Perfect day: Priceless

Since when did life get so expensive? I took the girls (my stepdaughter Big A and Baby C) to a pottery place in NYC this weekend The Little Craft Shop and we had a fantastic time.

Big C had to work Saturday and Big A had never been on the LIRR and wanted to experience it, so I thought what better way to experience it then taking a ride into NYC and then painting some pottery!!!

Big C gave me $80 for the day. I knew it wouldn't be enough but I had no idea how much I'd be short by!!! LOL

First as usual I had to dress the girls in the same color, it's a silly ritual of mine and I just think it makes for cute picture!!! So once the outfits were picked out I realized we only had creme flip flops for Big A and the colors of the day were green and white! Big fashion faux pas, so I had to run to payless and pick up some white flip flops, I needed some where with a quick in and out and payless was my only choice!

Of course once at payless I just had to have a small clutch purse instead of carrying the big Mommy purse all day around the city!!!

Along the way I remembered that none of us had even eaten breakfast so I stopped at Dunkin Donuts for 2 bagels with cream cheese, a coffee for me and some juice for the girls.

Finally we rushed to try and make the 1:01 PM LIRR (I plan on investigating why the train has to leave at 1:01PM as opposed to 1:00PM later) I knew we had to still by the tickets and I was praying there wouldn't be a line at the ticket machine.

Big A loved the LIRR and kept comparing it to the NY Subway and was in shock at the vast differences. When we arrived in NYC we then had to buy a metro card for the subway as we had to transfer to the subway to make it to The Little Craft Shop

I knew when I bought the LIRR tickets that I COULD have bought the metro cards as well for the subway but I didn't have time to fumble around and figure out how many subway rides we'd need anyway.

Somehow I thought the bagels would hold over until AFTER we'd painted but with a budding teenager and wanna be like my big sister 3 year old we had to head straight to Dallas BBQ for lunch once we'd arrived in the city.

Once they were done eating, I embarrassingly did something ONLY a mother would do. I grabbed Baby C's last chicken tender, wrapped it in a paper towel and shoved it in my purse and we proceeded to walk through central park to the pottery place!!! Big A laughed all the way through the park, at the thought of one lone chicken tender hidden in my purse! She only stopped laughing when we reached the Strawberry Fields mosaic in the park and wanted to ask questions about it and the Beatles.

I had taken Big A to The Little Craft Shop when she was about 5 years old and we both remembered how she'd picked a football to paint and no matter how much I told her to just paint one color at a time she just wanted to do it her way and all greens and blues and red merged together to create one ugly brown football!!! LOL But it was her master piece and we still have it.

Now Big A was excited about making new memories with her little sister and they both picked out good pieces to paint. Baby C picked Blues Clues and Big A picked a penguin. This time no mixing of colors and they both had a fantastic time.

When they were done painting, we all grabbed ice creams and drinks for the walk back to the subway, which was packed and crazy around the time we headed home. We were all relieved for the sanctity and space once we made it back to the LIRR compared to the subway. And the girls got comfortable and unwrapped their glazed sparkly pottery pieces, and Baby C remembered that one chicken tender somewhere in the bottom of the purse. (mothers always know best) and they settled down for the long ride home.

They were both exhausted and excited to show daddy what they'd made and tell him all about their adventures for the day.

White Flip Flops $6
Small Clutch $23
Dunkin Donuts $8
LIRR $31
Subway $10
Dallas BBQ $35
Pottery Painting $33
Ice Creams and Juice $10

Final cost $156
Perfect day with the girls: Priceless!