It's Always An Adventure

It is that time of year again… the week and half of Spring Break. And while it is a welcome break from homework, test prep, homework, afterschool activities, homework, test prep, making lunches and the hustle and bustle (nagging) of the morning rush to get out the door it also means that it is time to entertain or at least occupy the kids. What mother or father doesn’t cringe at the whiny kid voice of “I’m bored!!”?? Seriously, it is worse than nails on a chalkboard. In my mind “I’m bored” translates to “I’m spoiled” because seriously, most kids I know including mine, do not have it too rough and have plenty of things to do around the apartment 😉

But, that being said, I really do look forward to planning some cool activities for the kids and I to do over Spring Break. I mean we live in NYC, how freakin’ bored can we be????!!! We will be spending part of the break out of the city as we head to Washington, DC. on Friday for a long weekend and we are all pretty excited. This is the first time we will be there as a family and we can’t wait to explore all of the amazing sites. It seems to be a pretty popular NYC ‘weekend away’ destination as we know at least 5 other families who are also going to DC for the weekend. Until we head out on that adventure I have planned a few fun things to do in the NYC area for the next four days. If you are racking your brain for some things to do, take a peek or feel free to share your own ideas. Also if you have any MUST DO’s for Washington, please share those as well. Most of all, Happy Spring Break, have fun and don’t forget your patience, sanity and if all else fails, reach for the wine 😉

My Spring Break Ideas:

*visit the new Whale Exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History -the AMNH never disappoints and we can spend a couple of hours there or most of the day, plus Shake Shack is right around the corner- YUM!

*we are going to spend a girls day shopping, the girls are at the age where they are actually excited to browse through the racks of clothing and they both need some new clothes for spring. We may even pretend we are tourists and head on into Times Square & mid-town to go to American Eagle 77 Kids, American Girl and other shops on 5th avenue. Mommy might need a drink at lunch 😉

*this week at Grand Central Station (that is turning 100 years old this year) there are many cool events including performances by “Heard NY” where dancers dressed like beautiful horses give two performances a day in the grand hall. Definitely not something to miss.

*we will be going to see “The Croods”. Looks like a hilariously fun family movie, one that I am actually looking forward to seeing.

*we will also be getting ready for Easter by visiting Michael’s and getting dye and decorations for eggs, that is about as crafty as I get. And of course, we will have to visit Barnes & Noble because everyone needs a new book to sit down and read when the weather is crummy- we are expecting snow today!!!!

*hopefully the weather will start warming up and we can do one of our favorite activities in the city, exploring parks and playgrounds in different neigborhoods- www.nycgovparks.org

*if we are feeling especially adventurous we can do some day trips out of Manhattan, a friend of mine just told me about the Spa Castle in Queens where children are allowed to go with their parents to enjoy the hot/cold tubs and relax. Now that definitely sounds like my kind of mom/daughter day! Maybe I can even sneak in a massage…

*another quick trip is to the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, CT. Just jump on the train and you can walk from the station to the aquarium. Norwalk is a pretty waterfront town to explore with great shops and restaurants too!

*a couple of great resources when looking for things to do with kids in NYC are: Time Out New York Kids and Mommy Poppins, they always have up to the minute ‘what is going on in the city’, be sure to check them out for ideas, including neighborhood specific ideas.

Worst case scenario, we will just have to get out and pound the pavement… you never know what you might find on the streets of NYC! It is always an adventure… and I am sure we will be able to find one! 😉