And there was even more celebration of the birthday!

Grandma and Grandpa make a big deal out of their grandkids 8th birthdays.  For Schmoo's special day, they funded his first trip to NYC and boy did we live it up!!!!

First stop:  The Art of the Brick.  Nathan Sawaya's Lego art!  He recreates famous art, sculpture, architecture and the images in his brain out of legos.  Schmoo LOVED it and it was pretty much my favorite art exhibit ever.  

At the end of the exhibit, they gave you a sharpie and a lego to add to the work of art in progress.  

Next stop:  as equally delicious as they were overpriced, DC cupcake time.  

The requisite pictures in Time's Square area.

Totally unexpected but totally awesome!  We were walking by the theatre that stages the Broadway Show Matilda when they were about to start their lottery drawing of the day. (Every show does a drawing each day for super cheap tickets.)  We knew this would be a show appropriate for Schmoo as well... our names were drawn!!!!  We got to go to an unexpected matinee of Matilda.  It was awesome!  

Before we actually went to the matinee, we had to have lunch at the birthday boy's choice of restaurant:  The Shake Shack.  It was ridiculously crowded.  I did not enjoy the line nor the acting like a vulture until we could get a table.  But now we can say we've been there.... it was tasty... 

 Post matinee we took a taxi over to the Empire State Building.  He was very excited that there were cool tv screens in the car and that we could swipe to pay in the taxi.

We paid extra to bypass the lines at the Empire State Building and OH MY GOSH was it EVER worth it!!!!  The lines were CRAZY long.  It was raining- but at that point we were soaked so it didn't really matter...

Last, but not least, we set an 8 year old loose in NYC with the spending money from Grandma and Grandpa.  The funds were spent at M&M world and of course, the largest Toys R US in the world :) 

 

 Yeah, I told you we had an EPIC day.  By the end of the day, I was DONE and ready to get out of that city!!! I totally understand why people from the city would have a reputation for being standoffish.  I had soooo many people around me, bumping into me, in my personal space, overhearing their conversations, smelling them, pushing past, that I was DONE seeing people and I did not want anyone around me.  Total overload of people, sounds, sight, smells, etc.  If I had to live in that day in and day out I would FREAK and have to block out everything around me.  Ugh sooo many people, not enough space!

It was pretty much the best day ever, though.  Epic.  Awesome.  Unforgettable.  

Coma inducing:  

 

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa!!!!