Christmas in the City

Our first Christmas in New York! We were sad not to be able to come home to see family and friends, but we decided to make the most of it and enjoy the sights of New York during the holidays.  The crowds were massive!!  We waited until Christmas Eve to see most of the sights, because we thought the crowds might not be as big.  We were wrong!!  I was glad we fought the crowds to have another one of my "pinch me I'm in New York City" outings!  

Hope everyone is enjoying this holiday season and staying warm!    

Disney Inspired Windows at Barneys New York

Bergdorf Goodman

5th Avenue

Christmas Eve- Rockefeller Center

Bryant Park

Thanksgiving Day Parade

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2012

I've watched the Macy's Parade on TV every Thanksgiving Day for as long as I can remember.  It was absolutely surreal to be there in person.  I felt like a little kid as I anxiously waited for the next big balloon to sneak out from behind the building.  The parade routes were packed, but we managed to push our way up close enough to have a great view.  People were watching from office buildings and apartment windows all up and down the parade route.  Spectators even put up ladders in the back of the crowds to get a good view.  Kids crawled up on phone booths and the tops of bus stops for a bird's eye view.  Can't wait to continue this tradition again next year!    

My first glimpse of a balloon!  Charlie Brown making his way past Central Park.

My favorite!  Looks like she was looking right at us!

The guest of honor!

The New York Botanical Garden

The New York Botanical Garden

Monet's Gardens Exhibit

October 2012

Staten Island Ferry

This city never ceases to amaze me.  Just when it seems like you are pouring your whole paycheck into the city each month, you stumble across something free and just as moving as an expensive Broadway show.  On a cloudy weekend in October, we took the subway down to the tip of Manhattan and hopped on the Staten Island Ferry.  I had read about the great views the ride provided, so we decided to give it a try.  I kept waiting to pay for my fare, or at least swipe my metrocard.  Neither.  We rode from the tip of Manhattan, past the Statue of Liberty and over to Staten Island.  The views were incredible, and very moving.  You can move freely around the 4 story vessel, inside and outside giving you panoramic views.

We took this ride just a few weeks before Hurricane Sandy tore through the region.  Last I read, Liberty Island and the Statue of Liberty are closed for the rest of this year.  No date has been set to reopen the monument.               

Class Trips to Central Park

Every Thursday, my assistant and I lead 16 first graders into Central Park for a morning filled with exploration and discovery.  It has become the highlight of my week.  Each week, we pick another destination in the park.  On our very first trip, we visited the Great Lawn.   We did a scavenger hunt and recorded the things that we saw people doing in the park.  The following week, we visited Turtle Pond (a first grade favorite) for the first time.  My kids laugh and say that it should be called Duck Pond, though.  That's the only animal we've seen there so far.  The first time we went, we all just crowded around on a large rocky area and observed.  A not so shy duck approached us and I watched as my kids laughed and enjoyed the moment.  The next time we went, we came equipped with thermometers, recording sheets, pencils and cups to hold water from Turtle Pond.  The kids loved touching the water, looking at it through magnifying glasses and measuring the temperature of the water.  So far, this has been my favorite Central Park outing.  We'll see what next week holds.  

Here are a few pictures I snapped with the IPad on our walks through the park.

Cleopatra's Needle

http://www.centralparknyc.org/visit/things-to-see/great-lawn/obelisk.html

Jackie Kennedy Onassis Reservoir

http://www.centralparknyc.org/visit/things-to-see/reservoir/reservoir.html 

Turtle Pond

http://www.centralparknyc.org/visit/things-to-see/great-lawn/turtle-pond.html

Rooftop

Manhattan sunset 

Our apartment building has a great rooftop deck with amazing views!  We've spent some time up there soaking in the sun and capturing some amazing photos.  There's also a great grilling area complete with a refrigerator which we've yet to use.  I'm sure the inspiration will strike soon.
The rooftop is an urban oasis 32+ stories up in the air.  You can feel the warm winds blow, and if you listen closely, you can hear the hum of the city below.  It is a perfect spot for reading, laying in the sun or enjoying a glass of wine at sunset.


Stephen likes to jump over or go through the gates that block off some parts of the roof, of course.  This is the same guy that I have pics of at the very edge of the Grand Canyon.  Shouldn't surprise me.    He captured these great pics of the East River and Yankee Stadium "illegally."    :)

View of the East River

The Rebel Photographer

Yankee Stadium lit up in the distance

Our First Week in the City

We are finally here!  We've had a blast so far and it honestly feels a bit like we're on vacation.  Slowly, we're becoming accustomed to life in our new city.

When we first arrived in the apartment, we just had 3 suitcases and 2 cats!  Luckily, Stephen had planned ahead.  He was great!  He ordered some things he knew we needed right away from amazon and they were waiting for us when we got to the apartment.  The rest of our things finally arrived from Dallas on Sunday.  Living out of suitcases and with limited furniture for that long was difficult. But, we made it and now we are busy unpacking and making this our home.  There are only a few boxes left to go!

Here's our apartment before  our stuff arrived. Our apartment is up on the 27th floor and we have some amazing views. Even the cats enjoy it!  We can see Central Park and the Empire State Building from our windows. The sunsets have been beautiful! I'm so excited to have my camera now to capture some of them. 


One benefit to not having any of your kitchen items is that we've gotten to eat at some incredible restaurants! :)  I had my first NY bagel at a bagel shop just around the corner.  Something truly special.  The moment any of you come to visit, I know where to take you first.  Whole wheat bagel (1 of about 20 flavors) toasted with butter and 'schmear' on the side.  You'll be in heaven.


We've had Chinese, bbq, sushi, pastrami sandwiches at the famous Pastrami Queen  (probably the 2nd place I'd take you), hot dogs, pizza, pasta, burgers, frozen yogurt and we haven't even left the Upper East Side.  This city is filled with amazing restaurants and food no matter what your budget.  I'm just glad we've been walking everywhere to help offset this epicurean adventure. 

Pastrami Queen

Picture of my classroom, still lots of work to be done

I've been able to meet with my team a few times and they seem great!  Our philosophies seem to match up very well and I think I made the right choice.  I'll be teaching 1st grade, so it will be a bit of a change.  I have 16 kids in my class and I also have a full time assistant teacher. My school  is just a 10 minute walk from our apartment, also.  Sounds great now, but hopefully I feel the same way on rainy, snowy or cold days!