Musings on the Big Apple. . .

We got home late last night (after enduring a 15 hour drive home with all the kiddos) from our fabulous trip to New York City. I am too tired to write much, so here are a few reflections.

• NYC is HUGE and yet felt oddly quaint and small-town-ish.
• No one attempted to mug us, yell at us, attack us or trample us. In fact, everyone was remarkably friendly. Of course, we were quite a spectacle.
• Listening to my 3 year old say, "Stand clear of the closing doors, please", almost every time the subway departed never grew old.
• Spending time with our dear friend and tour guide was wonderful rewarding.
• Walking and riding mass transit everywhere should have made me lose weight. However, all the lovely eating we did made that quite impossible.
• American Girl with your 10 year old daughter is a memorable experience. Though we had been to AG in Chicago, AG in NYC off of 5th Avenue took it to a whole 'notha level.
• Seeing Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty again, this time with the kids was really meaningful.
• Standing at Ground Zero with our friend who was there on 9/11 was very humbling. Seeing all the places we had watched on TV that day really brought to the life the horrific events of that day. It was a very solemn experience.
• Attending our friend's 50th birthday party in a pub on Times Square was something we'll never forget!
  

It is hard to believe we were gallivanting around New York City just two days ago. Now it is back to the grind. . . laundry, laundry and more laundry.