• About
  • Blog
  • Working together
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Girl Gone Travel

Girl Gone Travel

North America, Travel
/
April 30, 2010

Friday Fun: A Sunny NYC Day with Kids in Tow

Enjoyed this post? Give it some love and share!
Share

Another perfect day in New York City.  Anyone who can will do whatever it takes to enjoy it. Whether it be during lunch, or on a sudden sick day. And the fact that it is a Friday makes it that much better, or worse, depending on where you stand.

I was awakened by the sounds of battle between a man and a 4-year-old.

“But I don’t want to wear those pants!”

“Why not? Why won’t you? It’s going to be hot today!”

“NO! Everyone will laugh at me!”

“No one is going to laugh. C’mon.” Followed by a strong sigh of frustration that not even the dramatic cries of the 4-year-old could drain out.

I hate waking up early. With every fiber of my being. I am not exactly sure how late I can sleep in till, but I am pretty sure I can make it past 11:00am if left to my own devices. But for my son, and mostly for my poor husband, I got up, and sleepily started the soothing mechanics of bribery. I bribe my kids all the time. It works well. You do this (what I want). I do that in turn (what you want, that isn’t too annoying or expensive for me). And you are happier for it (because I am). Works like a charm.

The bribe du jour? Wear the (dang) shorts and Mama will take you somewhere special. Where? The “Mario” store.

And with that the shorts were on, and we even managed to get a clean t-shirt on the kid out of the deal.

That is how the adventures of the day started. And though I am not a video game lover, my boys are. And taking them to the Nintendo World Store at Rockefeller Center was a better excursion for me today than the daily routine of playground visits.

As soon as I picked up my 4-year-old from Pre-K, we got on the train, and the boys were wide-eyed the entire way. I took a longer path and walked along Fifth Avenue and back down 48th Street to the store entrance on 10 Rockefeller Plaza. I stood outside and asked the boys to please stay near me and not run. “Ok Mama,” they both promised and as soon as I opened the door they bolted in, in separate directions, with me choking on the dust behind them.

The Nintendo World Store is 2 stories of whatever the latest and greatest Nintendo gadgets and games are. Both my boys wanted one thing mainly, and it was “the bad guy” from their Mario Brothers video game. Who that was, what he looked like, and whether or not they had him was unknown to me. It mattered little because when the sales clerk approached us, my 4 year described in full detail what he wanted. He also successfully managed to carry on the discussion of whether or not the store even carried the wanted toy, which they didn’t, but my son accepted the alternative offered to him during the discussion.

They played a few games, and posed for a few good photos for me. I watched as both children and grown ups set themselves up in front of one of the screens and played the various Wii game options. There was a man, dressed in a business suit, playing tennis on the Wii, and I am so bummed I couldn’t sneak a photo because I swear this man’s smile made it seem like he was having the time of his life!

We walked out without too much damage: $30.00 in toys. It could’ve been much worse. Especially if my 12-year-old had been with us.

I was obviously on a “this is your day boys, whatever you want” kick. So I asked, “What do you want for lunch?” not realizing that I had asked this question clear within view of the Golden Arches themselves. “HAPPY MEAL!” they screamed in unison, and not wanting to disappoint, I grabbed my boys’ hands and walked right in towards the cashier yelling, “NEXT ON LINE!”

After consuming 3 days worth of calories from a burger I had been craving for about as long (dang internet ads!), we decided to walk towards Fifth Avenue again, by way of the diamond district.

Walking through the diamond district in the middle of a week day will expose you to two things: the hard sales attempts of the diamond world and second-hand smoking. And though I could feel my lungs hardening by each passing second I was there, I had to smile when my little ones kept stopping to admire one precious stone or another telling me how they were going to buy it for me.

You don’t see a lot of people with kids walking down Fifth Avenue, and I wouldn’t recommend taking a stroller down there either, but my boys have me as a mom, and I just love window shopping for things I can only dream of owning. My kids on the other hand, oooh and ahhh over the Marilyn Monroe trinkets, or huge I LOVE NY anything they see. If it were up to them, we would’ve been in every single gift shop along Fifth Avenue between Rockefeller Center and Bryant Park.

When we finally arrived to Bryant Park it was crowded (because it was a nice day, remember?), and my kids kept running off, but would somehow manage to find me again, because I think they knew the chances of my splitting in two and running after them, in their separate directions, were slim. And because neither of them knows who of the two is my favorite, then they are unsure of which one I would end up chasing after for safety.

We did the carousel a few times. Met a lovely Upper East Side mom, who, poor soul, attempted to lift my 3-year-old on to a wooden horse and almost snapped her size 2 frame in half. I apologized for her pain, as I do to anyone who unexpectedly picks up my child, then blamed my husband’s Irish/Scottish heritage for the lead weight of our children. Though it’s clear, to look at me, that I might have something to do with it as well, but that’s neither here nor there.

Bryant Park has tons of activities, like chess, tai-chi, yoga, and, just for those like us, a little book stand, called the Reading Room. We sat on the little chairs, next to a little table, and just read and read books. My absolute favorite was The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle because aside from the fact that it is a wonderfully illustrated children’s book, it also had a personal inscription from Mr. Carle for those who enjoy the book there. I thought that was just priceless and felt giddy to be holding a book once touched by someone who is such a huge part of my children’s evening story time.

We took a stroll to the library steps, where we sat for a cool drink, and talked about everything that had to do with monsters and heroes, Mario and friends, pigeons, and something about my getting them a dog. We headed home with the working crowd who was doing the same.

My boys later asked to be sent to bed before we even suggested such a thing, and were snoring minutes after. I, exhausted from the adventures of walking around the city with my boys, feel a smile in my heart wider than my tired face can muster. It was, in the end, the best bribe to date.

For more information on the various activities that are taking place in Bryant Park, please visit their website here.

For more information on the various activities, restaurants, and shops in Rockefeller Center, please visit their website here.

Related

Enjoyed this post? Give it some love and share!
Share
Pin this Post
Share this Post
Carol Cain

Brooklyn native Carol is happiest when on an adventure, close to home or farther away. In addition to creating Girl Gone Travel, she is the Founder and CEO of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications management, and brand development agency. She's mom to three wonderful sons and wife to a handsome Irish/Scot. She splits her time between her homes in New Jersey and Finger Lakes.

You May Also Like...

Christmas Tree Hunting in Long Island, NY

December 12, 2008

Fort Tryon Park, Washington Heights, NY

December 10, 2008

Winter afternoon in the Bronx Zoo, NY

December 16, 2008
1 Comment
  • jonesie
    May 21, 2010

    You are THE coolest mom EVER! Now I gotta take hubby to Nintendo World (our 8month old too) he'll be just like the man in the suit I'm sure lol

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Previous Post
All About Family Fun at Woodloch Pines Resort
Next Post
Taking a Bus Tour to NYC Landmarks with Kids in Tow

About me

Hi! I'm Carol! I am a communications professional, an award-winning travel blogger, a public speaker, CEO of a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency, a wife, and a mom of 3 sons and 2 puppies. Welcome to my blog where I share stories of my travels and professional public relations insights and advice. Thank you for reading!

Carol Cain

Categories

  • Asia5 Post(s)
  • Caribbean17 Post(s)
  • Central America4 Post(s)
  • Europe53 Post(s)
  • North America313 Post(s)
  • Oceana1 Post(s)

Contact

  • carol@girlgonetravel.com

Follow @girlgonetravel

Crack of dawn wake ups to check in with electricia Crack of dawn wake ups to check in with electricians at @theflxcottage, followed by mornings full of meetings.

Not complaining though because I also got to hit up one of my fave coffee spots (@amitycoffeeco), in one of the prettiest main streets in Penn Yan, NY. And I got to do it with this handsome dude, @travisjcain.

Also, being in this place just makes me so dang happy all around.
.
.
.
#myflx #fingerlakes #pennyan #favoritecoffeeshop #smalltown @flxwinecountry
Perks of life in wine country: membership to our f Perks of life in wine country: membership to our favorite wineries. Where as in some places farm-to-table is a trend, here it is a way of life. This made it easy for us to pick up a slew of winery top picks from @hectorwineco and we can’t wait to pair them with some awesome dishes I plan on cooking this week. 
.
.
.
#myflx #fingerlakes #winecountry #farmtotable #countryliving
Home life has become less tense as the end of scho Home life has become less tense as the end of school days get closer and closer. Work has been fulfilling and gratifying. I’ve started putting more time into my fitness, which is making me feel really good. I’m slowly booking my calendar to see my dearest, and nearest friends. And though long distance travel is still not in the works for us, we are gifted with the Finger Lakes nearby and are not taking any of it for granted.

So while @theflxcottage is still being worked on, we decided to take a weeklong workcation along the beautiful Seneca Lake.

The air is still a bit too chilly for swims or BBQs but I plan on spending as many sunsets as possible right in this spot.

I hope this inspires a road trip close to home for you. Because don’t we all deserve a bit more serene beauty in our lives? Go get yours! @flxwinecountry @flpplake 
.
.
.
#myflx #fingerlakeswinecountry #fingerlakesny #senecalake #workcation #staycation
We were in Jamaica when I realized I had never tak We were in Jamaica when I realized I had never taken my kids snorkeling. They were 10 and 11. So we booked a snorkeling excursion and the boys were fine until we got to the reef and they could see all the ocean wildlife, clear as day, that would be swimming among them.

My youngest hesitated. Saying he didn’t want to go.

In my heart I felt his fear. I understood it. I’ve spent many years playing in the ocean. I’ve had many encounters with sharks, jellyfish, sea urchins, and even had a near drowning experience. The ocean both thrills and terrifies me. But I venture into it often because fear is such a debilitating drug. And that was my biggest fear for my kids. So I made him sit on the edge of the boat as he teared up, and I nudged him into the water. 

As I prepped to jump in after him, I saw our Jamaican guide give me a thumbs up, and the other tourists give me a look of disapproving judgement.

I jumped in the water and held my boy’s hand, tears were coming down his cheeks, past his goggles. 

“Baby, it’s OK to be scared. It’s normal. But I will not leave your side. I will hold your hand and nothing will hurt you, I won’t allow it.” I never felt a promise so deeply.

We started swimming. Fish of every size and color passing us by and gliding beneath us. He would look at me, nod his head, give me a thumbs up.

After awhile he signals wanting to go up, so we do.

“You Ok?”, I ask. “Yes,” he responded, “You can let go of me now. You don’t need to hold my hand anymore. I’m not afraid.” Then he let me go and started swimming away.

I swam along side him. Never leaving his side. The warmth of my tears fogging my goggles as I realized that it was me who needed his hand holding far more than he did, and bursting with pride at the newfound courage in him, at the beauty of watching my son grow up before my eyes.
.
.
.
#travelstory #parenting #travel #oceanfun #Jamaica
How I started today. Sending love to all those who How I started today. Sending love to all those who need it most. To the mamas worried sick about their babies living out in the world right now. To those having the conversation right now with their boys about what it is be Black in America.

I texted my boy last night. And he didn’t respond. And I fell asleep fighting off all thoughts of potential harm that could come his way. I think of the tall, beautifully brown-skinned, big smiled man he has become. How bright his present and his future are. How much he is loved and all the dreams he has. I think about how he is still learning, still growing, still making mistakes, things that shouldn’t be held against him much less cost him his life. I think about how he is my heart and my soul and I can’t imagine it - what these mothers and fathers are going through.

I woke up to his reply. He had been out bowling with his small niche of friends. His happiness pulsing through the text. And I felt grateful that I alone carried the weight of the fear and sadness of these repetitive moments of violence against our Black and brown babies. He and they all deserve the bliss so easily enjoyed by others. But maybe so do we in knowing they are safe too.

The violence isn’t just physical. It is emotional and psychological, and it reaches far and wide, beyond the latest crime. And maybe that’s the point? Maybe that’s the goal? But it is also why we should and will fight harder. Because, Black Lives Matter too. And our families and our children deserve peace.
.
.
.
#blacklivesmatter #bipoclivesmatter #protectourchildren
Going through some old files and found my photos f Going through some old files and found my photos from #Thailand. This photo is of a fisherman on the Mekong River. This trip, at that point, was the farthest I had ever been from home and I think of how my being there was an unimaginable possibility for me growing up.

But it also reminds me of how challenging travel can be when you aren’t sharing it with those who mean the most to you in your life. As an active travel blogger, I made friends everywhere I went, from all over the world. This trip was no different. But there’s also a loneliness to the experience- one I don’t miss at all.

So many people hype up one side of the travel life: the new and self discoveries, the fun, the adventures, the way in which we grow and learn. The privilege, the selective and exclusive access, the fortune of it.

Travel has taught me and shown me so much. People are people everywhere we go being the most common lesson.

But it also taught me the incredible gift that is a life truly and beautifully fulfilled even when I am home. The world is beautiful and complicated.

Travel can give you many things. But self-fulfillment and happiness is not one of them. Gratification, temporary bliss, joy, and an overwhelming adrenaline of excitement, yes. All of it. Worth it too. But it is what you find in the stillness that truly defines where you are, and what you need to work on. And what few people put effort into exploring for themselves.

So, just be mindful of the hype. Because escapism is a temporary drug. And reality is always waiting.
.
.
.
#travelTuesday #thailand #travelmindset #escapism #truthabouttravel

Copyright © 2021 Girl Gone Travel | Privacy Policy | Copyright Notice