doughnuts and dinosaurs

Today started with a French cream doughnut.  

Well, not for all of us, but it certainly did for her.  And really, after the morning she had...she should have had a dry slice of toast.  But, we won't go there.  We will remain on vacation eating vacation food and accepting vacation behaviors.  This city is a tough one for a child like mine.  It makes me appreciate the quiet life we have chosen for her.  I love visiting the chaos, but maneuvering her through it is a bit tough.  We are usually Mom and Dad and lately she refers to each of us a f-ing B.  It's lovely and so endearing.  It's a sign of stress...so, a doughnut it is.  Put some whipped cream on stress and it seems to help. 

We started our morning at Central Park today.  It was 70 degrees and so nice out.  It was cloudy and balmy and a really nice morning for a walk.  We visited Bethesda Fountain
and spent some time enjoying the morning by the lake.  

As we walked and hunted squirrels, we made our way across the park to the American Museum of Natural History.  Yes, like Night at the Museum. The walk is always longer than she wishes it to be.  First we have to stop here and then there.  Picture taking, pointing at pretty things, and a whole lot of hurry the heck up!

The Dakota Apartments where John Lennon was killed.

We finally made it to the museum.  Much like the last museum visit, she was over it before we went in.  Luckily she was met by giant dinosaur skeletons in the entrance and she was hooked and pulled in.  We paid for the special T-Rex exhibit on top of the museum fees and started in the dinosaur wing.  I really didn't take pictures of much else because I'm not a fan of a phone full of stuffed dead animal pictures.  

When we first got there, Fiona was really skeptical about the actual existence of dinosaurs.  They seem so fictional and hard to grasp.  Much like hot lava flowing from a volcano in front of you.  Well, when we walked into the dinosaur room and she saw an actual T-Rex skull, she was floored.  Seeing bones from actual paleontological digs was too much!  She oohed and aahed as we walked around.  My absolute favorite part of today was when the girls found out that chickens are actually dinosaurs.  

 This is a baby T-Rex above.  If you zoom in on it, you'll see that it has feathers.  I had no idea how birdlike they begin.  Aside from hatching from an egg of course.  

  After the dinosaurs, we cruised through the rest of the floors.  It was fun to see all the different exhibits and I hope the girls enjoyed it.  Sometimes it's hard to tell when we travel if they are enjoying things.  One or both is usually tired, hungry, or homesick.  It kinda dampens the fun a bit.

Pizza followed our museum visit which included a small child being walked out of the restaurant for a chat on the sidewalk.  We "enjoyed" our lunch and made our way back to the hotel through the park -making sure to stop and enjoy the millions of squirrels frolicking around.  

After about an hour or so rest in our hotel, we hopped on the subway and headed for the Empire State Building.  It is currently lit blue in honor of  STOMP Out Bullying and National Bullying Prevention Awareness.  It seemed like a good time to head up.  Whew that is a pricey elevator ride!  It's worth it once you see the views.  Unfortunately the clouds rolled in and we got rained on.  We got a lap around the building completed before the rain hit.  Got a few pictures and some butterflies in my stomach watching people hold their cameras over the edge.  Fiona and I wondered how often people accidentally drop their phones.

The rain ended our evening.  We had planned on hitting Rockerfeller Plaza again, but decided on Starbucks and our pajamas back in the hotel.  I'm happy we did that!  I'm not a fan of walking in the rain...especially when I have one pair of shoes. 

Tomorrow is our last day in NY before we head off to our next stop.  We have lots on our agenda.  The day starts with a bath for Mack which is seriously going to be the most difficult part of the day.  I guarantee it.  I think I'll have a doughnut after.