Day 2

We started the day walking through pouring rain with our umbrellas and ducked into the renowned Carnegie Deli. Bring a large stomach and a big appetite. I had among other things their matza ball soup which tasted so good coming in from the rain. Kirst told me about their 'egg cream soda'. I was surprised how good it was - who knew?!

The American Girl Museum on 5th Avenue

This afternoon, Eva visited the mother ship. Her mecca. It is every girls dream and every dad's pocketbooks' nightmare. It is just one of those places you just have to see to believe - it's the perfect execution of consumerism and at the same time a complete wonderment. Three floors of "ohhhh soo cute" and "oh look how cute" and "oh those are the cutest little shoes I have Ever seen!" And that was just what was coming out of my mouth. Eva was ecstatic. I was hesitant to walk in the doorway - I knew it would be all over if we did. I was right. Auntie decided it was a great place to buy her an early birthday present - an itty bitty twin doll with an impossibly cute outfit. Eva was in heaven. Grandma bought the great little American Girl magazine that is so tweeny and she loves it. Eva is still in-between ages - still loves dolls, but also starting to make public declarations of which Jonas Brother is the cutest. I think currently it is Joe. I'm still pushing for the doll stage.

"Oh Look how cute the mini cupcakes are that match the big girl cupcakes!" This place had everything from a doll hospital, a salon to have your dolls hair braided, a bookstore, a place to get professional photos taken with you and your doll, a little treat bakery, and a big restuarant cafe where you and your doll sit together at the tables and they bring out food for both of you. Mixed in with all of that were the tiniest little matching doll outfits and accessories your little girls heart could ever imagine, want, dream of, or beg and plead for.

Our next stop on the way to Central Park...

Standing in front of The Plaza Hotel.

I wanted to get a picture with Eva because when I think of this hotel, I can only picture the "quite absolutely and entirely precocious Eloise." We have read the the Eloise books since Eva was 3 or 4. At over $1000 a night, we are going to have to wait for this place to show up on Priceline!

We paid to have a guided tour through Central Park in a horse drawn carriage. We thought it would be a fun way to see it, and that it was. However, before we had even seen 1/10 of the park we found ourselves full circle back to our starting point. Time to start walking!

Mom and Kirst in the I love NY tourists carriage. Cute picture!!

Entering through an ivy covered bridge and tunnel in Central Park.

Eva, Grandma, and our new travel companion.

One of the beautiful fountains to sit and relax for a while. We were entertained by a crazed fitness man that was walking backwards on his hands and toes up the stairway. Spydee? We weren't sure.

The Alice in Wonderland statue in Central Park.

At the end of our walk through Central Park we made our visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This place is enormous. It was so beautiful - not just the art, but even the building itself. I'd love to go back and visit again.

I adore this statue by Degas "The Little Fourteen Year Old Ballerina" It is unlike any other bronze in that it has an organic feel to it because of the way he dressed his dancer. It is stunning. A bronzed figure with a real cloth bodice and guaze for the skirt, leather ballet slippers, and a horsehair wig tied with a satin ribbon. So petite and beautiful. The fabrics look like they are preserved well, but it has such an aged feel to it. It felt like you were looking back into time for a few moments.

Eva's Grandma had picked up one of her favorite childhood books from the bookstore the week before when we were in Idaho. It is by e.l. konigsburg - "From the mixed-up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. It is about 2 children that run away and live in the MET. She wanted to give it to Eva so she could read it before our trip to NY and our visit to the museum. I'm going to have to read this next..

Rocking the subway system. Between cabbies and the subway it was so easy to get around

Walking through Times Square in the rain. At night. With all the lights. All the energy.

What a great city.

Our last night, Auntie treated us all to Phantom of the Opera. It was Eva's first time as well as Grandma's, and I think they loved it. It was in a great opera house that felt completely perfect for the time period of the play. What a great show - thanks Kirst!