welcome to the eat-your-way-through-new-york tour

Okay, you've made your point. I'm done with all the angry phone calls and threatening Facebook comments. I've just been a little busy with my two blogs, making a friend's wedding invitations, making a friend's baby bedding, getting a real JOB (boo!), and taking care of three almost helpless boys! But I agree, it is a little ridiculous. So I'm finally posting our New York pictures. Happy now?

Last fall our frequent flier miles were about to expire--it was use 'em or lose 'em. Christian refused to use our tickets that could take us "anywhere in the continental US" to go to Utah again. So he picked New York and surprised me with tickets for a week-long trip for our 10th anniversary. We've been saving since October, and we had just enough, with a little help from birthdays and Christmas, and our Disneyland fund (sorry, boys!). Just enough for a hotel and the Eat-Your-Way-Through-New-York Tour. Seriously, we didn't really shop or spend money on attractions. It was all about the food.


First rule of attempting an Eat-Your-Way-Through-New-York Tour is to get yourself a few good tour guides. I'm talking locals who know the good dives and how to get there. We were lucky to have three, with a few notes from past locals. But before we met up with our first guide, Courtnie, we found the ultimate corned beef sandwich ourselves at a legendary NYC deli: The Carnegie Deli. This place is famous for it's mile-high sandwiches and New York cheesecake. Well worth the $18 we spent on the sandwich alone!




When we did meet up with Checketts the next day, the sweetie hooked us up with some of the best sweets in the city.


After an amazing Chinese dinner, we wandered around Little Italy to find her favorite bakery and some mini hand-dipped conollis. Holy conolli! I think we finished off almost a dozen that night.


The next day we met her and walked across the Brooklyn Bridge (gotta work off those conollis somehow!). Too bad we were walking to get to more good food.

Carly had also recommended we walk across the bridge to Grimaldi's Pizzeria for a slice. Two recommendations should not be ignored. And I'm glad we didn't. By far the best pizza in the universe.



From there we walked across the street to get some homemade-style ice cream at the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. Don't worry, they had Pralines & Cream. Oh, and the view was nice, too.




The next stop was dinner at Max Brenner. This guy is obsessed with chocolate, and he shares his passion through incredible, inventive chocolate-themed dishes. We loved the waffle fries dusted with chili powder and cocoa with chocolate ranch dressing for dipping. And then there was this "melting heart" cake. Here's the description from the menu: "A warm chocolate cake filled with a double layer of pure chocolate and pure rich creamy caramel. Served with toffee bananas, a side of caramel sauce, and Dulce de Leche ice cream topped with chocolate fondue." Now you know why I had this for dinner.


Courtnie also directed us to the Roxy Delicatessen for a famous black-and-white cookie. I had to have one in honor of Elaine Benes. It made for a great intermission snack at Wicked, along with the free Coke Zero some Coke rep was handing out on the street.



One of Christian's main missions for this trip was to find an authentic Japanese dish called Okonomiyaki, Hiroshima-style. He hasn't been able to find it anywhere in the US, but he was sure someone would be making it in New York. And he was right. We found a little hole-in-the-wall joint near NYU that made this tasty dish just as he remembered it in Japan. It's kind of like a savory pancake with layers including pancake, cabbage, pork, fish flakes, and noodles, topped with fried egg and a generous amount of okonomiyaki sauce and a mayo-type dressing. Christian really could have gone home after that meal and been totally satisfied with our trip. I actually had to agree--it was one of the yummiest things I've ever eaten.



That night we continued the Japanese theme and met up with our next foodie guide, Regan. She is Christian's cousin who has been living in New York for about five years. She lives near NYU as well and there were so many great choices in her neighborhood that it was hard to decide. But Christian remembered the sushi place she had taken him last time he was in town, so we went to check it out. And we were glad to see that their sale was still going on--50% off all sushi! That's some sale. I don't think we've ever eaten that much sushi that cheap. And it was dang good food, too!


Christian also got some unagi-don (that's eel), and it was a HUGE piece! This is after he had already eaten half of it. He was seriously in heaven.



We were so glad we got to spend some time with Regan. It has been a long time, and she is such an amazing girl. Thanks for making time for us, Regan!


Our next big food adventure was to Katz's Deli, famous for it's "I'll have what she's having" scene in When Harry Met Sally. Check out this pastrami sandwich. Quite the experience.


One of the highlights of our trip was meeting up with our friend Garrett. He's been in the city almost as long as we've been married and we hardly ever get to see him. He suggested we meet at Shake Shack, and since Courtnie was with us and had already suggested it for dinner, we knew we had to try it. I am a sucker for a good burger, but this placed topped all other burger joints with it's red velvet frozen custard we got on the side. Sadly, I didn't get a single picture of the food. Once it came it was gone before I could even get my camera out. Everything was so good and it was the best atmosphere for relaxing and catching up with friends. Thanks for a fun night, Garrett!


And that concludes our Eat-Your-Way-Through-New-York tour. Maybe we're so eating-out deprived that we got a little excited about the food. But it was worth every single incredible calorie. There were several other restaurants recommended to us that we didn't have time to try. I guess that means we'll be going back in a few years for part II!

We did do a few things besides eat in New York. Here are the highlights:

Wicked! Thanks to Courtnie, we won tickets in the Wicked lottery. Only $26.50 per ticket, front row. Incredible. Loved being so close to the actors you could see their facial expressions. I have to say Glinda was my favorite character. Of course we didn't win tickets the day I was actually dressed for a show, but I was just so happy to win that I let it go. Thanks for being our lucky star, Chuck!



The Statue of Liberty was really cool. We also made it over to Ellis Island to look up Christian's great-grandfather, whom he's named after. Willhem Christian Sybrowsky came through Ellis Island after traveling across the Atlantic from Denmark with his wife and seven children. It was cool to see the actual documents they filled out when they arrived and imagine what that journey must have been like (I can hardly handle 12 hours in the car to Utah with my kids). The computer program we used was largely made possible through the assistance of the church, and sister missionaries were there to help people in their searches. It was a very cool experience.





We didn't wake up early enough to make it to the Today Show, but we did stop by Rockafeller Plaza. Although I have to admit this was more to pay homage to 30 Rock than Today. I'm not sure why I look so grumpy in this shot, because just the sight of that statue makes me laugh!


The New York Stock Exchange. This picture is taken right outside of Courtnie's apartment. She also took us by Ground Zero and a couple of the churches that were used during the days after the attacks as home for rescue workers. Below is the bronze statue "Trinity Root," representing the tree roots that are credited with shielding the church from the blast.



We spent the better part of a day in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This was incredible. I forgot how much I LOVE the impressionists! Something happened to my pictures of my favorite Degas dancer pieces, but it was a pretty amazing collection.



One way we could tell we missed our kids was by the amount of time we spent in toy stores. We wished they were there in FAO Schwartz to see all the awesome Lego figures! We also took pictures of fun stuff in the giant Toys R Us at Times Square. They would have gone crazy there.




We also took a nice stroll through Central Park,


checked out St. Patrick's cathedral,


were impressed by Times Square,


walked through Grand Central Station, shopped at H&M, searched (unsuccessfully) for a bag on Canal Street, and spent Target Free Friday at the MOMA. Van Gogh's The Starry Night was on loan to Amsterdam (boo!), but it was still incredible.


Probably the most exciting thing we did (well, I'd say it tied with Wicked) was attend a taping of Late Show with David Letterman. Christian had called to get tickets about a month in advance, but we didn't hear back from them until a few days before we left for New York. After a lengthy phone interview complete with trivia questions, we were finally approved for their Tuesday night audience. I guess they really want true fans of the show in the audience. When we got there we were so excited to get an "audience upgrade" to the front row! His guests were Liev Schriber, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and Scottish rock band Franz Ferdinand. It was such a blast!



So despite the fact that we spent the first 12 hours of our trip in the Detroit airport (grrrr),


got rained on the first half of the week (we left Seattle to get out of the rain),

and left without purchasing any knock-offs, it was an amazing trip. Thanks again to Layne and Jody for wrangling the monkeys! The boys survived without us, but more importantly, the grandparents survived the boys. More on that story later.


The boys want to thank Aunt Courtnie for the cool hats!

a few things to note when watching our kids

This week Christian and I are off to New York to celebrate our 10-year anniversary (just a little early). Christian's parents are coming to watch the kids for a whole week. You can't believe the excitement that has been running through the veins of our children for the past two months. We got so tired of answering the question, "How many days until Grandma and Grandpa come?" that we finally made a chain for their room. A countdown to Grandma and Grandpa. Or rather, a countdown to eating McDonald's every day for a week. That is really what they believe is going to happen. Maybe because Grandpa Layne said so.

We've typed up a thorough list of instructions, schedules, maps, activities, phone numbers, etc. to help them make it through the week. But here are a few additional things they should know before taking on this challenge that is the Brothers Sybrowsky.


1. Bath time is kind of like going to see Shamu at Sea World. There are various tricks and shows you'll have to watch (blowing bubbles under water, making various toys squirt water, etc.), and of course the big finale splash: Beef. What is "Beef"? It's a forbidden game where they slide down the back of the tub, splashing into the water and soaking the crowd while screaming, "BEEEEF!" Like I said, it's forbidden, but Addy will try to get away with it every time.



2. These shoes may look like Crocs, but in Addy's universe they go by a different name. If you want him to put them on, you'll have to refer to them by their "real" name: Cockroaches. He insists that's what they're called, and no, he does not think they are on the wrong feet. Just let it go.


3. If Addy comes in from playing outside and says he wants a drink of water, don't buy it. He's really coming in to get water to make mud in the backyard. He'll usually admit it, but only after you catch him trying to balance three or more cups of water in his arms while opening the front door.

4. Breakfast is the craziest meal of the day. The boys are alternately crazy-silly or super-grouchy in the morning--I never know what I'm going to get. The one thing you must remember: let them each choose their own spoon. This is the key to a peaceful breakfast. If you don't let Addy choose it, he will FREAK OUT. He may not notice that you gave him the spoon of your choice until he's a few bites into the meal, but when he does, watch out.

5. The carpet spot-cleaner is under the kitchen sink. Enough said.

6. There will be urine some place it shouldn't be during the week. Addy is not afraid to drop trou in the backyard, outside James' school, at the park, you get the idea. It makes no difference that the bathroom is just 30 feet away. But sometimes we get really lucky and we find him doing it somewhere more creative, i.e. the bathtub, the garbage can, or the middle of my bedroom carpet. If this occurs, refer to #5 for cleaning instructions. And then put him in a really long time out.

I think I better stop now. Otherwise, Jody and Layne may change their mind and decide to go stay at the Marriott instead. Good luck, guys!

new crafty endeavors

I have so many fun pictures and memories to post, but not enough time! I'll get to them, but this is just a quick note to let you know about a couple of my new time-suckers.

I am the new "Craft Shows" blogger for craftgossip.com. Five days a week I'll be blogging about craft events around the world. Check it out!



My other blog, littlebirdiesecrets.com, is current hosting a week of great giveaways for our Reader Appreciation week. There are so many cute things to win! We have almost $700 in prizes to give away, and all you have to do is leave us a comment to be entered. And yes, my friends and family members are eligible. It's my blog and I can do what I want! So go enter. Good luck!

i have a new nephew!

Sawyer Jordan Boogaard was born March 31 to Ereka and Jordan. Isn't he adorable? I wish I wasn't so far away--I need to snuggle him! This awesome picture was taken by his amazing aunt Haylee. She has more cute pictures of him on her blog.

Ereka spent some time in the hospital after his birth due to a mysterious infection (Layne said waiting for the doctors to figure it out was like watching an episode of 'House'), but she's home now and doing better. That's the last thing you need after all the changes of a new baby! We're so thankful she's okay. We sure love you Boogaards--hope everyone is getting some sleep!

killing easter eggs

James: "Mom, is that the stuff we use to kill the eggs?"

Me: "Huh?"

James: "The stuff to kill the Easter eggs."

Me: (Pause) "Huh?"

James: "That thing we're doing tonight."

Me: "Ahh, you mean the stuff we use to 'dye' the eggs. Uh, that's actually a different word than the 'die' you're thinking of. But yes."

I shouldn't be surprised that James is finding a way to make even Easter a spooky holiday. Killing Easter eggs. Check out this cracked egg he dyed. He loved it because it looked like a creepy spider web.

And I wasn't at all surprised when he came home from school with this one-eyed, fang-baring Easter bunny. Sadly, neither was his teacher. It seems he turns almost every art project into some kind of monster.

Despite trying to give this sacred holiday a Halloween spin, James was actually very interested in the meaning of Easter. He learned quite a bit about the Savior's death and resurrection in school last week, and came home with some good questions. After a long discussion about why Jesus had to die, his response was, "Mom, how come when I ask you questions you talk for such a long time?" Oops. Apparently I bored him. Hopefully something sunk in.

He was most excited about the Easter egg hunts and the surprises he was expecting from the Easter bunny. We had a fun Primary egg hunt on Saturday at the church. The boys had so much fun, but James was "super mad" that Addy found more eggs than he did. He thought it was "so not fair." But it was still the "best day ever."



Christian was on call today (third Easter in a row, poor fellow), but he made it home in time for our egg hunt. James loved his new sunglasses (he's been eying them for about a month at WalMart).

Grandma Holly got them each a book and we read them several times today. I love good kids books! These are both winners.

It's so nice to have this Earth book as a reference. James has been asking me how whirlpools, volcanoes, and lightning work, and my answers until today have not been sufficient. Now we have all the details he needs. Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa!

Of course 95% of the candy was consumed today. Here's James' candy sandwich, made from two Laffy Taffys and four jelly beans. Needless to say, the sugar high lasted most of the day.

But it really was a wonderful day. We are so thankful for our Savior and the chance we had to think about him and celebrate the wonderful gift he's given us. We hope you all had a wonderful day, too!

sybrowsky quote of the week - rhetoric

Mr. Crazy Pants here has developed quite an interesting use of language as of late.

Me: grumbling under my breath about the construction workers on our street and their never-ending traffic stops.

Adam: "Suck it up, Mom!"

Me: "What? Where did you learn that, Adam?"

Adam: "From Grandma."

Me: "Uh, I highly doubt that. Did you maybe hear it on Sponge Bob?"

Adam: "Yeah, I learned it from Sponge Bob."

Really, my three-year-old is telling me to "suck it up?" Maybe we need to limit the Sponge Bob watching for a while. Or Grandma's visits. (Although I'm pretty sure I've never heard my mom say "suck it up", but you never know, I guess.) He also responded with, "Blah, blah, blah" the other day when I was getting after him for something. However, he has spouted a few nice statements lately, too, such as "Great job cleaning the kitchen, Mama!" and "You're a genius, Mom!" So I guess that evens it out.

world's best house guest

This last week Grandma Holly came for a visit. Hooray! For the third year in a row, Christian was gone for my birthday (someday I'm sure he'll make up for it!), so my mom came up again to keep me company. It was so fun to go out to lunch and shopping with her, two things I almost never get to do anymore. And the kids were so excited they could hardly stand it! Maybe that's why they had to go to the bathroom FOUR TIMES while we were at the mall, or why Adam thought it was a good idea to take off his underwear, throw it on the floor, and then pee on it. And maybe that's why James thought it was a good idea to join him. Sheesh! I'm raising a couple of hooligans up here!

Grandma also took us to Jump Planet, the inflatable party center of the universe (their words, not mine)! We had to drag the boys out of the place. It was a blast.



I couldn't get a clear photo of Addy--he was constantly in motion, as per usual.

Not only did Grandma take us to Jump Planet to play, to lunch at Nordstrom's Bistro, to Walmart to pick out a movie, and to Costco to pick out a book, but she was the most incredible house guest in the universe (those are my words). It was like having a personal maid for a week! She watched the boys so I could sleep in on my birthday, she was doing the dishes every time I turned around, she vacuumed the house while I was picking up Christian, she fed and put the boys to bed while I went to an HOA meeting, she cleaned up urine-soaked carpet while I was doing some "secret shopping", and she cleaned her bathroom and washed her sheets and towels before we left for the airport. Not much of a vacation for her, you think? Hopefully these sweet faces and a few slobbery kisses made up for all her hard work.






We love you, Mom! Thanks for coming and making my birthday so special. We hope you can take us to St. George on your private jet, soon! After you learn how to fly it, of course. And James says, "Bring Grandpa Brent with you!"