We’re having a splendid time, even though Gage is completely wild on taxi rides (“Hey! Look! No seat belts! And what’s this? A flip flop under the car seat!”) and isn’t so impressed with the observation deck at the Empire State Building (“Is this it?” Is this all?”). In all fairness to the ESB it is under renovation. They whisked us in under special VIP status – now that did impress Gage and Quinn (“You mean we can just go to the front of the line?”). After a quick trip back to the hotel we headed out to FOA Schwartz and it was torture. Gage wanted a $300 lego robot (um, no) and Quinn bought -with her own money – a horse ranch barbie set.

We went to the Natural History Museum ate hot dogs on the way in, and had a grand time seeing a couple of Imax shows (Sea Monsters and Cosmic Collision) the kids loved. Robert Redford narrated the Cosmic one, so that was nice for me, gazing at the stars and sitting in the dark listening to Robert.

We came out around 5:45 and saw the Macy’s Thanksgiving Balloons being blown up. So did a few thousand other people. Then we met a friend and stopped in at a diner for dinner where the kids ate 6 chocolate pancakes between them.

This is Gage’s trip and so I won’t say many details about the negatives of traveling with an impulsive child in a big, fast-paced city, but man, can Gage wear on a nerve or 20. He simply cannot resist the urge to run ahead, open doors he shouldn’t, crawl under renovation wall blockers, pick up staff phones, hide, and push every button – including ours. But he is having a grand time on this trip. And I am getting some great pictures. But you can’t see them tonight.

I have to get to sleep because at 5:30 we have to wake up and get to parade line by 7:00. And that would be for our grandstand seating – generously provided by the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Macy’s, The Bowne Company and well, I guess Gage’s crappy kidneys. Look for us on TV.

I’ll be the crazy woman trying to keep her boy from popping the large balloons passing by.