New York, New York

Alexander's first day showing the Goodneighbors & the Ronnies around New York, New York was X-iting!

After snoozing 1.13 miles over the Brooklyn'd Bridge, the little guy was ready for some excitement. And how we ended up in a graveyard during the "time for excitement," I am not sure... Well, the dead need some excitement too... right?

The 18th Century Saint Paul's Chapel, across from the World Trade Center work site was our first stop. The chapel, which welcomed so many post-9/11, was an interesting place to begin the boy's history lesson. Rather than revere the site, the little guy joyfully played between the headstones. Giggled & explored. That was much more pleasant than our first visit...

In search of a better view of the work site, Brad led us into the fantabulous World Financial Center Building.

The Ronnie's loved the Godiva Chocolate store best... but the little man, he fell in love with the escalator!

Next stop, Little Italy... OK, way of the financial district...

We were SO hungry, and when Papa suggested lunch in Little Italy, Mama got a little confused, ie. annoyed. I had no idea Little Italy was right there in the mix with Chinatown. So 4 train stops later & we found ourselves at Sal's, right on the edge of Little Italy.

The babe still wasn't in the mood for chill, so his spent the meal refusing to enjoy a slice of Sal's Little Italy, but enjoying his water & milk (and his mess) completely!

We also enjoyed the heavy traffic(??) and crazy limos...

After our late lunch, the Ronnie's split to explore a little more of Italy, while Papa took the Goodneighbor's uptown for a little American Girl/FAO via Grand Central.

I will not mention the craziness that was American Girl. Just know that I will have my eye out for any and all American Girl (cha-ching) crap I can find at yard sales from now on!

We arrived at FAO Swartz about 10 minutes before closing, and just in time for the last "Big Piano" show. Good times.

Did I mention my aching feet? Well, my aching feet!

But we couldn't pass up the opportunity, so we hoofed up past Trump Tower, through Central Park, and then on to Times Square.

As you could imagine, the little poopsic can't sleep in a nice, quiet, dark bed in the apartment, but the bright lights and taxi horns that are Times Square on a holiday weekend, now that makes for some good Zzzzz's.

Seriously, the boy slept the whole way back to Booklyn'd. But that was where he drew the line...

(Im not sure what picture, but I just deleted one here... stupid Blogger editing...)

Alexander slept the whole way back to Brighton Beach. And what, you might ask, happened when we got back to BB? Well, Mama and her trash digging ways turned up a fantabulous Graco Stroller, barely used, in our Pack-in-play fabric. In the trash.

Turns out, according to Uncle Afanasi, that when I spotted the stroller, there were 3 Russian Girls scoping it out. When they say us, they backed away... they didn't want to look... like... trash diggers... And when I scooped it up, Uncle Afanasi told them, something along the lines of, "Crazy Russians..." But I'm too tired to verify sources...