Mimi's the name...spoiling is the game!

While Zoe and I spent the week in New York getting settled, Cooper spent 10 days with Mimi, Gramps and Jax getting spoiled rotten! They did so many fun things!
They went to the Griffith Observatory in L.A...

 They went to K-1 for some go kart racing...

 Hit the trampoline park in O.C. a couple of times...

 headed to the beach for some surfing and boogie boarding...

 went to Downtown Disney...

 and bought some art prints...

 had beignets and icees...

 swam in the pool...

bought him new shoes and headphones for the trip!

 and spent MANY hours at the skatepark, and getting Starbucks.  He had a fantastic time and although I missed him terribly, I was so glad he was having a good time. Joe spent some time with him this weekend too, and was sad to say goodbye for the next few weeks.Thanks Mimi and Gramps for taking such good care of Coop!

in the land of Oz...

What a day! We actually had an early breakfast with my friend Kim. Even though she lives only an hour and a half away from us in California, we rarely get the chance to get together. She happened to be in New York for business this weekend, so we got to meet up for breakfast. Unfortunately, I forgot to get a picture, but we had such a nice time visiting and catching up!
Afterwards, Zoe and I stayed in the Upper West Side for some more exploring. We had to pick up a few more supplies for the week, then we headed further up north to see the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.

 I could not believe how huge this church is! It is actually the 4th largest Christian church in the world. It was built in 1892, and has undergone several restorations. This was also the church where the recent funeral for James Gandolfini was.

Inside was even more breathtaking, but we really couldn't take any pictures. I got one as we were heading out. It felt even bigger from the inside, and I've certainly never seen anything like it. What a serene and wonderful place to worship.

Next to the cathedral is a smaller chapel for other services.

We walked a few blocks (unfortunately not in the best part of town, so we hurried!), and picked up a Dunkin Donuts Chocolate Coolata. We've seen them advertised all over the city, and since we were dripping with sweat from the humidity, we needed a refresher!

 After a quick change, we headed to Times Square for a little shopping and sightseeing before our show.

Times Square was bustling with people! The streets and stores were packed, but it was great people watching. We found the fantastic Hershey store!

I'm still dreaming of the giant Reese's Peanut Butter cups. One of these visits, I'm actually going to buy them!

and we had to hit the M&M World...

We actually got to see the infamous "Naked Cowboy!"

and some great street performers...

Zoe negotiated for a bag she wanted to buy (started at $25, ended up at $12!)

Then it was time to head to the Gershwin Theatre for Wicked!

The show was incredible. Joe and I had seen it quite a few years ago in Los Angeles, but it sure was fun seeing it with my girl on Broadway. The performers were amazing, and I could watch this show over and over.

 Around the corner from our place, we stopped to watch the Eyewitness News being filmed...

 then headed in for a restful night before another full week begins. My mom gets here tomorrow with Cooper and Jax. I can't wait to see them and wrap my arms around my boy. Zoe and I have had a wonderful 9 days together, but I have also missed Coop more than words can say!

Hudson Valley

When we woke up this morning, we were planning on heading out early. Unfortunately, we had an incident with the air conditioning unit in our room.

We awoke to find that the unit had leaked water through the night and now the floor was buckling. I immediately got towels to soak up the moisture and put a text in to the owner. I also called down to the office, and was told a super would come to look at it. I hated to leave for the day, but the owner said to go, there was nothing else I could do!

So after a later start than we had planned, we made it to Grand Central Station. I love this building! We got in line to get metro-north train tickets to Cold Spring. We thought it would be fun to explore some of the surrounding areas of the city, and I've heard great things about this small town up the Hudson River.

 Grand Central has just celebrated its 100 year anniversary.

With a quick stop at Junior's for a croissant for Zoe, we were on the train and ready to go.

 After leaving the city, we had some beautiful views of the Hudson River and Hudson Valley.

 After 75 minutes, we arrived at our stop.

 We quickly walked to the town and headed toward the riverfront. On the way, we passed some adorable houses and beautiful trees.

We even found this nice townhouse for sale. We looked inside and it was adorable!

 The riverfront was absolutely beautiful, with this great gazebo in the center.

 

 

This town is rich in history, especially military history. Across the river is the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and Cold Spring was the location of the West Point Gun Foundry beginning in 1818.

We left the riverfront and walked up Main Street. It was a cute street, filled with lots of little antique shops, restaurants, bookstores, and coffee shops.

 

 Loved their municipal building...

 We found this great sign at one of the little shops. I wish I could've bought it for my mom, but I had no way to get it home.

 We even found a dance studio...

 We stopped and had some burgers for lunch, then kept walking a bit through the residential area of town. I fell in love with some of the homes and streets here.

And of course, the stunning old churches...

We walked back down to the riverfront to get some ice cream at the Moo-Moo Creamery.

 We finished our ice cream by the river. It was so nice to enjoy the quiet area, watch the water, the boats, and the kayakers.

We had worked up quite a sweat walking around in the heat and humidity, so we decided to dip our feet in the water. It felt heavenly!

 

 We spent quite of bit of time just relaxing in the water, watching the people and boats, seeing the trains go by across the river, and looking at the clouds in the sky.

We got back on one of the afternoon trains. It was a pleasant ride home, and we saw some more beautiful views, while watching the clouds roll in.

 

After stopping back at the apartment, and finding out that nothing could be done about our air conditioner until Monday, we headed back out to pick up a few groceries. On the way, we stopped at this fantastic candy shop and Zoe picked up one of her favorite candies, Hi-Chew.

 I'm so glad we got to explore a little more of New York today. It was nice to get away from the hustle and bustle, and experience a little small-town America.