Cleveland (Visitors) Rock.

The Ohio Riley crew came to town last month and we partied like rockstars.

Admittedly, my knowledge of rockstar life is limited, but I do believe it involves cramming obscene numbers of people into hotel room-like spaces, yes? Then party like rockstars we did.

They rolled into town at about 4am, so when I got up for work and went to sneak out at 8:30am, I expected all to be slumbering still. Not so. Ry and Ave were awake and reading {so studious...}, so I put the kibosh on all that reading nonsense with a suggestion that they accompany me to an emo-rock concert. Twenty-six minutes later, we were passing through Times Square on our way to hear Plain White T's perform on Fox's plaza across the street from my office. It was fun to be just hours into their NYC trip and already having a little adventure with two of my favorite tweens. Maybe it was the close proximity to the stage that lent itself to occasional eye contact, or maybe I didn't get much sleep, but one of those PWT's is pr-etty easy on the eyes. {Okay, I just looked them up and I think I need to take it back. Let's chalk my swooning up to sleep deprivation.}

That day also happened to be little J's birthday, so Noah and the crew spent the afternoon at FAO Schwartz and the playground and Central Park. Afterward, Noah, Jess and Ave hit the MoMA {where Ave was particularly delighted to learn they had Jackson Pollocks. she asked for them by name. is she not the raddest 10 year old you've ever heard of?!}, Ry and I had a lovely time at Times Square's Forever 21 flagship store and Cays took the two youngest to Toys"R"Us, where the birthday girl took a nap {this is how you KNOW you've partied like a rockstar on your birthday, when you are at one of the largest toy stores in the world and you can't keep your eyes open}.

We spent Saturday at the Museum of Natural History, where a stranger paid me the sweetest compliment known to man by telling me my "kids looked just like me." While I can't in good conscience take actual credit for their cuteness {they do have excellent genes, those girls}, I don't mind being compared to it.

 

These cute girls had us laughing the whole visit. For anyone who knows little A and her spunk, you know she kept us in stitches. My favorite part was her object lesson comparing Jesse to a geode. "Rough and ugly on the outside, but beautiful on the inside..." 

Caysie and Jesse spent a romantic evening on the town, while the two littlest Rileys hung with Uncle Noie at the park and the two older girls and I hit the town for shopping and ice cream {a must with these two ice cream aficionados}.

Sunday we picnicked at the High Line, then set sail across the harbor for a glimpse of Lady Liberty. 

We love this sweet family so much. Thanks for making the trip, sunshine gang!