Our First Day in the City

Well, I made it to New York in one piece and survived my first-ever cab ride. Had one minor setback shortly after arriving at LaGuardia--actually, it was a pretty major setback. Somehow, during the plane ride from StL, my car keys fell out of my coat pocket and managed to work their way in between the seats. It wouldn't have been that big of a deal, had I noticed it BEFORE I de-boarded and retrieved my luggage. My excitement over standing next to Joe Buck at baggage claim (my closest brush with "stardom" during our entire stay) was overshadowed by sudden panic--if I didn't move fast, my car keys would soon be on their way to Dallas. And we'd be finding another way home upon our return to The Lou. I'll spare you the details of the next 30 minutes. Suffice it to say that I retrieved my keys just before the plane left the gate--don't remember the last time I was that happy to see ANYTHING. What an ordeal. :) Anyway, I got checked into the hotel, then headed out for lunch; grabbed a slice of New York Style pizza from Cafe Metro across from Grand Central Station--very yummy! When Dave's conference wrapped up for the day, we walked down to Times Square, did some shopping, and ate dinner. Here are some pics from our first day:

Not only the greatest kids store--this one has to be the BIGGEST!

Tyler would have loved this giant ferris wheel that was built right into the center of the store. These are just a few of the cars that kids could ride. I wasn't able to convince Dave to take a ride on it with me. :)

Some of Tyler's fave characters from "Star Wars: Clone Wars."

This Barbie doll house was cool. See the windows across the top? That's actually another floor full of merchandise.

Dinner at Olive Garden, which, like most buildings in Times Square, is three stories tall.

Getting ready for Round One at my favorite store in the universe. :)