Thanksgiving in NYC Baby!

Maliana ~

We headed out for the Big Apple – New York City this week. But not before you and Daddy had a jam session on the bed in our room. The play list? Lemonade Mouth of course!

Live! Maliana and Daddy ~ One Night Only!

So, as soon as I got off work on Tuesday, I headed home to finish packing and then scooped you up and we headed off to the airport with Lao Lao and Uncle Forge, for our big Thanksgiving week adventure in the city that never sleeps. You were so chatty on the airplane, sitting with me half the flight and Lao Lao the other half. Once there, we tracked down my suitcase and happened to be standing next to some gentlemen who were speaking Chinese. You studied them for a bit, and then exclaimed, “Hey! They’re speaking Chinese!”


We headed out to hail a cab, which you were very excited to jump into…your tag phrase pretty much all week was, “This is gonna be fun!!”, accompanied by squeals and big grins.

NYC Taxi

soo tired!!

Lao Lao chatted up the taxi driver for the entire 1 hour drive to our hotel in Tarrytown. I swear, Lao Lao knows no strangers. She can talk to anyone about anything. It’s actually quite remarkable. As is your ability to warm hearts and brighten faces of nearly anyone you meet on a train or subway as was evidenced throughout the rest of the trip. Like grandmother, like granddaughter.

On Wednesday, we woke up and headed out for our first trip into the city. Your first time on a real train and you were very excited!

We hit the ground running in the Big Apple and saw Grand Central Station; Ground Zero and the 9/11 Memorial; Battery Park (including the Statue of Liberty across the water); took the subway; walked through Times Square to dinner at Tony Di Napoli’s; walked some more and took a carriage ride through Central Park; tried to find the balloons they were inflating for the Macy’s parade (evidently this is a HUGE event for NY locals) and since it was such a madhouse, decided to let you jump around in some bouncy houses at a local carnival instead; and finally headed back to the train to Tarrytown to get some sleep for the next day. There were so many sights and sounds in this enormous city, and you handled it all like a champ. As we strolled through neighborhood after neighborhood…we were inundated with so much stimulation. At one point, there was some kind of delicious smell wafting through the air and both Lao Lao and I exclaimed, “Oh my gosh! That smells so good! What is that?!” To which you replied, “That smells like New York!”

Grand Central Station

1st subway ride!

FDNY fire engine

Ground Zero / 9/11 Memorial

1st NY hot dog from a street vendor

these pigeons were fearless!

feeding the birds in Battery Park

"sorry! the soft pretzel is all gone guys!"

Statue of Liberty (waayyy) in the back across the water

twirling in Battery Park

running through Battery Park

subway fun

Times Square

getting ready to hop on the carriage ride through Central Park

very cool bouncy house

of course, looks kind of creepy to crawl out of...

I had to run down to the lobby for a bit when we got back that first night, so you, Lao Lao and Uncle Forge were watching TV in the room. By the time I got back, Lao Lao said that you had taken it upon yourself to find your jammies and go change into them all by yourself, even folding your clothes from the day. Plus, you brushed your own teeth and were completely ready for bed when I opened the door to our room. She was amazed, as was I. You are growing up so fast!

On Thanksgiving morning, I had to get you up at 5:15 am so that we could catch the train by 6:12 am into the city. We met our friends, Kathy, Courtney, and Steve (from San Diego, who just happened to be in town this week) on the parade route. Daddy has known Kathy and Courtney for years, and I had met them a few years ago myself. Kathy had woken herself at 4 am to go down and stake out a prime spot on the parade route, front row along the police barricades. By the time we got down there at 7:30 am (the parade didn’t start until 9), the police were already turning people away and the scene was complete mayhem. We finally made it to their spot and had a great vantage point of the entire parade. It was awesome (we owe Kathy, BIG time!) and it was so nice to see these guys again.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Uncle Forge passing the time with some origami before the parade started

the parade is coming! the parade is coming!

happy, thankful and excited!

ahh...Mickey

anyone in the parade that had confetti could not resist you

your cheesy "I see Spiderman" smile

getting up and on the train by 6am took its toll...you slept through a marching band!

Santa!

a BIG thank you to these guys for saving us a spot FRONT row at the parade ~ we love you guys!

After the parade, we hoofed it to the subway and down to Chinatown and Little Italy (they are right next to each other). As we strolled along, we looked in some different shops and found a really neat park named Confucius Plaza, where lots of residents of Chinatown gather to visit and chat, play cards or mah jong, or any number of other games. There was even a group of people playing instruments and singing. It was all so lovely and had a neat sense of community in this park. I wish we had a Chinatown, or even just something like this park in Columbus.

made it into Chinatown

dipped into Little Italy (since it's right next door) for some
pre-Thanksgiving dinner gelato

then back out to Chinatown for some shopping

and more shopping

sitting in Confucius Plaza

Confucius Plaza (I just loved the sense of community here!)

musicians and a singer in Confucius Plaza = so cool!

We ate our Thanksgiving dinner in a restaurant called The Red Egg. You were in extremely rare form, so very happy and so very very ornery. I have never seen you so crazy before. You fell in love with the dim sum, exclaiming, “We need more!” when you finished. I think you could have probably eaten a couple baskets all by yourself. On the way out of Chinatown, we stopped at a quaint little Chinese bakery where the women who worked there fawned all over you, and we bought some treats to take home.

capturing the insanity of our Thanksgiving dinner at Red Egg
(you were in very rare form!)

loving your dim sum

playing a chopstick violin

this is the bakery we stopped in to get some treats
(a honeydew napoleon, winter melon cake, and rainbow sponge cake)

We had a somewhat lazy morning on Friday, or Black Friday as it is dubbed because of the insane shopping that takes place the day after Thanksgiving. We headed into the city, with you singing happily on the shuttle to the train. It was a wonderfully sunny and crisp fall day, so we headed to Central Park. You had some various meltdowns, probably a residual lack of sleep combined with the beginning of a cold…but you had a good time and liked to push your own stroller through the park, as well as thoroughly enjoyed all of the various performers positioned along the paths in the park. After one particularly bad episode of “the grumps”, we found a very funny guy with some marionettes who quickly pulled you out of that funk. It was just what you needed and we all enjoyed watching you laugh with your whole body…those big wide-open mouth belly laughs that are so awesome to see in kids. I was very thankful to see you having such fun.

squeezing in between Lao Lao and Uncle Forge on the train

ya gotta love a town that has food carts on nearly every corner!

strolling through Central Park

one of the musicians playing kids' music

you LOVED this performer!

see, pulled you right out of your funk!

a little audience participation

strolling by the Sheep Meadow

more Central Park

After we left the park, you fell asleep in the stroller for nearly 2 hours! You were so tired from the day before and the excitement of this city that not even the loud traffic and bustling streets could keep you awake. We were going to take the subway but just kept walking instead, so you could get more rest. We found our way, eventually, to a great place called Bryant Park. It’s this little shopping area with an ice rink right behind the New York Library. They had tons of cool little pop-up shops for the holidays and lots of food (you especially liked the kosher dill pickles at Pickle Me Pete and the bubble tea too.) We sat next to a fountain there in the middle and you saw the coins inside and asked to make a wish. I gave you a nickel and you proceeded to say this “wish”…”I’m thankful for my Mommy and Daddy to pick me up in China and I love them”. I was busy taking the picture of you throwing the coin in the fountain, and so did not catch what you said initially. Lao Lao had you repeat your “wish” for me. When I heard your tiny little voice say those heartfelt words, I just melted. I told you how much I appreciated you saying that and how thankful I was for you and that we were able to come to China to get you. I told you I loved you and that you made my heart very very happy. You hugged me and gave me the biggest kiss, (which are tricky to get from you without a bribe lately). So, regardless of the major meltdown that ensued ironically just a few minutes after this “wish” was made…I will always be thankful for Daddy and I’s opportunity to have come to China to pick you up…and we will always love you, no matter what.

Radio City Music Hall through some Christmas lights

Mickey again!

a happy little hot dog cart all gussied up for Christmas

Black Friday in NYC

the fountain in the middle of Bryant Park

throwing the coin after making the wish that made Mama melt

Grand Central with the Chrysler building in the background

After we all watched the ice skaters and let me rest my feet for a while (important tip for visiting New York…do NOT wear heeled boots!)…we continued on our way. You were once again your very silly self, and at one point, Lao Lao mentioned to me, “Mali must be high on all that sugar" to which you piped up from down in your stroller, “I am NOT high!” Geesh…you hear EVERYthing!

The insanity continued for the whole train ride home. You were silly and entertained the entire car of people. In the shuttle on the way back to the hotel, you were so sweet (and pretty funny) too…yelling back to Lao Lao and Uncle Forge, “You ok back there?” Then you told Lao Lao, “I have to tell you something when we get back to the hotel”…then later you leaned over and told her, “My mom and dad toot on my head!”…(OMG!) You crack me up!

having a ball with Uncle Forge

the conductor asked if you'd like him to make you something...here he is
handing you his hand-punched surprise...boy was he fast with that ticket-puncher!

a happy-face ticket man ~ how sweet of him!
just like the conductor from Polar Express!

The last morning in New York, you got up and had breakfast with Lao Lao. In fact, you were her little shadow all morning. Apparently, you were quite the entertainment at breakfast as well. Not only for Lao Lao, but you had the whole café laughing with you…and the best part when you do this is that you don’t even know you are doing it, you’re just being your adorable little self. For example, I guess you had heard that they were out of coffee, so when Lao Lao said she was going to get some more, you casually said, “They don’t have any more coffee.” Lao Lao said, “Well, they might have more now” and you said, “No they don’t, that man said they are out!” and you pointed at this man at the table next to yours. He was as surprised as Lao Lao that you had been listening. Like I said before, you don’t miss a thing! Are you sure that you’re only 3?

bringing me breakfast in bed

We flew home and Daddy picked us up at the airport. It was so nice to see him again! You had been insisting on pushing your stroller through the airport yourself, but when you saw him down the corridor in Port Columbus, you threw that stroller to the side and ran down the hallway with your arms open wide yelling, “Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!” It was the cutest thing! 

happy to be home!

Daddy had surprised us with putting up the Christmas tree and lights, and setting up an enormous 11 foot tall inflatable Mickey Mouse in the front yard, to surprise you especially. You love it, even if you were a little apprehensive about it at first. (It’s gigantic!) You and Daddy made up for lost time that night and played together non-stop. At one point I was in the other room and I heard Daddy say to you, “God, I missed you.” The feeling was mutual as well because when Lao Lao had asked you what you were going to tell your friends about New York, you said, “I missed my Daddy.”

dang, he's huge!

dancing with Daddy

silly rock star pose

Later that night, you astonished us by writing your name, all on your own, on the dry erase board in the kitchen. AND you wrote part of my name, (THE from Theresa), all on your own, stepping back and saying, “Mommy, that’s your name!” Again, like I said before, you are growing up so fast!

your name, written all by yourself!

then, you even started to write mine too, completely unprompted...
(THE for Theresa ~ wow! you're so smart!)

On Sunday we had Memaw and Papaw over for pizza and to help decorate the Christmas tree. You crack me up with how excited you get when we say what we are thankful for before meals. You love saying these prayers of gratitude. You open your mouth and eyes so wide, smile and look right at whoever’s names are mentioned during these prayers. It’s hysterical! You and Daddy also performed a little concert for all of us on our bed again, and then after the tree was done you wrestled and played “pile on” with Memaw and Papaw. It was complete mayhem (and I wouldn’t have it any other way)! I sat there after they left and reflected on all three sets of your grandparents and said to Daddy, “You know, Mali has some pretty cool grandparents.” He definitely agreed.

checking out the "Snowmen from Around the World" ornaments

you LOVED these snowmen this year

finding just the right spot

showing Memaw some ornaments

"Ok, I'm done with the tree...this looks more fun!"

Grandparent Pile On!

even Abby had to get in on the chaos

Papaw is merciless in teasing you!
(and I think you secretly love it)

Finally, as the week/weekend came to a close and we snuggled in to watch some TV before bed, I took this picture to sum up the peacefulness after such a wild holiday week.

someone really missed her Daddy this week

While you had a good time in the big city…you definitely love your Daddy and love just being home together, where we all belong.



Love,
Mama