The Botanical Gardens

While Grandma & Grandpa Cope were here, we decided to check out the Holiday Train Show at the Botanical Gardens. First stop was the Children's Garden where Lexi learned about the different ingredients in gingerbread and where each ingredient comes from. She filled out an observation journal and put a small sample of each item in the journal.

She also planted some wheatgrass to take home.

After playing & learning at the Children's Garden, we took a tram ride around the gardens and were able to see some amazing plant life. We also saw many of the sculptures of Henry Moore, which the garden is currently exhibiting.

Following the tram ride, we caught a performance of The Little Engine That Could puppet show. It was a cute production where the puppeteers were integrated into the show almost as additional characters. The trains *ran* up and down the stairs next to us and there was a good amount of audience participation.

After the show, the kids were allowed an up close and personal look at the engines....

The Holiday Train Show

The Statue of LibertyEllis Island

Here I will post mostly our photos of the Holiday Train Show at the NY Botanic Garden. Inside the conservatories, there are replicas of various NYC buildings and landmarks, "made entirely from plant parts like berries, mushrooms, pinecones, leaves and twigs," with model trains running around, through and over them. It's really pretty amazing! Warning: this post is picture laden mostly because I thought the constructions were intriguing. I'll label the ones I can remember and/or recognize.

My view as we waited in line (Ella sleeping in the Ergo carrier)

The George Washington Bridge

Close up of GWB with bus crossing

Okay, I ran out of photo space in my google albums account, so I uploaded the rest of the photos to photobucket and created a slideshow.

Bonus

On Saturday, December 27th, we were invited to celebrate Lucas' birthday with him at Chuck E. Cheese's. Alexis & Ella both love Lucas (and we love his parents!), so we were excited to attend. I'm totally sold on having kid's parties at this place. It was so fun (and virtually no planning or clean-up on the parent end).

Matt & I always have so much fun at Chuck E Cheese! Ski-ball is probably our favorite activity. Here Ella is assisting Dad in racking up the points.

He ended up scoring so many points (um, 41,000) that he earned an extra 75 tickets! (Typically people earn from 5-10 tickets for playing this game). It all happened so suddenly- he's just rolling his balls into the point holes and next thing we know bells are ringing and lights are flashing and Chuck E Cheese is singing something like "You are a rockin' bowler!" and tickets are just pouring out of the machine. It took us a minute to realize that it was all because of Matt's mad skillz!

Christmas Day

On Christmas Day this year, our little family was on our own. We chose to stay in the city (instead of traveling upstate to be with my family) because Matt's parents were flying in the day after Christmas. We opened a few gifts on Christmas Day, but ended up saving most for the 26th when the Copes, as well as Grandma Susan and Aunt Allie & Aunt Laura could be with us to celebrate. So, we spent Christmas Day at the Bronx Zoo. It was a beautiful, clear day and not too cold either.

Thanks to Scott & Lisa for this great reusable basket! Ella loved it!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was spent at home with our little family. We let the girls open a gift- I made them matching nightgowns this year. They both wanted to put them on right away. Alexis loved it, but she's quite used to nightgowns & dresses as she's been wearing them for years. For Ella, on the other hand, this was her first experience with a long dress. She loved it! She wanted it on right away and then spent quite some time twirling in the middle of the living room, running down the hallway, and just taking it all in. To this day, if I open the drawer and try to pull out other pajamas for her, she'll scream until we put the nightgown on. If she sees it in the laundry, she'll pull it out and beg me to put it on her. I'm glad she likes it so much! I mean, just look at those smiles!

Here is a picture of our rather sad looking Christmas tree. I realized I hadn't taken any photos of the tree this year until Christmas Eve. But, for having survived a near-death experience, I think it still looks pretty good!

Hello Kitty

After viewing the Citibank Train Show, we headed west to Rockefeller Center- on our way we ran into these large statues of Hello Kitty & Friends in the plaza of an office building. Being the fan she is, Lexi insisted on posing for some photos.

This last one is me with Lexi. "K" for Kitty and "K" for Kendra.

We got to Rock Center and viewed the tree (Aunt Laura even ran into someone she knows from Florida!). We saw the windows at Saks Fifth Avenue, which by the way were our favorites this year. They were based on a book called A Flake Like Mike. And of course we watched the dancing snowflake light show (to the tune of Carol of the Bells) on the facade of Saks.

Laura & Ella

Mom & Lexi

The snowflakes on the western facade of Saks Fifth Ave

Some of New York's Finest on the Rockefeller Plaza

Empire State Bldg decorated for Hanukkah

ESB decorated for Christmas

The Station at Citigroup Center

This was the final year for the fabulous train setup at the Citigroup Center, also known as The Station. Citigroup has been hosting this train exhibit every Christmas since 1987, but due to operating & off-season storage costs, this was their last year. It is a fantastic layout that displays life during the 1940s and 1950s and as you walk around the exhibit, you are transported from the New York City vicinity up the Hudson Valley and into the Catskills. You also travel through all four seasons. It's quite remarkable, and we're sad to see it go - it was one of our favorite *free* things to see at Christmastime.

The Morton Salt Factory (I am brand loyal!)

The Bates Motel & mother's house, from Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. Apparently, as you travel north on your way upstate, you will pass this house in the town of Nyack, NY. The story goes that Hitchcock saw a painting by Edward Hopper called "House By The Railroad" and asked for it to be reconstructed on the studio lot for Psycho. If you look carefully, there is a light on in that second story window......

A drive-in (it's really a dark photo... it was night time on the exhibit & I had flash issues)

The Drive In Movie Theater- with a real western playing!

Matt and I are always on the lookout for a good burger joint and we've found that these little stands in the boonies are some of the best!

What's a train exhibit without a trailer park?

The summertime carnival

Autumn in the Catskills- isn't it gorgeous?! And this is just pretend....

Ice skating on a frozen pond

Grandma & Ella checking out the trains- Ella was completely mesmerized!