This Christmas, Daddy's side of the family decided to go to New York City. We go to Shreveport every Christmas, but we did things differently this year on Daddy's side. It was a lot of fun to be in the city during the holidays. NYC is magical during this time - from the tree in Rockefeller Center to Central Park - there is no place like it. Mamma was a bit tired and sick being that I am in my first trimester, but it was still great. I am always happy to be in NYC and it sure was fun for Daddy and I to take you there. At this point though, your favorite part of NYC is the M & M store in Times Square - that will change my love. You also had a ball going to Scotty, Squires and Jackson's hotel room and having pillow fights with them! This is your second trip to NYC and you are only 3. You are one lucky little boy, but you will not appreciate that until you are much older. Let's look at some pics...
A car took us to the airport. You felt like a big boy because you were not in a car seat - you really liked that. You were ready to get to the airport and have a doughnut and excited to get on the plane and watch a movie.
Of course you finally fell asleep on the plane 20 minutes before landing. I had tried to get you to nap for the last hour and a half! I let everyone get off so you could sleep longer. You were not real happy when I had to wake you and asked if we were in New York yet.
We had lots of fun in Times Square. You were running up and down the red stairs and playing with the boys. You can see you and Daddy in the picture, up high on the red stairs. *Fun Facts about the ruby-red stairs in Times Square: The ruby-red glass stairs are by the TKTS booth on the intersection of 7th Ave and Broadway and rise above 47th Street. These stairs are just about three years old (opened in 2008, the year I moved to Dallas) and were a part of a huge project. One who climbs to the top - rising to a height of 16 feet - will get a panoramic view of Times Square.
Mamma took a walk down 5th Avenue while you and Daddy headed to Central Park. I always like to stop in St Patrick's Cathedral when I am walking down 5th. I feel I am in the presence of something bigger than myself. I lit a candle for you, my love, my Hudson. I also lit a candle for one of my best friends, Molly, who is trying to have a baby in spite of her battle with breast cancer. *Facts about St. Patrick's: The Cathedral opened it's doors in 1879; it seats about 2200 people; the archbishops of NY are buried in a crypt under the high alter; the Pieta is three times larger than the Pieta in St Peters in Rome; each year, over three million people visit the Cathedral.
Our first night in NYC, the whole family ate at 508, a restaurant in TriBeCa/SoHo on Greenwich St and Sprint St. Greenwich St is Mamma's old street where I lived in TriBeCa, my favorite area of the city. You had a ball at dinner. You wanted to be with Jackson so much, but he was kind of in a big boy mood, but you played with Squires and Scotty a lot and loved moving around the table getting attention from everyone.
One night, one of my best friends, Natasha, babysat you while we all went to see The Marshall Tucker Band at BB Kings on 42nd Street. The MT Band is one of your Uncle Scott's favorite bands and before my time really. I knew some songs though and I did enjoy them. They were very talented and their front man, Doug Gray, had a great sense of humor. We were sitting on the front row and he pointed your Daddy out because he said he was clapping off tune. It really was funny. He gave Daddy his tambourine and told him to hold it. So, Daddy got a cool memento out of the deal. We were all laughing pretty hard and Daddy was a good sport. He has the tambourine and we may frame it..... I have to tell you that you had a great time with Natasha. She could not believe how smart you were and was almost overwhelmed by it. She said she had never met a 3 year old like you or as smart as you. She asked if you were going to a special school and that you needed to. She said it was like talking to a grown up not a 3 year old. You kept her up talking, she said you were chatting away, wouldn't stop. At one point in the night, you said to her, "Matasha (You say Matasha, not Natasha, it's so darn cute), I am having a really good time with you." You are too cute! Oh.... and you like pretty girls! God help me! You asked me before she came, "Is she pretty?" Hudson, remember, it doesn't matter what a person looks like, it matters what's in their heart. Always remember that!
The first place we went was to the famous Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center (what isn't world famous in NYC? Ha). It was beautiful. There were so many people - it was packed. We could barely move.
Facts about the Rockefeller Christmas tree: To find the perfect, seven-story spruce each year, Rockefeller Center conducts aerial searches by helicopter; After Christmas in 1971, the branches were made into mulch and spread over Upper Manhattan's nature trails; in 2005, Habitat for Humanity used the wood to make door frames for the needy; People have tried to climb it over the years - In 1979, a 27 year old man climbed all the way to the top!
Daddy and I walked down the 6th Avenue/Avenue of the America's with Big John and SuSu. It was a nice walk. It's always been one of my favorite streets and I love Radio City - it's just so New York to me. Maybe it's one of my favorites streets because it's the first street I landed on when I visited NYC for the first time. I stayed at The Warwick Hotel. I walked outside by myself, walked down a side street, maybe 54th or 55th, turned the corner onto 7th Avenue, saw Times Square and fell in love with my city. I knew I was going to move there in that instant. I will never forget that moment. I was 26.
Hudson at the M & M store. The one thing you remembered from our last trip to NYC and the one thing you had been asking to do since before we arrived in the city. It's all about candy and chocolate for you right now! You left with a large bag of multi-colored peanut M & Ms.
Daddy got us tickets to The Lion King! Not just tickets, front row. Go Daddy! You were tired on the way there from being up too late, too many nights in a row and the show started at 7, but once it started, your eyes popped open and you didn't move. I think you were expecting to see the movie. We kept saying the theater, but that doesn't quite register for a 3 year old - actors on a stage. I don't think you could believe it at first. You got very into it and you followed right along - you are so smart! You have seen the movie so that helped. Mamma cried a lot. The opening of the play makes me cry uncontrollably, it is just so powerful. The whole story gets me and it gets Daddy too - Simba, Mufasa, Rafiki - all of it! We were so excited just watching you.
You and Daddy headed to Central Park, while I walked down 5th Avenue and looked at windows, shopped a bit, visited St Patrick's and went to Barney's to see the Lady Gaga exhibit, which I loved (pics below). When I met you all at CP, you all were having a blast climbing the rocks. You were right above the skating rink, where Aunt Shannon and the boys were ice skating. You decided you did not want to ice skate and had a blast climbing with Daddy. Afterward, you kept asking if we could take one of the horse and carriage rides, so Daddy got us one and we rode around CP in the carriage. It was a lot of fun. Our driver was straight from Ireland and he was great. You got to pet the horse after the ride and you like that.
You and I were walking down 42nd street and you let Cookie Monster pick you right up and you smiled for a pic. This is rare for you because you will not smile for pics right now. It was so cute!
You had a great time with Squires and Jackson in Central Park. You three ran all over. You really loved it. It was just so cold that day, that was the hard part, but I don't even know if you noticed. This area of the park is just North of Central Park South, closer to the West side. They have built a huge area for kids to play, with swings, caves and much more. It was not there when I lived there. It is fantastic and we would be there all the time if we were living in the city!
We met Daddy and Big John in Bryant Park one afternoon. Daddy was working and his new office is close to Bryant Park. We watched the ice skaters and Big John and I watched you on the carousel after Daddy went back to work. Bryant Park is a beautiful park. During the summers, there are movie days in the park. A huge screen is set up and everyone brings a blanket, lays in the grass and watches. It's really neat.
Here you are on the way home in the plane. You asked me a very sweet question on the way out of the city in the car. You asked, "Mamma, Are you OK that we are leaving New York?" My intuitive baby! It was just so precious, and in that moment, I knew my baby knows his Mamma. I love New York City, it is one of the great loves of my life and I think you already get that! After all, your name is Hudson and your namesake is the Hudson River, a River that has so much meaning to me. We went under the Hudson through the Lincoln Tunnel on the way to Newark, very apropo.
I love you my love! Daddy and Mommy love you so much!
xoxo
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