To my mother

Tobin and MomMom.  I love this picture.

The sites of New York.

Tobin with his cousin Luke at Ground Zero.  I am so glad Tobin got to see this.

Mom, you said you couldn't wait for me to blog about your trip to New York with Tobin.  But you see, that's just it, it's YOUR trip with Tobin.  This is your story to tell.  Email it to me and I will put it here.

Here is her story:

New York! New York! It's Tobin's kind of town. We arrived in

Manhattan on cold, blustery day at 2:30 pm. We had a list of things a
mile long to do and 3 hours to do them in, Yikes! Decisions are
always difficult, so we decided to just get started. Our first stop
was Ground Zero. I thought it was important for Tobin to see a
most sacred place since it is the burial spot of 3000 people. We saw
the newly installed monument to the firefighters, but that was about
all. Construction was everywhere else. My disappointment was that
the very poignant messages left by people on 9/11 were all gone. I'm
certain they are somewhere and will show up in a museum, but those
messages really brought home to me, the first time I was there, the
agony and suffering of so many people. It is hard to be there and not
be moved!

Next we headed up to Time's Square--the essence of NYC. Tobin and
Luke spied the ESPN Zone, and no way was I going to keep them out of
there. After all, this trip was about what Tobin wanted to do! The
highlight of that was the quarterback football toss. Tobin was
awesome--tossing the ball through a moving target about the size of a
tire. Next we wandered around Times's Square and ran into Elmo and
The Cookie Monster, Sponge Bob Square Pants, Mickie and Minnie Mouse
before arriving at Rockerfeller Center. It was most picturesque with
the 37,000 lights on the Christmas tree (5 miles of wiring), the ice
skaters, the life size toy soldiers. How could anybody not love that?

We wandered by the NBC studios but alas! not enough time to tour
them. (Next time Tobin) Then on to meet Beth, Luke and his daughter
Kamea for dinner at Sardi's before the show. Sardi's is the place to
be seen in NYC, I might add!

Then on to the show, the reason we were in NY! BILLY
ELLIOT!!!!!!!!! I saw it this summer and loved it so much that I
wanted everybody I know to see it! It is my all time favorite
Broadway show. It's about a 13 year old boy who wants to dance, not
box as his father wants. The dancing of the kids will knock anybody's
socks off.

To Tobin--I hope we made some great memories for you. When I am dead
and gone, I hope you will always remember our Billy Elliot experience
together.

Mom, I am soooo glad that you are an active, involved grandmother. I am grateful for your involvement in my kids' lives and that they can learn from you. I know that you are a softer version of me which my kids so need right now. Please stay involved. I love you.