We’re taking the girls to New York this fall, and from the moment my wife told Lexi that it was happening all we’ve heard around here is how much fun she’s going to have, how many sights she’s going to see, and how amazing it’s all going to be. Now, if you knew Lexi, you would know that she’s like a dog with a bone, especially when it’s something she wants, and somehow New York — the big city of dreams — has blazed like fire inside of her ever since she first heard of it.
This week we had another conversation about what she feels the trip will entail…
Lexi: I want to see the Statue of Liberty first. Do you think we’ll be able to get inside the crown?
Me: I don’t see why not, but it’s been a long time since I visited the Statue.
Lexi: Maybe you can get on your computer and find out.
Me: Now?
Lexi: Well, yeah. Oh, but I have my iPad and it’s got Safari so maybe I can find out myself.
Me: I’ll look for you.
Lexi: Great. And we have to go to the Empire State Building.
Me: You know I’m afraid of heights, right?
Lexi [with an incredulous look on her face]: What?
Me: I’m scared of heights. I don’t think I’m going to the top with you.
Lexi: YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE TOP!
Me: Okay, but I just won’t look down.
Lexi: That’s just silly, daddy.
Me: No sillier than you freaking out over an ant on the windowsill.
Lexi [laughing]: That’s not the same thing, daddy!
Me: So I’ll go up but I won’t look.
Lexi: OH! And we have to go to Central Park! Is it a really big park?
Me: It’s bigger than Harlem.
Lexi: What’s Harlem?
Me: It’s a part of the city. But it’s not in downtown Manhattan.
Lexi: What’s Manhattan?
Me: Oh boy. We’ll have to do some research on the five boroughs.
Lexi: What’s a borough?
Me: That’s a conversation for another time. So, anyway, the park…
Lexi: Mommy said there’s a zoo there! Is it as cool as the Utica Zoo? Because we went there, and we went to the Syracuse Zoo, so I’ve been to two zoos, so this will be my third zoo. Do they have animals there?
Me: Yes, there are quite a few animals at the zoo in Central Park. A monkey might even steal money from you.
Lexi: A monkey won’t steal money from me!
Me: Not if you guard it well. I could hold it in my sock for you.
Lexi: Ewwww! I don’t want my money in your sock!
Me: Suit yourself, but don’t come crying to me when the monkeys steal your money.
Lexi: You’re so silly, daddy! But we have to see the monkeys anyway.
Me: Sure, we’ll see the monkeys.
Lexi: New York is going to be so much fun! Why can’t we go this weekend?
Me: It takes a lot of planning, Lex.
Lexi: Well, I could probably plan it faster than you.
Me: With what money?
Lexi: I have my piggy bank.
Me: Good luck getting anything done in New York with your piggy bank.
Lexi: You’re just jealous.
Me: Yes. Yes I am.
Sam
Sam's Online Journal 
So cute. How happy for her that she has this fun trip to look forward to!
And I’m sure we’ll have another hundred conversations about it until we go in October.
Well it’s cool to record them–they’ll be fun for her to read back on. These are awesome memories in the making. 🙂
It’s funny. She likes to read them now and tell me how I “make” her sound. I tell her it’s word for word and I couldn’t make her sound that way if I tried. 🙂 I love recording the memories. The words are to me like pictures would be to others. Of course I take pictures too…
We arrived in the morning to visit the Statue of Liberty. That was a good thing because by 12 or 1, the line was way too long. We moved slowly up; slowly around the top and then it was back down. One cannot linger up there, but I am glad we did that visit. I cherished the foam crown souvenir I bought until it disintegrated.
Thanks for the morning suggestion. We were planning on going first thing too. My sister told me you have to book months in advance for the tour though, so I’m going to check into that too. Don’t want something simple like that to wreck our plans.