The Amazing Race

Alyssa and her kids arrived on Friday!!  A little background since I really have no idea who reads this blog (I'm almost at 3,000 page views and I can only name a handful of people I know who are readers...).  Alyssa has been my best friend since I was on the playground in early 1979 and she asked me to come to her 8th birthday slumber party.  I had no idea who she was.  She and I were in different classes.  And this being the 70s, my parents had no problem with me spending the night at a stranger's house whose parents they had never met.  She's been my idol and role model ever since.

OK seriously people, all of THIS happened in about 60 hours:

Breakfast at Tom's (the famous Seinfeld diner) followed by a walk around Columbia University

A quick stop in front of the New York Historical Society

 A walk through Central Park with some Frisbee action

A walk down the famous 5th Avenue

 A stop at FAO Schwarz toy store

The piano from the movie Big

(We'll be adding the piano to the kids' Christmas list.)

A nap on the subway

 A walk down the High Line (my favorite spot in New York City)

Stopped at a rooftop bar to rehydrate and the boys played life size Jenga.

They got some pretty girls to help them.

Dinner at Mario Batali's pizzeria

And that was just day one.

New York bagels on our roof deck the next morning.

 Hopped on the Staten Island Ferry roundtrip to see the Statue of Liberty

 Grand Central Station

The Chrysler Building

The Empire State Building

Times Square

Swimming for the kids...

...and cocktails for the grown-ups.

There's more....a half day, day three:

Rose early for the Today Show.  Saw Al Roker, Savannah Guthrie and Natalie Morales...Matt Lauer had the day off!!  I'm going to have to return again on my own.

And finished with the 9/11 Memorial.

But don't get any ideas, people.  This tour was a one time deal.  If you come to visit us we will happily give you maps and a list of the highlights to check out.  But I don't think we have this in us to do again.  Take notes, you'll need to refer back to this blog post.

We sadly said goodbye to Alyssa, Shauna and Grant this morning as they headed up to Maine to meet up with grandparents.  The kids got to show them their school and classes this morning on their way out.

It also happened to be Authors Celebration day in Ella's class.

Safe travels.  We miss you already!

Now I have 24 hours until our next house guests arrive!