Our first museum we spent time at was The Tenements– tenement rooms that were curated for different decades and people groups, like a newly immigrated Chinese family in the 1950s versus a free African-American couple in the 1860s. We did a tour before and after lunch, and it was a teaching museum that could have plenty more visits had we been there longer, though only my attention could have been held much longer, I think. Good thing I’m the planner, or this wouldn’t have made the itinerary, although it is really worthwhile.

Getting an out-of-towner MET membership was just the ticket. Our minors got in free, and Dwayne and I got to The Cloisters once and the Met twice. Kyla spent the most time at the museums for the under-18 set, and Wes the least. Piper and Abby broke records for time in the gift stores. I have not yet been sated by the Met; perhaps I need a few more visits.

Another place we (okay, Dwayne, Kyla, and I) needed more time was the American Museum of Natural History, which really has the coolest exhibits. I had just finished a book where a girl remembers her favorite place in the museum, under the blue whale on the bottom floor, as a special time she got with her dad. I’m not sure what I would have liked best as a kid, but having been on a Kenyon safari since we last visited this museum, the African section delightful.

Early in our adventure, we visited the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, a piece of recent history our kids are taught in school as their teachers all remember 9-11 clearly (as do I). Both the outer memorial and the inside displays were beautiful and sobering.

We also explored the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, though again, thankfully Dwayne and I did this on our last visit, so when it was cut short due to tired teenagers, it wasn’t the loss it could have been. We did at least get to see Lady Liberty from head to toes, sort of.

Eight days is not enough! There were 3 museums I wanted more time at and others I didn’t even visit. Sounds like I need to start the itinerary for next time.

Places I will never get tired of in NYC are The Highline, Little Island, and, of course, Central Park. Little Island is new since our last visit, and I love it so much. Dwayne and I spent a morning out walking the first two parks, and out second accommodation was just a little more than a block from central Central Park.

Dwayne just wants his own Belvedere Castle. If that’s all you know about Dwayne, then you have the basic gist. But the girls all enjoyed the time there, too, because there are so many rocks to climb. We got our favorite sunset picture here. (Wes walked back on his own often, to get extra steps in and get his VR time in.)

I got to see 7 shows in our 8 days, and definitely feel like I didn’t try hard enough.

1. Kyla volunteered for the paint flinging at the Blue Man Group

2. & Juliet was the unexpected hit I didn’t know I needed.

3. The girls were excited to see Six again.

4. We all got to see the magic of The Lion King— amazing stagecraft.

5. Dwayne and I were excited to witness Seth Meyer’s return to his late-night show (taped in the afternoon) after his Olympics hiatus. (Hilarious– I adore Seth’s A Closer Look.)

6. We all went to see an impressive magic/mind-reading/smoke-and-mirrors show, called Stalkers.

7. On our last night, I went to see Sufs (about the decades it took to pass the 19th Amendment) by myself while Piper got to have what may have been the best night of her life– returning to see & Juliet and then getting cast to sign her playbill afterward. I walked her to and from the theater, but she went solo! Dwayne took the others to a Brazilian restaurant, but Piper and I definitely enjoyed our last night the most, methinks.

Well, that Big Trip Energy quickly turned to anxiety. As we are standing in line to get on the plane, Wes turned to me, admitting it was exactly the wrong time, and said he felt really sick. StupendousMom (trademark pending) quickly rolled out the pepto tablets, the vomit bag, baby wipes, and her own emergency jumpstart system. As we inched up toward the plane, StupendousMom proactively asked the attendent for a Sprite. The attendent said, while giving him the Sprite, that they are not allowed to fly with sick passengers and if someone is sick, they have to take them off the plane. We were seated in 3 groups of 2s, and I sent the others away so I could sit next to Wes. Dwayne does not understand my curt, one-word explanations and pointed looks, so I text him on the group chat, which prompts Piper to say (VERY) aloud, “Why are you and Wes going to get kicked off the plane?”

My death look did not paralyze her– but I think it shut her up for a bit. She wasn’t my main concern. Kyla thought I was mad at her because I didn’t let her sit next to Wes. That wasn’t my main concern either. [Book Group this is for you. Yes, yes, I’ve no more fucks to give/ My fucks have runneth dry.]

Wes waited until most were seated before vomitting into the bag. And then another bag. All while we’re pretending it’s not happening and I’m whisper-reminded him to close up the bag to keep the smell down while rubbing his back. Once he had nothing left in him, he felt great and fell asleep, leaving me holding bags of vomit until we get through the turbulence and I can crawl over my sleeping son to dispose in the bathroom.

I am done mothering for the week.

And Piper is suspiciously cheerful for not sleeping at all on the red-eye. This does not bode well. Also, I think Wes will forgo the KFC before the next flight.

But, auspiciously, JFK was easy to navigate and we left intact.

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PS: Why, why, why do both JFK and KFC have F as their middle name? I think I’ve covertly shared my opinion.

PPS: If you are over age, and not my mother, I was quoting this song.

Not having learned any lessons from any experience, I am at the airport for a red-eye to NYC with hubby, 3 bio kids, and 1 kid who is so great that her parents won’t let me adopt her. Bags are stuffed, pets are sitted, itineraries fictionalized– we are off on an adventure, and I’m oddly optimistic.