Letters From Tim

Briggs and I hit the Big Apple this weekend…just the two of us. It was Stacy’s last weekend there before she has the culture shock of a lifetime…relocating from NYC to Indianapolis! I figured Briggs was the perfect age to do a trip alone and we might not have the opportunity to do New York relatively inexpensively again.

When I reminded Tim of our upcoming excursion, he asked as if addressing his troops, “What is your security plan?” My response was, “Uhhhhhhhh…..” He figured I hadn’t considered it which was exactly right. My thought was he is definitely in survival mode. In any case, I did include a small piece of paper wrapped in a plastic sheath in Briggs’ pocket that included my name, phone number, and emergency contact. Besides that, I held his hand 98% of the time. It was nice! I am usually asking Briggs to hold hands with one of the kids. It was nice just to get the chance to hold his hand.

So…we set off early Friday morning. Before our departure, Briggs asked me if we would see Spiderman. I guess I don’t have to worry about whether or not he thinks Santa is real or not. He was so jazzed he read and looked out the window the entire plane trip. As we were descending into Newark, the clouds were perfectly placed so that the skyline was peaking through…it was a great sight.

He quickly learned from Stacy the definition of a “New York Minute.” He learned that all cities don’t smell quite the same. A street performer created a song just for Briggs. We ate bagels and pizza, went to Ripley’s Believe It or Not, walked along Times Square, went into the largest Toys ‘R Us possible, saw the Statue of Liberty, walked around Wall Street, watched the ice skaters at Rockefeller Center, took a ferry ride, rode the train, and saw an awesome concert at Madison Square Garden (Alicia Keyes, Avril Lavigne, Back Street Boys, Jonas Brothers, OneRepublic, Colbie Caillat, Timbaland, Jordin Sparks).

The most important aspects of the trip weren’t the sights, however. He and I really got to talk. We had a long discussion about drugs and making the right choices. We talked about having self-confidence and trying not to worry what others think. And, I saw him blossom when striking up conversations with people we were sitting next to at meals or in the airport. He told a man from South Africa who was visiting the U.S. for the first time all about his sisters and brother. As we said goodbye the man said, “Thanks, that was a really nice welcome to the United States.”

The trip wasn’t without its complaints though…it was cold and we did walk a lot. But as we were waiting for the plane home, Briggs said, “I liked everything. What did you like the best?” I said, “I liked being with you alone the most.” The look on his face was absolutely priceless. He smiled from ear-to-ear and blushed.

Indiana is an incredible place to raise children. I saw the Midwest come out in me more than ever in NYC. Just smiling at someone, striking up a conversation and picking up a piece of trash takes people by surprise. However, travel opens up so many horizons. As soon as the kids get just a little older, we will start traveling again. And…each child will have a special trip alone. It is worth every penny to have great experiences that you wouldn’t otherwise see in good old Indiana!

A huge thanks to…Stacy - we are waiting for you with open arms. My family for staying behind to watch the three little ones. It wouldn’t have been possible without you.

And what would an outing be without the DaddyDoll?