New York, New York

So I'm off in a few days to visit my sister in New York City. I have been there before and done the usual tourist stuff: climbed the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building, seen Les Miserables on Broadway, visited the UN. I have a short list of things to do, but I want suggestions of must-see and must-eat locations.

Here's my ambitious plan:

--Metropolitan Museum of Art

--get cheap, last-minute tickets to "Wicked"

--some historic home (ideas?)

--eat real Italian food

--order an excellent sandwich at a non-chain delicatessen

--eat authentic New York pizza

--visit Purl Soho

--see the WTC site/memorial

--see the Manhattan Temple

--visit a local bookstore

--bring something home...but what? I'm not a name-brand gal, not the tourist t-shirt type.

You see, I learned last year on my trip to D.C. that I can go to an astonishing number of places when I have no kids with me. Ideally, I would love to have about half of the kids along so I can share the world with them; since that's not possible in this case, I'll just efficiently jet around and take pictures for them. And bring them a book...I always bring a book.

Now, friends and family, bring on the suggestions. Also pray the plane doesn't crash, because I always worry about that. Of course.

Winter Highlights

Quick, before it's officially spring, here's a summary of what our family has been up to this winter. (Alternate title: I'm Not So Good at Keeping Up the Blog)

Jamie Beth's review for her dance class. She's looking forward to the fancy spring recital in May, when she will wear a costume.

Christmas Eve bowling is a family tradition.

I beat Matt for the first time! That is to say, he was too tired to play at all.

Christmas nativity program with cousins. (Note the shepherd with the handcuffs.) This was just the beginning of a first-time-ever huge family sleepover at Matt's parents' home--16 adults and 20 grandchildren all crammed in together. Eighteen-year-old sister Cassie has lamented for years that she's never had all her siblings sleeping in the same house for Christmas Eve. So, she worked for months to get everyone's commitment, then she made bedroom arrangements, seating arrangements, and even slept at the foot of the stairs to prevent little ones from pre-empting the party.

Christmas morning was so fun. Our kids were excited and surprised enough to satisfy me and Matt. Santa brought each one a book, an outfit, an activity/game, and something they really wanted: Matthew--an iPod Touch (his first technology gift!), Jamie Beth--a dollhouse that Santa spent hours putting together, Dallin--a remote control truck, and Nate--a mini-trampoline. Later, they also opened gifts from me and Matt, Papa and Nana, and cousins.

Some of the chaos. I couldn't even fit it all into one picture.

Very happy boy. Using the rationale that "Santa always brings me one thing off my list", he put only two things on his list.

Posing at home in front of our own tree.


Jamie Beth's 7th birthday in January. She is worried that Nate will steal her privilege. Luckily Matt whisked him out of the way.

Content with her gifts as she answers one of many birthday calls.

All she really wanted was pierced ears.

A week or so later, Jamie Beth celebrated her birthday with an "elegant lunch--please wear your favorite fancy outfit." The activities included dancing...

...decorating the table...

...eating a dainty lunch...

...and making bead jewelry.

As part of a fifth-grade program, Matthew had to create a display and a report on a state. We both learned a lot as we both slaved over the project. Honestly, though, he did at least 90% of the work.

The end of January brought our annual cabin retreat...four days with, again, the whole big family. Plenty of eating, sleeping, and chatting; lots of movies and food; and of course skiing/snowboarding.

Jamie Beth absolutely loves skiing--with an instructor. This was her third year.

Hitting the target age of five meant that Dallin was enrolled in lessons for the very first time. He now claims to have loved it, though every time I passed him that day, he collapsed on the ground and said he was too cold. Despite this, his instructor said Dallin did a great job for a first-timer. That is the exact reason I pay for lessons instead of teaching the kids myself--they perform for others, while they complain for me.
*Matthew snowboarded again this year, but since he takes off far before I get to the lift, I have no pictures of him. Rest assured, he is practically pro. I know, because he told me.

Back at the cabin, Dallin hardly ever let go of the laser tag gun. The game was a constant throughout the weekend. For an even better representation of Dallin's love of the game (along with his twin-cousin), you have to see this photo my sister-in-law took.

Occasionally, the five little tykes (all born within one year) stopped moving and settled down to a movie.

And, they were bathed and pampered by their older cousins...

Now that I've gotten this far, I wish I had more pictures of the cabin...of some adults, for instance. (Eden, that's your job, and then I'll just link.) And then, I'm realizing that Winter Highlights ought to include February. Hmmmm, maybe in another month I'll get to that.