Off to NY for Nonna's Birthday.... and for Lady Liberty

After Vince's preschool graduation ceremony, we literally jumped in the already packed van and headed straight to New York for a few days of family fun and to celebrate Mike's mom's birthday!  Lisa and Neal were also visiting from Atlanta with Noelle and Andrew so it made for extra special fun for the kids to have their Georgia cousins around!  Nonna and Pop-Pop's house was full to the brim with kids running(and screaming...) around, complete with barking dog, and toys all over the place.  Add in our ridiculously huge tent that we popped up in their yard to have a 'camp out', it proved to be a fun and chaotic weekend full of activities and eating.  Love that combination! ..... I'm sure Nonna and Pop-Pop breathed a relaxing sigh once they had their house back to themselves

First stop, the Stepping Stones Museum for Children! 

Noelle and Zoë take a break from house construction to say hello

 Noelle, Andrew, and Zoë checking out the giant light bright.... cool!

 Luca having fun with the water play area, love the little raincoats they let them wear!

 Vince watching the water push the toys around

 Vince loved watching the Rube Goldberg Machine(I had to ask Mike the name of that one)

Everyone scream for Walter's Hotdogs! I got my fill of sweet potato puffs

 Time for playground fun with more cousins!

Then there was our day trip down to NY City to visit the Statue of Liberty, and attempt to have at least some of us climb up into her crown.  Mike's sister and mom elected not to go, which was the perfect set up to pawn off Luca for the morning.... as he wouldn't remember the trip anyway ;).  Lisa has super cute pictures on her blog of the fun they had at home.  We drowsily made our way into the van at 6am Saturday..... dragging Neal, Noelle, and Andrew with us for the adventure.  Mike stayed with Andrew, Vince, and Zoë and explored the base of the Statue, as you have to be 4 feet tall to climb up.  After lots of reassuring that yes we'll come back when they are all over 4 feet tall, Neal and Noelle and I headed for the stairs that would spiral us up to the crown.  It was amazing reaching the top!! 

early ferry ride over

getting a little antsy on the ferry.....

ready for our climb up!

the double helix spiral stair case taking us up to the crown

 stop for a pic before going up

 obligatory photo at the crown windows

 her nose and lips from the inside, that was super cool!!

 Yes, I was that tourist that stuck my head out the crown windows to get some close ups of her arm

 and of the tablet in her left hand....

 Meanwhile, down around the base, all the 'under 4 footers' were apparently getting tired and cranky..... that is until they were coaxed around to the front, and Mike told them "hey guys! look up!"..... then they all screamed with excitement at seeing her so close!

All in all, the kids were pretty good for such a big day trip.  Their crankiness was nothing that a trip to the snack bar and gift shop couldn't remedy.  Well, all except Vince, who immediately spotted the $50.00 Lego version of the Statue of Liberty and wanted nothing but that.  He automatically acted as if he was a tortured and deprived child when we said that wasn't happening, then reluctantly settled for the consolation prize of a suggested Statue of Liberty snow globe.  He spent the rest of the way home grumbling about how his snow globe feigned in comparison to what everyone else got.  That made me feel less bad when later that night I dropped the globe and scattered little bits of globe glitter, water, and plastic all over the floor.  All we have left is the quacking Statue of Liberty Duck that Zoë picked out for her souvenir, and I have a feeling that thing is going to go missing soon. ;)