora insisted on riding the unicorns
A second round of carousel riding after running around the waterfront..
.. and they're out!
Since the kids were napping, Nik and I even managed to take a touristy selfie together!
When the kids woke up, they played at the nearby playground until it was time to leave for dinner. We took a subway up to the restaurant; it was only two or three stops, but it felt like an eternity. Sora had wanted to "do it herself" and I instead picked her up to carry her into the train since she was taking too long. Cue 10 minutes of top of her lungs crying and screaming in a crowded subway car. Parenthood isn't always pretty. We eventually made it to the restaurant, with upscale Chinese fare for dinner and cupcakes from Sprinkles to celebrate Nik's 40th.
The kids had gotten attached to Parker's stuffed monkey and blue kitty while staying over, and Parker graciously let Kai and Sora take them home. In exchange, Kai gave Parker his die-cast Lightning McQueen. After grabbing some Korean take-out for lunch, we headed back to the airport. The flight was delayed due to maintenance issues, but at least they gave us airport meal vouchers and flight credit. Since the flight was delayed, the kids were exhausted by the time we were up in the air and Sora had a brief (but loud) fit midway through the flight. We were tired and didn't get back home until it was nearly midnight, but the next day we segued right into Sora's first day of preschool at Agape. (spoiler alert: She did great!)
