The Big Apple

I feel like we should start at the beginning.

I don't know the exact date or time, but sometime in my early childhood I saw the movie Newsies and to say that I was obsessed is an understatement.  That movie became the constant that I carried with me my entire life.

I can not tell you how many times I watched that movie before my mom ordered it secretly from blockbuster for me for christmas and of course cant even begin to count the amount of times after I got it.  I used to come home from school, and need to unwind, so I would pop it or cutting edge (toe pick!) in and zone out almost every day.  

(Before you are worried my mom let me watch too much tv, this was after cross country or soccer practice, and my mom was actually not allowed in there with me bc I was so in need of alone time that she had to do something with my inability to function.  She has actually never seen the movie to this day.  sigh. I feel like I have really kept her from greatness.  and I am sure it wasn't everyday.  A girl does need to be reminded to seize the day, though. probably everyday.)

So, I took this disney-drop-out-later-turned-cult-hit to college and watched it there, and then to my new college where I made jeff watch it when we met, and to my married house and then to, well, you get the idea.

I know that it sounds incredible immature and ridiculous to be attached to a disney movie that didnt even last a week in the theaters. And I really can't explain what my attachment was except cute older boys the bonding together of friends to make a change.  I love all the cheesiness of making a difference and helping others.  I think that resonated and stuck with me.

SO dorky, I know.

And, you guessed it, as soon as was age appropriate (3?) I shoved it into my kids lives as I had done lindsay and my brothers and past roommates alike.

Needless to say, we have the same genes.  

It is a huge house hit.

Sometime later, after we had downloaded all the music and watched it daily, I heard it was going to broadway.

Just like the whole garth situation, I told my parents about it, they jumped on it and it became a family affair. They, more than generously, took the entire family to nyc earlier this summer, where I can honestly say, dreams came true for everyone.

It was a quick trip but, it was truly incredible.

My parents were so, so generous, as always, my brothers and sister in law the biggest help and the kids were such troopers.

We really did not stop moving at all and ben and sassy fell asleep on someone multiple times through the trip, but they loved every minute of it.

We went to the zoo,




took too many pics of each other while relaxing and people watching,


went to the candy store,

the lion king,
dinner,


the subway,

central park,

ate pretzels from venders constantly,

and for the finale of the trip, saw newsies.

All in about a day and a half.
I know they loved the play, but their favorite thing may have been the fact that the zoo had a 15 minute Dora 4d show where they got to wear 3d glasses and have bubbles blown on them.

They could have probably died then.

I did not break out the big camera so every pic is from the Phone and barely anything at all was actually documented.

 I just want to remember how much fun every minute was.
How my kids embraced something that I loved as a kid and that now has sparked us to watch youtube videos of the cast of newsies everyday and listen to the "play" songs over the "movie" songs every where we go in the car, and as soon as we get home.
Suffice it to say, it was magical.

I just cant thank my parents enough for going along with my crazy dreams and letting me become attached to things like movies that flop.

NYC, we cant wait to come back.
*and my youngest brother michael went with us but I have no idea why I do not have one pic of him.  he probably took most of these pics.  you're so camera shy, migs.