The Triangle- Part 1

I know some of you are probably wondering if we attempted to go Obama's inauguration. The answer is no. Over the inauguration weekend we headed out of town to get away from the millions of people. Although a little part of me wanted to be there, I don't think this California girl could have braved the cold for so many hours. Not to mention I'm claustrophobic and the thought of getting stuck in a tunnel somewhere for hours with hundreds of people makes me sick.

So where did we go? North Carolina. We visited the Triangle, composed of Durham, Chapel Hill, and Raleigh. There are a few residency programs down there and we wanted to check out the cities to see if it might be somewhere we would enjoy living. We loved it and though the cities are small we found plenty to do.

First night BBQ- NC style, but I'd have to say out favorite were the Hush Puppies. When described to us they don't sound appetizing, but upon tasting we could not resist finishing the basket.The Belted cows were a sight. Sophia especially enjoyed them. She is quite the animal lover.We also found the cutest little bookstore that carries the "Little Golden Books". You all remember reading those as a child don't you? The Little Red Hen was one of my favorites and was a must get for Sophia's Easter BasketOn the afternoon we walked around Chapel Hill there was a little Children's Museum/play rooms that had free admission that day. So we took advantage and Sophia played for hours in the different rooms with all the other childrenAfter all that playing we stopped for some NY style pizza. Sophia enjoyed the cheese.Raleigh did not disappoint. We found a Natural History Museum (nothing like the National one) but fun none the less. We also walked around the Oakwood Historic District and enjoyed the old homes.Our hotel was pretty nice and had an indoor pool. Doesn't she look cute with her boots and suit?

Sophia also enjoyed going down for breakfast every morning for waffles. Yes, she is eating straight margarine off of the knife.
We had a nice king bed with tons of pillows.. perfect for playing.

Stay at home Moms.....

Have time to stand in line at Macy's and Nordstrom for free cosmetics. I came home with 2 bottles of Coco Chanel lotion. Gotta love a class action settlement. How did I find out about this? My sweet hubby called to tell me and also brought me home some Estee Lauder product. Thanks Honey!

Big Smiles

We certainly enjoyed having Grandma and Grandpa Holt here for Christmas and New Year's. Sophia was excited to have more people to play with. She took to her Grandpa right away. Which surprised me because usually it takes a while to warm up to new faces. It had been a year since she had seen these loving faces.

Giving kisses to Grandma

We visited Great Falls and there was a dog there. That's why she is smiling so big.

Teddy Roosevelt Island

Sophia with another big smile

We also made it into the District to see the Botanical Gardens Christmas display and also to see the new Capitol Visitors Center.

We loved having you here. Thanks for spoiling us. We enjoyed the late night games of scum, eating out and of course just spending time together! Love you both!

Love, Love, Love NYC

Discoveries and facts from my New York City Trip:

• Trains that start at a station may be on the wrong side of the tracks
• Dylan's Candy Bar isn't just for kids
• Serendipity can have a 3.5 hr wait
• Bergdorf Goodman has the most amazing Christmas window displays
• If you carry your subway sandwich in a bag to Central Park, most of your toppings will end up in the bag
• New York's this crust pizza is delish
• If you want to eat a cupcake from Magnolia's you better have time to stand in line
• Bleeker St. is very, very long
• A vintage store in Soho is the home of a funky little monkey
• You really can see out of those 2009 glasses
• It only takes 2 tries in the Wicked ticket lottery before you win $25 front row seats on Broadway
• Wicked is the most amazing show I've ever seen.
• Hearing you name called in the Wicked lottery can cause a brief episode of shock
• Sometimes when in search of the Gershwin Theatre, if you turn around it will be right behind you
• Canal St. isn't any fun unless you follow whispering voices into small vans and walk through walls that become doors and down stairs to locked basements where you find the perfect knock-off handbag
• Never pay full price on Canal St.
• Century 21 after Christmas is a madhouse, but a fun shopping madhouse
• Leggings can be more than just a fashion statement, when worn under jeans they keep your legs warm
• Hidden in the info booth in Times Square is last years New Year's eve ball
• Mine and Amelia's wishes floated down on little pieces of confetti in NYC Times Square on New Year's Eve
• With map in hand the Subway is easy to navigate
• Twice we were asked directions and where able to give them with confidence
• If you go see Twilight for a 2nd time you might fall asleep
• Amelia's balcony door, if not locked, can blow right open int he middle of the night causing whipping winds to enter the living room
• It's scary to be sleeping the living room when the door blows open
• Watching snow fall from the window of your train is the perfect way to to end a trip

Thank You......

To Rob for watching Sophia and letting your wife go away to NYC and spend money.

To my mother and father-in-law for watching Rob and Sophia

To Sophia for being such a wonderful girl while Mom was gone

To Amelia for being a wonderful host and playing with me in NYC

To Matt for watching the boys and letting me steal your wife for a couple of days.

As you can tell it was a fantastic trip. Amelia and I had so much fun roaming free without kids in tote. Of course the highlight of our trip was seeing WICKED!!!

Let's play again soon.This pic is for you Steph

Pic for Rob and Matt

Pic for you Rob