Planning a NYC Christmas Trip

I am convinced I was born into the wrong family.  I was born in Mobile, AL but for some odd reason I have always felt like I belonged in New York City {or any area within an hour to the city}. 

Growing up I took dance and was a member of a few dance companies that performed and competed.  My love for dance fueled my desire to live in NYC. 

I had my life mapped out.  I planned on moving to NYC after high school.  I was going to audition for Broadway shows, fall in love with a man from NYC{with mafia connections}{yes I am a little twisted} and due to him being a mamma’s boy we would live in New York so he could be close to his family.

Years later, I met and married Alex.  He is from Long Island, NY {cute accent and all}, he has ties to the mafia {I am going to ask him if it is ok if I elaborate at a later time, it would make for an interesting blog post}, and he is a mamma’s boy!  The cruel twist of fate is that he REFUSES to move back to New York unless we have bunches and bunches and bunches of money sitting in the bank. 

After 5 years of failed attempts to make the 1254 mile journey to New York with 4 kids we are FINALLY {for real, officially, done deal} going to make the trip to NY for Christmas. 

The kids and I plan on spending about 2 weeks in NY with my mother in law.  My husband can’t miss that much work so he will arrive after us, in time for Christmas. 

Alex and I have two different ideas on the perfect trip. 

I want to {this is just a sample of my plans}:

• Spend a day or two in the Hamptons {Alex’s aunt and grandmother live there).
• Attend The Radio City Christmas Spectacular.
• Go to Carlos Bakery {home of the Cake Boss on TLC} in Hoboken, NJ.
• Freeze my buns off to see a taping of The Today Show.
• Take the kids to ice skate in Rockefeller Plaza.
• Shop.
• Visit the World Trade Center Memorial.
• Visit Central Park.
• Leave the kids with their grandmother, so I can just walk around NYC and take photos with my new DSLR.
• Go to Macy’s or somewhere crazy on Christmas Eve just to be in the midst of last minute NYC shoppers.
• See the department store holiday window displays.
• FAO Swartz.
• Visit a friend from high school that lives in NY. 
• Drive around with my husband so he can reminisce and tell me about his childhood in New York.

Alex wants to:

• Stop by the pizzeria he used to co-own so he can eat some pizza.
• Nap.
• Go back out to another pizzeria around the corner.
• Nap.
• Go eat at his favorite diner.
• Nap.
• Go to another pizzeria.

You get the gist.  He has already mapped out the trip from the airport to his mother’s via multiple pizzerias.  I say he is crazy, he says I am crazy! 

I would love to hear your suggestions for things we must do while we are in New York, the great city that is on my bucket list as a place I MUST live before I die!