It is Elizabeth’s spring break, and she spent 3 days in New York with her godfather, Uncle Bob. While she was gone, we missed her very much. It was kind of sad on Monday night when she was not here with the rest of the family. And Tuesday night as well. And I got to work late on Wednesday because I wasn’t driving her to school. But I digress.

I dropped Liz at the bus station on Monday morning. She hopped on the bus very confidently and found her seat. She did not appear nervous or scared to be all alone on a bus to New York City. When she arrived, Uncle Bobby was waiting for her at the bus station and met her right at the bus.

Bobby gave her a whirlwind tour of New York. He took her to Central Park. Took her to the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. To Dylan’s Candy Bar. To the Museum of Natural History. To Serendipity. To Alice’s Tea Cup. And that was just the 1st day. On the second day, Rockefeller Center, ice skating, the Lego Store, the Empire State Building, $1 pizza like a real New Yorker, Macy’s and Broadway to see Matilda. A relatively lazy day on the 3rd day and she boarded a bus midday to come home.

I think this trip was good for both of them. It was exciting for Elizabeth. And she got to bond with her godfather, and he treated her very special. And I think also very good for Bob, who has had a rough year, and I think the pure relationship with Elizabeth was probably refreshing for him amidst the many relationships we have with adults that live behind so many facades. I talked with Bob after. He talked about how great of a kid Liz is and how conscientious she is. She wouldn’t let him buy her very many souvenirs. She saved candy from the first day and brought it home so that she could share it with her brothers and sisters. It was the first thing that she did when she walked in the door.

While Liz was in New York, we got to live vicariously through posts that Bobby put on Facebook. All of the posts were pictures of Liz in various spots in New York.

Liz ice skating at Rockefeller Plaza

Liz in Central Park

Liz at Dylan’s Candy Bar

When Liz got home, we got to hear her tell her story from her perspective. She to tell us about Dylan’s Candy Bar. She described it in so much detail. How all of the candy bar wrappers said Dylan’s Candy Bar. How the stairs had candy in them. And how there were huge gummy letters and they spelled their names out of the gummy letters. At the Lego store, she created a Lego Uncle Bobby. She talked about Matilda. And how there was a scene where the girl was tossed by her hair. Then she went on to explain that Uncle Bobby knows how these things work, and told her about how they used a dummy to throw the girl across the stage instead of throwing the real actress. She also told us about Bobby’s apartment. And how Uncle Bobby taught her to skate backwards – he was an ice hockey player in high school and learned to skate on ice hockey skates. Then she showed us all of her pictures, and it told the story through her eyes.

Bob teaching Liz to skate at Rockefeller Plaza

Uncle Bob at Serendipity

Bob and Liz, Rockefeller Center

I am happy for Liz and for Bob. At the same time, it is kind of sad that their little trip together had to end. Liz misses her uncle. He really is something.

Super Uncle, Bob Kennedy, takes his niece to the top of the Empire State Building