A Trip to NYC with my Second Grade Prince

Due to same last minute family scheduling conflicts a dear friend and fellow Queen ended up needing two to round out a traveling foursome. So she asked me if Prince Christopher and I could fly to NY to see a Yankee game with her and her prince.

Yeah, right, don’t mind me as I jet off to New York.

But the tickets were paid for, the hotel was paid for, did I have miles for the flight? Hubby looked and we had enough - barely enough.

So off we went.

We had an incredible time and I realized that the two boys learned way more than if they had been in school that Friday.

We had music class. At one of the subway stops a mariachi band, complete with sequined shirts and hats, got on. They sang a song while one of them strolled the car for donations. Then as quickly as they got on, they got off. I lived in the city for years so this is just another day underground to me but the kids looked awfully confused. Ah well, it builds character.

We learned about compassion, mental health and poverty by seeing the homeless hiding in various doorways and begging on street corners. “What are they doing? Why do they live on the street? Where is their house? What can we do?” All wonderful questions that opened up long, thoughtful conversations.

Physical fitness and balance were improved. Little boys who get chauffeured everywhere are not used to walking on hard concrete. “My feet hurt,” he said after the first day. “Get used to it,” I say. Their first journey onto the subway was great. I’ve seen it a million times but it always makes laugh when I see armatures try to stand while clutching the pole. If you don’t hold on tight enough and shift your feet with the movement of the train you end up rolling down the length of the car. We didn’t let them roll that far, I promise.

We also had a health lesson. My son insisted on sleeping on the love seat instead of in the bed. And he got company. When we got home I discovered that he had been bitten by bed bugs. I don’t mean to sick you out or anything, (too late) but evidently they are a growing problem in hotels. They like to roll in on someone’s luggage, hang for a bit and then hitch a ride to your house on your luggage to play. The good news is that they are just like mosquito bites, they aren’t harmful or anything like that, just enough to trip your gag reflex and call an exterminator just to ease your total freak out. I begged the bug guy to use DDT. He mumbled something about it being banned and then said he didn’t have any. I’m finding some on the black market.

One of the funniest moments was when Christopher learned disappointment. One night he bounded into a cab for his first ever taxi ride. He immediately asks the driver, “Is this the Cash Cab?” The gentleman was wearing a large, beautiful Sikh turban and had no idea what Prince Christopher was talking about. Alas no trivia questions for my kid.

It was an totally expected exciting trip. I had a chance to really have some one on one time with Mr. Man. I’m sure it was way better than a Friday spelling test.

Reign On!

Queen Linda