Another hotel breakfast because, surprise! We’re late getting our asses in gear. It’s overpriced but fast and we’re off! The kids are beyond excited to ride on an underground train so we book it to the subway. We enter on the wrong side of the street and have to navigate a ton of stairs with two strollers to get to the uptown 6. Each turnstile knocks Mouse over and I get stuck once with the backpack and stroller on me, but we make it and only feel like moron tourists for about ten minutes.
After the subway we have a twenty minute walk through Central Park. I grew up going to the City every year, so I know it. I’m full of myself and refuse to use maps. I’m no tourist, all prior previous evidence to the contrary. We’re about done with our 20min when I see the Boathouse and realize that I took thre wrong GD path and we’ve been walking south, not west the entire time. We get a cab and I admit defeat. I am a tourist.
We’re finally at the children’s museum and the kiddos are ecstatic. The can touch everything and mom and dad just follow them around playing. Mouse finds a germ encrusted stuffed animal that he insists on taking everywhere with him and Bug is all about sorting. Whatever, live your lives children.
We take them back to the hotel and I run out to grab them lunch. I’m walking in Manhattan by myself. I’m stroller free and ignoring all traffic laws. It’s glorious.
We’re preparing to abandon them with a sitter and all they can talk about it how excited they are to be able to watch a movie. I think they’re going to be a-okay. The sitter brings toys and doesn’t seem homicidal so we leave with only mild trepidation.
We stop for a slice on our way and I’m feeling good. I haven’t been to see a show in NYC since I was pregnant with Ian. In my heyday I was a hard core theater nerd and I’m giddy. We’re seeing Hamilton and it’s been so hyped up that I’m excited, but not expecting fireworks. Within the first song I’m teary. I had forgotten the sheer magnitude of the performer’s voices here. That alone is enough to give me goosebumps. But the show itself is phenomenal. Truly something special. It’s funny and moving and the songs are glorious. It’s theater at its best. By the end I’m a snotty mess of tears and I haven’t been affected like this since the first time I saw Rent. Bravo.
We rush back to the hotel and the kids are super happy and they haven’t traumatized the sitter so it was a huge success. We wrangle the kids to bed and even though I’m exhausted I am up past midnight because I can’t stop thinking about that musical. Worth it.
Travels with Larson and Co 