They say there’s no place like NYC during the holiday season.
They’re right.
In between the wedding and our ski trip, we had a few days planned in NYC. All of us. This would be the longest visit to NYC the duo’s ever had. Living as close as we do to NYC, TT Dad and I have spent a good amount of time in the city… but it wasn’t ever something we were prepared to share with them. They’ve been there for a day trip, even for a quick couple of nights.
Our three night stay was jam packed with pre-planned activities, and I was nervous about how it all would go down. We were meeting TT Dad’s family- all of them! We hadn’t been in one place with the whole crew, well… ever! We came close in May of 2016, when everyone except Uncle N (and Cousin I, although, she was technically there…) was in WI for Mother’s Day.
We were the last to arrive, partially because I thought we could take advantage of the drive to attempt a nap for the duo, since we had a late(r) night planned. We were also delayed because approximately 6 inches of snow decided to join us that morning. Nap was essential. Of course, as they get older, they have started to fight nap, both in their beds, and in the car. They finally fell asleep when we were approximately 10 minutes away from the hotel.
Whelp.
Once we got the car unpacked, and we got everything up into the room, we realized we left the inflatable beds in the car. Believe it or not, this wasn’t the first time we’ve found ourselves without beds for the kids. Hopefully, one day, we’ll learn. Anyway. We found ourselves without beds, so we made do with all the extra blankets in the room.
Tip: We knew we wouldn’t be back in the room until long past bedtime, so we made sure to set everything up (beds, toothbrushes, etc) before leaving.
Our first outing with the family was a Cookies and Caroling Harbor cruise. Napless kids, stuck on a boat, past their bedtime. Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me… except, it wasn’t! Win #1!!
The cruise was so much fun. In addition to the cookies, one beverage was included in your fare, and they provided lyric sheets for the caroling. Another tip: Pay attention to the caroling, or you may earn yourself a solo. The vocalist visited each table, and encouraged all to sing-along.
Here’s where it gets tricky.
Remember how we had a bunch of unexpected snow to take care of back at home? It was also raining.
Poor TT Dad was feeling totally drained after shoveling all of that heavy, wet, white stuff.
He toughed it out through the cruise, but he was the first one asleep once we got back to the room.
I took a trip to the drug store on the corner to pick up some bottles of water, and medicine for TT Dad. TT Dad woke up long enough to eat some of the food we ordered for delivery, but he was out cold again in record time.
We woke up on day 2, ready to go. We met the family in the breakfast area, and then we all got ready to go. We walked towards Rockefeller Center to check out the three, and also hit Bryant Park, to check out the tree there. After a few hours of walking around, we had to get back to drop off the stroller, and take a cab to Radio City. On the way back, we grabbed some lunch from a food truck. We consider that a must do every time we come to the City. Hot dogs and food trucks.
Meanwhile, we dropped off the stroller, and headed back to Radio City. We met the rest of the crew there, and TT Dad ran off to get us some concessions before we took our seats.
Expectation: Honestly? It wasn’t good. The show was at 2, and the duo usually nap between 1-3. We really try to set the kids up for success, whenever we can- but not this time.
Our seats were right on the aisle- perfect for a quick getaway.
Except, we never needed it. They were completely enthralled in the show, (and the popcorn) and watched almost the whole thing. They had a few antsy moments, but a quick change of seating arrangements seemed to make everything okay.
G was completely enraptured the entire time. Z watched most of the show from her seat, then wanted to sit on TT Dad’s lap. With maybe 10 minutes left in the show, she decided to come sit with me, and immediately fell asleep.
I tried to help her stay down even after the show was over, but she was up and raring to go. The duo actually walked the entire way back to the hotel. Amazing! Must have been the fresh air!
As is the standard, we all met up at the happy hour in the hotel. The outdoor patio area was actually under a tent, with heaters, so we were able to camp out there, allowing the kids to have some space to play. Cousins A&A taught the duo how to play Hide and Seek, and it’s safe to say they’ve created a couple of monsters. Oh my. We had dinner reservations that night across the street, and everyone was really well behaved for that, as well. 
It was a shock, but the kids weren’t nearly as tired as we thought they would be… or maybe they were too tired? They were having way too much fun talking and playing… Eh, it’s vacation.
I ran out one more time for more water, and meds before heading to bed myself. I’m glad I did, since the boy twin ended up having a rough night. We were up with him every hour or so, even after pulling him out of his next, and into our bed.
Our final full day left us with one main goal- to take Cousin A & A to Times Square- which we did- but not all of us. TT Dad was feeling especially rotten, so we left him home with orders to rest. Not totally convinced he would actually rest, I made a mental note to return sooner rather than later.
After a trip to the Disney Store, and a ton of window shopping, we all grabbed lunch at Juniors, and then headed back to the hotel, where we ran into TT Dad He seemed to have reccovered much better than we had expected, so he joined us as we made our way back to the room.
We had only a few hours to get ready before we were going out on the town. What a special treat. Oma, Opa, and the big cousins were going to babysit the three littlest cousins while all the aunts and uncles went out to dinner together!
Midway through dinner, TT Dad was on his way to bed. It became clear he was really not doing well. The rest of us stayed out a bit longer, and it was a lot of fun. After our dinner, we hit up a couple of bars that took their Christmas decorations seriously. I was a little too overwhelmed to take pictures, but man, do i wish I could have pulled it together! These bars were incredible.
We eventually made our way back to the hotel, where I found TT Dad fast asleep. Hopeful that he’d be turning the corner, I fell asleep, too.
The morning brought us a hotel room with stuff everywhere. For some reason, we have a really hard time staying organized in hotel rooms. I mean, we’re not experts at it when we’re home, either- but it seems a lot worse in hotel rooms. I imagine it’s because of the close quarters, but it also is most likely because I find myself trying to take a vacation, as well.. One day I’ll learn- Parents don’t really get vacations, do they?? haha!
In all seriousness- please help me out! How do you keep your hotel room organized when sharing a space with toddlers?
Luckily, on this particular trip- there was power in numbers. Oma, Opa, and the rest of the family took the kids so TT Dad and I could concentrate on packing everything up. We met up with them in the breakfast area again, and I wrangled the tiny humans as TT Dad arranged for the car, and luggage to prepare for our departure.
Just like that, our trip to NYC had come to an end. We were sad to say goodbye to everyone, but it wouldn’t be for long… We had another family trip (well, not everyone… Auntie A, Uncle N, and Cousin I wouldn’t be joining us this time..) planned very soon! A big one!
Once we got home, I promptly piled everyone back into the car again. We were on our way to Urgent Care. Our town has an unusual amount of Urgent Care facilities within a few blocks, so I chose the one that is next to a Panera. While TT Dad was off getting a chest x-ray (!?!) the kids and I were having a snack. Before long, it was confirmed. Poor guy had pneumonia. What a trooper. He toughed it out, and held his own throughout all of our scheduled activities… All that walking. Man!
We picked up his prescriptions, and I deposited him right back in bed.
Don’t worry, he was all healed before our big Christmas vacation! Hip, Hip, Hooray- It’s Christmas Vacation!!