Dirt Road Mama: Cinderella in the City

For Christmas, we got tickets from Mima and Papa for Daddy, Reilly and I to go to the city for the day and see her first Broadway play, Cinderella. We also received the soundtrack, which has been playing in our house for months. Reilly knew every word, and was beyond excited for this big day! Her first train ride, her first day in "New York City", her first Broadway play. She has been listening to CDs that Cioci made her of Disney songs and will say, "Oh Mommy, this is the Broadway version." :) She was so excited to see her first play, and we were so excited for her too. This girl is going to be on a stage one day, it seems clear, so this was such a special day. One for the book, for sure.

On the train! She was standing on the platform as it was coming, surrounded by pretty miserable looking people as it was raining. This little polka-dot-trench coat girl had her hands on her knees, bouncing up and down, singing "CHUGGA CHUGGA, CHOO CHOO!!!" Nothing was sweeter than that sight.

Coming out of the train station, for her first time on a city street.

Her face as she looked up and saw the building for the first time. This was her saying, "Is the Empire State building the one with the big pointy on top?" Yes, yes it is.

Country girl in the city. :)

First stop - Starbucks! Our first latte of the day (okay, mommy had one on the train...) and chocolate milk for the little lady. Notice our stylish city guide behind us in her awesome trench. ;)

Here she is! BFF Gabby, showing us her neighborhood. For years before this, we would cross the bridge to Long Island and Reilly would look at the city and say "That's New York City. That's where Gabby and Elmo live."

Before our day, Reilly took our her favorite dress, stockings "in case it's chilly", her special shoes, and clipped on her matching bow. She hung it on her closet 3 days before we were leaving and said, "Mommy, this is what I will wear when we take the train to see Cinderella."

Our first stop was the Disney store. And wouldn't you know, there was a line down the block at 8:30 in the morning. Weird, we thought. Hubby asked someone on line what was happening, and they said there was a Frozen shipment coming that morning! Of course there was!! Ha. We educated Gabby on the frenzy that is Frozen merchandise, as I silently cheered inside because this Mama already had 4 Frozen dolls! :) I loved not being a part of the pushing and shoving in there! It was quite crazy and ridiculous, so we bolted upstairs out of the craziness and into the rest of the princess fun.

But not before Reilly said, "LOOK!! THE REAL TURNY DOORS LIKE ON ELF, BUT IN REAL LIFE!" So, around and around we went. :)

Daddy and his oldest little Princess! Later this day, while walking down the street, she said, "Daddy? I feel like I'm in Disney World."

Another quote of the day that had us dying, was when Reilly said, "GUYS?! My nose tickles from how BAD is smells here!!" HA! Not quite the same fresh country air you're used to, huh babe?

This picture is one of my favorites. It speaks to me. Something about her little face, looking back is very first-day-of-school to me. The buildings in the back with the trees, I don't know. My girl has big things ahead of her. She's just special, you know?

At the top of the slide, and she decided it was too high and a bit too scary. As Daddy was saying, "C'mon Bud, you can do it!" Mommy was saying, "DO YOU WANT MOMMY TO COME DOWN WITH YOU?"

Sometimes it's nice to soak up the still 3-year-old moments. :)

Daddy agreed.

Another favorite of mine, purely blissful face...

Priceless moments with our first baby.

Daddy and Reilly spent lots of time on this awesome climbing structure, which connecting to massive rocks. It was all made to look like a castle, which fit perfectly with her Princess-Prince-falling asleep-save me-true loves kiss games that we play every single day. :)

Love of my life, our babygirl.

After Central Park, we went to lunch at Shake Shack. Gabby keeps us current, people. ;)

And this little one was fading a bit at lunch. But we refueled on some awesome burgers and concretes (and pink lemonade, of course), and on our way again!

FIRST TAXI RIDE! She was giddy.

We took it only a few blocks, but we felt bad for her poor little legs! Here she is playing with her dolls. Mima and Papa let her pick out a toy at the Disney store. She picked out this Sofia doll, and her sister Amber. She told us only later in the day that she got Sofia for Reagan. And don't you know, she gave it to her right when we got home? These moments. These are the ones I want to remember forever.

First taxi ride selfie. ;)

We were the first ones on line for the play, because obviously. So we took some pictures outside.

Cinderella and her Prince.

This was her really excited face as we waited for the play!!

The play was amazing. I would go back next week and see it again. With every other female I know, because I want them to see it too. Fran Drescher was the stepmother, and I love love her. (Reilly said, "Mommy...the stepmother sounds like she needs to cough.") The whole story was different than the Disney version, since it was the original version, and we loved it. The stepsisters were hysterical, there was such kindness throughout the story, and Cinderella was a strong, sweet, female protagonist who saved the Prince instead of the other way around. At the end of the play, she says to her stepmother, "I am going to say the 3 kindest words that can every be spoken...I forgive you." Just perfection.

But the memory I will carry with me, the imprint of the day, is when the lights went down, and the orchestra started playing. No one was on the stage yet. Just the music. And when Reilly heard the first few bars of the soundtrack that she has been listening to every night before bed, she gasped. She covered her mouth, and smiled so big and sat up tall and started bouncing in her seat in awe and excitement. She couldn't stop giggling. Just from the music. And Hubby and I looked at each other and the tears came, that fast. This was the best gift that could have been given to us, Mima and Papa, because of moments like that. Experiencing these firsts with our girl, and seeing that joy, and giving her all of our love and attention for this special day. The laughter and memories we shared on this day, are forever ones.

And thank you for taking care of these two little nuggets while we were gone too! :)