Ian had an amazing year being 13. He truly rocked 8th grade and had none of the issues he experienced last year when starting his new school. Ian has a wonderful group of friends and found his groove with the theatre kids. It is so exciting as a parent to see when your child finds something they are passionate about. Ian has expressed interest in doing local community theatre and continue with performing in theatre in high school. He had an amazingly perfect role for him this past year, playing Lonny in "Rock of Ages" and it really sparked the fire for seeing how far he can take this. Ian has also started voice lessons to improve his singing.
Ian discovered binge-watching and took it to a crazy level. He managed to watch every show of every season of "Friends", "Cheers", and "Seinfeld". We're talking like 250 episodes for each of these shows.
Independence was front and center this year. Ian regularly hung out with his friends and would walk across the street for lunch or walk from his school to the local shopping center. He made all his own plans and even went to a Nationals game with a friend and no parental units. And he started dating! Oh my! Ian asked out one girl at the beginning of the school year to go to the homecoming football game. And he asked out another girl a few times towards the latter part of the school year.
Ian continues to be considerate, caring, sensitive, and funny. So, so funny. He has a great sense of humor. Most times we look at each other and break out laughing over something silly that both of us have noticed and no one else has. This is the same way with my mom and its simply wonderful.
Ian has become obsessed with all things having to do with cruise ships. He keeps planning a trip for us to take (that will not happen) on various cruise ships and where it will go. He knows inside and out every ship on Royal Carribean's line, how big it is, what amenities/activities are offered and when it was most recently renovated. He has his eyes on future renovations with other cruise ships and follows all the new developments. He is a walking cruise ship encyclopedia. We finally had to tell him to stop talking about them. It was getting to be obnoxious. Think a kid with Asperger's who goes on and on and doesn't stop. Yep, that was Ian for months on end.
Ian has decided he wants to get contact lenses. And he plans to go to the 8th-grade dance. Ian has lots of ideas and it's fun to see how his mind works. I love seeing the person he is growing into. Oh and this is the year that Ian started to shave. We've had a few laughs over this development.
Happy 14th birthday to my sweet son. I hope this year continues to give you opportunities to shine on the stage and let you be the amazing performer we know you are. You keep doing you and all will be just fine. We love you so, so much.
May 24, 2019 turned out to be a beautiful night and gorgeous weather. We got to the stadium via the shuttle from Chickie and Pete's restaurant. Our seats were in the 300 section of Citizen's Bank Park and gave us a view from way up high! Billy Joel started performing about 8:30pm and kept going to just a little before 11:00pm. He played hit after hit after hit. Sometime during the show, Sam leaned over and said she was so happy to be there. It turned out to be a great idea to surprise the kids and we all loved the concert.
Leaving the concert was quite the scene! The restaurant offered a free shuttle to and from the stadium so we could leave our car parked at the restaurant. Going to the concert, the crowd wanting to take the shuttle was staggered and didn't have any over-crowding issues. But taking the return shuttle back to the restaurant, once the concert was over, was of course, everyone leaving at the same time and all wanting to get a ride.
We were lucky enough to get on the first shuttle heading back to the restaurant and even got seats on it. However, as the shuttle was filling up, the driver said: "This is going to get ugly." He had to leave probably several dozen people behind and came back for them. The shuttle driver rolled thru all the stop signs, asked a woman on the shuttle who was blocking his view if it was ok to get in the lane next to him, and then was surprised when he looked toward the back of the shuttle and saw how many people had made it on. For sure we violated the total number allowed by easily more than double or triple. There were bodies everywhere! My row of 2, had 4 of us sitting on it. The woman next to me and I was laughing hysterically over what a sh*t show this shuttle ride had turned into. And thru the whole ride, another woman is saying over and over again, we are going to die. I think the driver was scared to use his brakes for fear what would happen to everyone standing. Meanwhile, the shuttle driver is also taking calls on his cell phone from people asking where he is.
Oh, and the only way we manage to get on is because we walked thru the intersection he was stuck waiting to cross and got on before he could officially pull up. It was truly a memorable ending to an awesome evening.
The proof is in the pudding! This was a note that Sam wrote and put under my pillow at the hotel:
I value giving the kids experience type gifts rather than something tangible. I feel whatever the experience is, it will last much longer as a memory than the item that is wrapped up as a present. And we all get the chance to spend time together as a family enjoying something we don't usually get the chance to encounter on a day to day basis.
A few months ago I found out that Billy Joel was coming to concert in Philadelphia. The timing was perfect as it was the day after Samantha's birthday and a few days before Ian's birthday. Ian has always expressed interest in seeing Billy Joel perform live and with Billy recently turning 70 years old, I wasn't sure how many years left we had to make this happen. Meanwhile, Samantha was dying to go to a concert, any concert. Both kids have grown up listening to Billy's music and is fully aware of all his songs. I am a huge Billy Joel fan (he is my absolute favorite) and Jeff enjoys his music as well. In fact, we've gone to 2 Billy Joel concerts previously together. He puts on a fantastic show.
My idea was to let the kids miss school on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend and head up to Philly. We'd see the concert that evening and spend the night in a nearby hotel. The next morning we'd be able to see my cousin Leslie and her family for breakfast before heading back home. I had a dog sitter lined up for Lucy for the 24 hours we'd be gone and was so excited with the plan that was forming. It was going to be a GREAT surprise and I knew the kids would freak out when we told them.
Jeff and I managed to keep the whole thing a secret until the morning of Sam's birthday. I put together a cute flyer and handed an envelope to each kid for them to open that would tell them all about the gift. "You get to miss school tomorrow!" "We are going to Philadelphia!" "You are going to your first concert!". The Billy Joel ticket was attached. We presented it to them at the same time. I was ready to video record their reactions.
The surprise that I thought was going to be so amazingly well-received by the kids turned out to surprise Jeff and me even more. Ian and Sam's reactions were almost non-existent. They had no reaction. It was strange and I was beyond disappointed. WHAT!?!? It was like they were in shock and couldn't even smile at the news. It was a non-reaction. The first thing that happened was Sam saying she didn't want to miss school the next day. HUH? And then she said, while she wants to go to a concert, she didn't want Billy Joel to be her first one. She said he could be the third concert she goes to. First place position goes to Pink!. Ian, meanwhile, kept apologizing for his non-reaction and said he was looking forward to going. Ugh. Personally, I think this was the absolute last thing either kid expected ever happening. They really had no clue as Jeff & I kept these plans such a secret that there was no chance for them to find anything out. I was so depressed all day on how little the kids reacted favorably to their birthday gift from me and Jeff. It really threw me and I wasn't expecting this to go the way it was.
Every year we let the kids pick what restaurant they want to go to for their birthday. But this year, because of the trip to Philly, we were not going out to dinner and I said I'd make their favorite dish and we'd get cake. I know this disappointed Samantha and she wasn't afraid to let the grandparents know when they called her that day to wish her a happy birthday that basically we were the worst parents in the world for not taking her to her favorite restaurant. What she didn't tell the grandparents or anyone else that called was that we had other awesome plans instead.
Our road trip to Philadelphia was a big success and we stopped in Delaware at our most favorite Mexican restaurant for lunch. Whenever we are driving on I-95 we try to plan it around us being near here for lunch or dinner. It's about 2 hours from our house and each one of us loves this place. It's about 5 minutes off the interstate and brings a smile to our face every time we get to go. Jeff and I found this place very randomly a few years ago after we had dropped the kids off at camp and was driving back home. Since then, we've managed to eat at Border Cafe about a dozen times over the years.
Once we got to Philadelphia, Jeff found us a really cool place to hang out for a few hours before checking in to the hotel. It was a park off of Spruce Street that was a combo street festival and full of hammocks to lounge around in. The hammocks were built for two people. How fun! It was a gorgeous day and so wonderful to be outside soaking in the sunshine.
I had found us a restaurant near the stadium for dinner and with a little luck was able to get a reservation. The restaurant is a big hangout for all the stadiums nearby and this evening was filled wall to wall with Billy Joel concertgoers. The music roaring from the speakers in the restaurant was all Billy Joel music. How cool! The restaurant offered a free shuttle to and from the stadium so you could leave your car parked at the restaurant.
It was shaping up to be a fantastic day and both kids finally came around in wanting to go to the concert.
Samantha turns 11 today. This past year has been monumental for her. All social anxiety has gone by the wayside and dare I say, Samantha has blossomed. She regularly goes to a nearby classmate's home in the neighborhood to see if her friend is able to play. This is a pretty big deal as Samantha was more fond of staying home alone rather than hang out with the neighborhood kids. And now she can easily spend 3 to 4 hours outside. Goodbye iPad! Well not completely, but you get the idea.
Another huge sign of social advancement is Samantha wanting to play softball. Holy moly, this is a team sport!! And she didn't even need to know anyone on the team or make sure she had a friend join her. This is amazing! But wait there's more! Samantha also expressed interest in doing AFYP; the drama group that Ian participates in. Samantha is currently working on a production of Alladin Jr. Talk about putting yourself out there!
Samantha has also continued horseback riding, which she absolutely adores and would love to bump up her lessons to 2x a week. Needless to say, it's been a very busy Spring for her and we've done much juggling of the various schedules to try to accommodate all the activities.
This past year we also found out that Samantha has a mild learning disability that has impacted reading comprehension, phonological sounds and spelling. We are confident that within 4 to 6 months time of working with a reading specialist (which Sam will start in the Fall), she will be able to catch up. But this year has been a struggle with the demands of 5th grade Her homeroom teacher is amazing and has been helpful in accommodating Samantha but we definitely need to bump up our efforts now that we know exactly the areas Samantha needs special help in.
Samantha is growing up. Her height has shot up this past year and her face is looking so grown up. I can't believe it sometimes that is my daughter and how beautiful she is. She pretty much wears her standard uniform of black leggings, t-shirt, and her hair in a ponytail every day. No matter where we are going, Sam finds this look to be the one for her. It takes a lot for her to vary and change any part.
Samantha has been known to drive me crazy most days. She has her mind made up way before you even try to reason with her. I quickly pick my battles and most days, it's not worth the challenge. But there are the days when Samantha is sensible and so amazing to be around and I get excited to see the person she is turning in to. She is funny, quick-witted, wicked smart, and has an amazing sense of self. She stands up for herself and is quick to let you know what she is thinking. When she likes you, she really likes you and is still bringing her 2nd grade teacher her favorite candy bar of Kit Kats. She'll randomly stop by her former teacher's classroom just to give her a hug. She also loves her 3rd grade teacher and enjoys her time with her each Wednesday when Sam does after school tutoring with her. You always know when Sam is good with something when she willingly goes and does not complain about it.
Happy birthday to my fiercely independent, feisty, funny, and brilliant daughter. Each year we get a little closer to figuring all these issues out. It's pretty awesome how far we've come. You are the perfect blend of your dad and me and a force to be reckon with. I hope this year brings you the happiest of days and the ability to adjust your sails when the storm hits. You teach me every day how to be a better mother by pushing me to new limits I never thought possible. I love you more than you realize and wish for you a great year of being 11 with Lucy by your side.
I needed a day or two to let myself calm down a bit before I could write this next line.....
IAN GOT THE ROLE!!! Yes, THE role! OMG!!!
Here is the official description of what the movie is about:
"Tell Me About Orange" tells the story of Elliot, a gay, blind middle school student, who has been keeping his crush on a boy a secret-even from himself.
Ian is going to play Elliott!
It was about 7:20pm on Sunday evening when the call came on Ian's cell phone. Martha, the casting director, was on the phone. We weren't sure yet who Ian was talking to until we hear him say, "You want me to play Elliot?"
It was at that point we knew and the excitement went thru the roof at Casa del Toppall. Holy Moly! This was happening!! Who knows the reaction you will experience when something like this occurs? For me, it was instant racing of the heart rate and a mix between an emotional cry/laugh. WOW! Once Ian got off the phone, the jumping up and down and screaming in excitement hit the roof. It was so awesome that we were all home for this moment.
Going into this we kept our expectations realistic and hoped at the most Ian was going to be asked to be an extra. But this turn of events was simply crazy.
I'm thinking ahead and got the screening party plans forming.
Ian went on his very first real audition on Monday. It was for a short film and the part he was auditioning for, was a blind, gay, Jewish boy who is preparing for his Bar Mitzvah. And no, I am not kidding.
Ian heard about this opportunity from his theatre teacher who knew someone who knew someone who had a friend looking for local talent to cast in this movie. They were planning to use union and non-union actors and the acting job is paid. This is all so very exciting and each step Ian got closer to showing up in person for the audition had him (and all of us!) in awe and dreaming of what it would be like to have Ian starring in a movie at this young age. And if you are going to dream, why not dream big? Doesn't the role of a blind, gay, Jewish boy scream academy award nomination? :)
The first step was to send in an email that he was interested in auditioning. After hearing back from the point person, Ian had to send in a headshot and a very recent picture. After successfully getting thru this step, Ian was sent information on sending in a taped audition using pages of the actual script. About 2 weeks after that, Ian was asked to come in for an in-person audition.
Auditions were scheduled from 5:00pm to 8:00pm in Bethesda. Ian was given the 6:50pm time slot. When we arrived and took our seats, you can't help but notice all the moms and kids around you waiting for their audition too. They called Ian back. I was not able to accompany him, but let me tell you, my heart started pumping wildly waiting for Ian to return. I have no idea why I got as nervous as I did. It was crazy. Ian came back out about 10 minutes later and whispered to me that he thinks it went really well. He was asked to stay longer. So we wait it out for the next set of boys to go for their audition and then Ian is asked to read with one of the girls that were asked to stay too. Meanwhile, Ian had a friend from school who was auditioning too and he was dismissed and told to go home.
After Ian had read with one of the 2 girls who has stayed behind, the girl comes out and says to her mom she can now go home. Ian comes out a few minutes later and is told to stay even longer. Seriously, can this get more exciting waiting to see what is going to happen?!?!
I asked Ian what happened when it was just him and they had sent the girl out before him, he said he heard them talking and asking if there was enough time for Ian to read with the boy they had cast Harry.
After a few more minutes, the point person stuck her head back in the hallway and said Ian can now go home too and they would be in touch. Either they ran out of time to do all they wanted to do, or Ian was just cut. The strange thing was, the woman who told Ian he could go, was about to say something else, but held her tongue. She had all this energy about her and it was like she was tripping over herself to keep it in.
We are patiently waiting for an email to come letting us know what was decided. In any event, Ian is very proud of the audition he gave and feels he did the best job he was capable of. This was a great experience for him and will help prepare him for future auditions.
Once a year Jeff and I will take the day off from work and spend the day together while the kids are at school. It's awesome to feel like we are playing hooky and enjoy going out when the rest of the world is busy at school or work. If you haven't done this with your significant other, I highly recommend it!
This past Monday was our day date. We made plans to go to the movies and see "The Long Shot". It's a funny movie and the perfect choice for Jeff and me. I am truly a middle school boy at heart and really appreciate Seth Rogen's sense of humor. It's not for everyone, but I don't get easily offended and laughed through the whole thing. Jeff did too so it's good I've got a partner in crime.
Imagine our surprise as we take our seats and watch the 11:00am show fill up with moms and babies. Lots of moms and babies!! Jeff and I managed to stumble upon the baby friendly showing at the movie theatre. I am all too familiar with this special kind of showing. I used to take Ian and Sam to the movies all the time when they were infants at a different nearby theatre. It's pretty awesome and a great way to get out of the house and still watch the latest movies. The theatre does not turn the lights all the way down, there are strollers everywhere when you walk right in, and more moms than you can count feeding their babies and getting them to fall asleep during the movie. I do think they even shorten the amount of time of previews before the film starts. Normally, the standard has been 20 minutes worth and this showing had about 10 minutes.
I remember one showing I was at (years and years ago) when they stopped the film temporarily and the manager made an announcement that the local public schools have called for a Winter weather advisory and they are letting school out early due to the impending storm. The manager wanted us to know in case anyone had school-age children they needed to go get. It is really awesome how accommodating they are for this particular demographic, who I'm sure at some point never thought they'd be in a movie theatre again after just having had a baby.
Anyway, I digress. Jeff and I couldn't help but laugh at the irony of all this. We intentionally went out while our kids were at school and here we are surrounded by at least 30 moms and their infants. For the most part, they were all good. The few that couldn't settle down left and came back once they were quiet.
But the best thing about being surrounded by these babies? They weren't ours and we could leave the movie theatre and go back to having our 2 kids who are in 5th and 8th grade. I think Jeff agrees with me that we are so happy to be beyond the baby stage. :)
This Mother's Day was pretty amazing. Jeff made me a breakfast that blew me away. He made cinnamon roll pancakes and OMG!, they were out this world. I took a bite and looked at him and said, I’ve known you for 16 years and you’ve been capable of making this, this whole time!?! I can’t believe you’ve been holding out on me. I was in food heaven and clearly proclaimed these pancakes are better than the ones we get at Miss Shirley’s and Uncle Bill’s; two restaurants that for me has set the bar very high for gluten-free pancakes. But yes, these pancakes were better than those.
I’ve been trying to follow the WW plan and put the ingredients in the app after I ate them. 47 points are what I consumed. To put this in context, I get 23 points a day. Yikes! I will say, they were worth every point and I have no regrets. While the kids were at religious school, I hopped on the treadmill and walked 6.5 miles, burning 650 calories. Definitely made me feel better after doing what I could to counter that delicious ridiculousness of a point heavy breakfast.
The kids this year put a lot of thought into the gifts they got me. Ian got me a selection of the softest, fluffiest socks. It’s like wrapping my feet in little cocoons of pillows.
Samantha went all out and got me 2 hats. She picked out and paid for with her own money. Think very big and fancy. You know those crazy beautiful hats that they showed the women wearing at Kate Middleton’s wedding. Yep, we are talking that style. Jeff tried to talk her down from it and said mom will only be able to wear it once or twice a year. Say what?!!? I am bewildered where Jeff thinks I go and can wear this hat even ONCE!, let alone once or twice a year!! Are you up for the Kentucky Derby next year? I am ready!! It was very sweet of her to do this. And I am going to do my best to come up with a reason to wear it. Do you know of any fancy garden weddings I can crash?
This is the other hat and one that fortunately is appropriate for the beach.
Sam also made her own card and reading it brought tears to my eyes.
We ended the day meeting Jeff’s parents and sister and her family at a restaurant for dinner. It’s always nice when we can get together. And we were able to not only celebrate Mother’s Day, but Elaine’s birthday too, which was the day before.
I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband and two kids. The thought, effort and time that went into making my mother’s day special were lovely and very touching.
One of the funniest conversations we've had as a family took place the day after we got back from NYC. We were driving home from Baltimore, after having a wonderful Passover Sedar at Jeff's parent's house and was listening to the soundtrack to "The Prom", the Broadway musical we had seen 2 days earlier, on the car ride home. There were so many funny lines in the show that you miss them from laughing at the line before it. By playing the soundtrack in the car, we could truly hear all the lyrics to the songs and laugh all over again. We were all enjoying this and having a good time on the 1 hr, 20 minute drive home.
Just a bit of background before I tell the conversation we had in the car. 11 years ago, when Samantha was born, Jeff started calling her his 'little baby girl'. At some point, he just shortened this term of affection to LBG. 11 years later and he still uses these initials from time to time to refer to Sam.
The Broadway musical "The Prom" is about a high school girl in Indiana, who is a lesbian and wants to bring another girl to the prom as her date. The school won't allow this to happen and decides to cancel the prom and quickly Emma becomes an outcast. Meanwhile, there are 4 aging Broadway stars who get wind of this news and decide it will help their career if they help this girl and make the news with their altruistic efforts.
Ok, now on to the conversation in the car on the ride home from Baltimore:
As we are listening to the music, there are certain lines that Sam hears and asks us what they mean.
Music: "...stealing the rights of a girl who is an LGBQ-Teen"
Sam: What does LGBQ mean?
Jeff/Me: L is for lesbian, G is for gay, B is for bisexual, and Q is for queer.
Sam: So when you call me your LBG....?
OH MY GOSH!! Jeff had no idea 11 years ago those letters he was using was going to have any other kind of meaning. We all got a good laugh and unpaused the music to keep listening.
Music: "...but if it comes to be, you've lost your virginity..."
Sam: What does virginity mean?
At this point, Jeff is dying and ready for this car ride to be over.
Jeff/Me: You know what sex is?
Sam: Yes, sadly I do.
Jeff/Me: Being a virgin means you haven't had sex yet.
Sam: So I am a virgin?
Jeff: Yes, and you will be until I'm dead.
Music: "....Let's hope you don't masturbate, 'cause the scripture says we'll have to cut off your hands..."
Jeff and I are holding our breath when this line comes and goes. We successfully make it 2 lines past this one in the song and give a sigh of relief. Looks like we made it thru and Sam didn't pick up on this word and ask what it is. I even do the motion of wiping the sweat off my brow as a gesture we are safe. Meanwhile, Ian is giggling because he knows exactly what is going on.
Sam: What does masturbate mean?
OMG! We all thought we were safe and out of the woods on this one.
Jeff: I'm getting out of the car, you don't even need to stop. I'll just jump out here.
Me: I'll tell you Sam what masturbate means. (And I do what I think is an awesome job of explaining it. Fortunately, Sam doesn't ask any follow-up questions.)
Jeff: We have just used Broadway musicals to explain Sex Ed to Sam. This is not normal.
Ian and I are laughing hysterically. In all the years we've been doing the drive to and from Jeff's parent's house, this has to be our most memorable yet.
Spring break is that wonderful time of the school year when you are very ready for a break and just want to bust out of town and do something. Do something fun, do something very different than going to school, and do something that will make you happy to have a few days off and can face the rest of the school year with a renewed sense of energy.
This Spring Break we went to NYC as a family. Ian, Samantha, and I love NYC. Jeff had vacation time he needed to use or lose, and while he doesn't love NYC, he does love us and together we designed a few days that would appeal to everyone.
WEDNESDAY:
Took the train into the city early in the morning. We went to a restaurant for lunch called "The Melt" and it specialized in all kinds of grilled cheese sandwiches. They even had gluten free bread and I was able to order like a normal person. ;) So cheesy yummy!
The M&M store is where we ended up next. Oy! This place is nuts and is 3 floors of everything M&M candy, merchandise and whatever else they can think of to sell you.
"The Prom": All four of us went to the matinee show. We weren't entirely sure what to expect as this show is brand new and I knew only one other person who had seen it. And that person was my friend Adam who has seen everything. Really. He averages 255 shows a year. He's seen "Hamilton" with the original cast 8 times!! He saw their 5th ever show when it was first off-Broadway. Yes, he's seen it all. Adam said we would like it. He was right, Team Toppall enjoyed the show very much. It's hilarious and the music is awesome. We downloaded the soundtrack right away and have been singing along ever since. "The Prom" got nominated for 7 Tony's and we got to see 3 of the nominated leads in action. That's always a very cool thing.
We had a bit of downtime after seeing "The Prom" and went back to the hotel to chill.
Dinner was at our favorite Italian restaurant, Trattoria Trecolori. We discovered this place a few years ago and it's our number 1 choice for going to dinner when seeing a Broadway show. By New York standards, it's reasonably priced, awesome food and the service is excellent. It's a sure-fire winner. As long as you have a reservation, you will get in and out as fast as needed. And the place is ALWAYS packed.
After dinner, we split up and Jeff/Sam went to see "Wicked" and Ian/me went to see "Be More Chill". We wanted Sam to see a show we know she would love. And what girl does not love Wicked? Jeff hadn't seen it before and was happy to take her. Both of them enjoyed the show and it was a solid choice. I had heard about this new show called "Be More Chill", again from my friend Adam. Ian and I had been listening to the soundtrack since November and couldn't wait to see the show. It wasn't appropriate for anyone under the age of 12, but in reality "The Prom" was edgier and more of an education than "Be More Chill" will ever be. Ian and I liked the show very much, but we agree we liked "The Prom" even more.
Ian and I's show started an hour later than Jeff/Sam's. So what else is there to do but go get a slice of cheesecake from Juniors. Yum!
THURSDAY:
Jeff was able to meet a friend from college for breakfast, while the kids and I slept in for an extra hour.
10:00am: We had tickets to National Geographic Encounter. This place was a re-creation of what it was like to be in the Pacific Ocean. It was cool and educational and so well done. This was a great way to spend a couple of hours in the morning.
Lunch became somewhat of a mess. The Mexican restaurant I had scoped out earlier was not at all a place we'd want to go to. We ended up eating at a food court in Grand Central Station. It was the best option at the time. We were all tired of walking, hungry, and starting to melt down. Every restaurant we passed by the time we got to this food court, for some reason or another, each one of us vetoed. It wasn't a pretty sight by the time we finally descended on this food court, but it did the trick. We got our 2nd wind and was ready to tackle our next destination.
AKC, Museum of the Dog was next up. They had just moved this museum from St. Louis to a new location in NY. Every one of us loves dogs and was up the adventure to check out the museum. However, it was so disappointing. Beyond disappointing. One of the cool things we had read about was that the museum had a machine that will match what breed of dog comes closest to what you look like. However, every time we did it, it came up with a different match. The rest of the museum was not much better than that. I think there is the potential to do a lot with this idea of having a dog museum, but it certainly fell short.
At this point in our day, the kids and I were up for continuing on and Jeff was ready to head back to the hotel and rest. We walked to Dylan's Candy Bar and was pleased once again with our day in the city. This place is a feast for the eyes and taste buds. With a bounce in our step and bags of candy in our hands, we walked back towards the hotel. However, on the way, we stopped at the M&M store AGAIN and bought Sam a t-shirt she had seen and wanted. We had told the kids they could each get one t-shirt and Sam had seen this one the day before, but we thought it was a good idea for her to wait a day and see if she still really wanted it. While we were there, Ian picked out a t-shirt he wanted too. We made it back to the hotel and had about an hour before our itinerary picked up speed again.
This evening we split up and I had Samantha with me and Jeff had Ian with him. Jeff and Ian have a bucket list of visiting various baseball stadiums and the Yankees were high on their list. They went to an evening game and saw the Yankees play the Padres. It was fantastic spring weather and they very much enjoyed watching the game. And as a bonus, they took the subway to and from Yankees Stadium.
Samantha and I had a very different idea of how to spend the evening. Most of it was spent standing in line at Ellen's Stardust Diner. It took us 1 hr, 50 minutes to make our way indoors. I was determined that we'd spend just as much time inside as we did waiting outside to get in. Samantha and I love Ellen's Stardust Diner, but Jeff does not, so it was the best way to visit without subjecting Jeff to it.
FRIDAY:
We started the day at NBC for the NBC Studios Tour. We were all delighted at how great this tour was. We saw the sets of Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon Show, and Seth Meyers, plus got an understanding of how the editing works with visuals, sound, and cameras. The tour ended with our group doing a pseudo talk show with all of us participating in the production. Sam was the guest, Ian and I were in the band, and Jeff was part of the studio audience. So much fun!
After the studio tour, we walked to Serendipity for lunch and their awesome desserts. At this point, it was time to grab our luggage at the hotel and make our way to Penn Station. Of course, we had to make one more stop at the M&M store. Ian decided he'd rather have a t-shirt from the NBC store than the shirt he got at the M&M store. So, we went back to return the shirt we got from the day before. Yes, so that makes 3 trips to the M&M store in 3 days. And let me tell you, this store was a zoo at each and every visit. You'd think no one saw M&M's before.
The train ride was uneventful (which is the way it should be) and we made it back home by 7:30pm in the evening.
We had 3 very long, fun-filled days. We walked everywhere and didn't take one cab around town. We averaged 20,000 steps a day and accomplished all we set out to do. Another trip to NYC in the books.
OUR NBC STUDIOS TOUR VIDEO:
Jeff and Ian at Yankees Stadium
The Prom
Be More Chill
Wicked
National Geographic Encounter
Sam and I waiting in line at Ellen's Stardust Diner
