We agreed to meet cousins Kathleen and Karen ( and kids Connor and cecilia) at the museum @ 11am. We hit the subway getting off a stop early and walking the last few blocks with central park to our right. Another hot dog stop before going in. Met with a huge dinosaur! All a little overwhelming for Liam! Rendezvous with the cousins, josie and cecelia firm friends from the word go! A long day, broken with pizza slices and the highlights being the dino halls and the...

Day 3 is a great success. Jet lag starting to disappear and structured plans made we get our metro pass and head into manhattan for the first time. Even the subway ride is enjoyable, as a gospel singing quartet busk about Mary! Only 4 stops and we are in little Italy. Stop for homemade muffins and canoli, delicious. Then off to Chinatown where josie buys a dress, fan and chopsticks. Liam gets a big yellow bus to match his taxi. We walk through leafy soho and st...

Day 2, will we never learn?! Jet lag, kids and a new York heatwave don't mix! But still we walk! Eventually find a great wee French pub on smith street and all get our first burgers of the holiday. Yum, go down a treat. 2 pints of Stella also help us out! Brave the subway for the first time and head to the NY transit museum. Kids love it but it's location in a non air-conditioned ex subway station means torture. We all head home ratty and tired. Chinese for dinne...

Day 1, guess who was up first? Dad of course. Josie and dad went out to explore the neighbourhood while mum and liam slept. Back with coffee and frosties and then we all head out. First stop Carroll park at the end of the street , perfect! Sprinkers and loads to play in. We then do our usual and walk too far, plus it is super hot! Down to the waterfront forcan amazing manhattan view, then hotdog stop for kids. What seems like forever later mum and dad stop for a ...

Well we have finally arrived. The flight was long and uneventful, our inflight entertainment system of course broke, as always seems to happen to us! Arrived in JFK with 2 exhausted babies and got in our car to take us to our apt in Carroll street. 40 minutes later we arrived, hot and thirsty. Off to bed, who'll be up first?