Feeding Ducks on the Charles

For Columbus Day we enjoyed having Daddy home and took advantage of the day by going down to the Charles and taking a walk along the river. It was awesome. We fed the ducks (they came right up to us which was pretty exciting for the kids), scored some balloons from some random people sitting on a bench (gotta love the people that come with big cities), played at the park, and then ran the energy out of our kids hoping to score some sweet naps out of them later that day. (I know we are terrible).

We then walked down to the park. On our way there some people were making balloon creatures (?) and gave them to the kids as we passed by. That was a big hit.

We then tried to expel Carders energy by making him run the path back to the car. He got tired right before we got to the car, but Ellie saved the day by being nice enough to share her stroller with him.

Wingaersheek Beach

Right before the weather turned cold we took advantage of the few warm days left and experienced our first east coast beach experience. It was very different than the Pacific Ocean. You enter the beach area from a parking lot along a decently long path of really tall beach grass. Then once you got on the beach you saw lighthouses off in the distance and across from the water forest-like greenery. It was a fun experience. This beach was awesome for kids. The beach was really long and flat, and the surf was super shallow and mellow. There was also a big thing of rocks they enjoyed climbing with their Dad. We can't wait for the weather to get warm again so we can go back.

(A very pregnant) Brittany kept hoping she would go into labor that day on the beach. Thank goodness she didn't. Instead we got to play in the sand, surf and climb on rocks.

One of Brenn's favorite things to do lately is load/unload things. So she was loving digging in the sand and filling up/pouring out her bucket. 

The rocks were a little boy's dream. Carder and Jake climbed and climbed and climbed. As you can see they felt quite accomplished when the reached the top of the biggest rock. Brenn joined them some of the time (she loves to do whatever her big brother is doing) and then found a little rock on the beach that she would step on and off over and over again. She was quite proud of herself when she was doing this. 

This was Brenn's first time coming to the beach where she was completely mobile. She thought she was so big running up and down the shore and climbing on everything. And Carder (our little beach boy) was in heaven running in and out of the waves.

Mary Had A Little Lamb

One of my favorite things about Massachusetts is all the little day trips/activities. There is always something to do since it has been around for so long and so much has happened here. My sister heard about this quaint little town where the poem "Mary Had A Little Lamb" had originated. Supposedly there was a statue/memorial etc. It sounded fun and was pretty close by, so we loaded the little ones in the car and off we went for an afternoon adventure to search for Mary's statue.

We were having a hard time locating the elusive statue, but we were able to find the farm that was associated with miss Mary. We learned Mary was a real person (I know right?!?) and this was her husband's farm that had been in the family (and continues to be) for quite sometime.

On the lawn right in front of the farm house they had a little play area set up which the kids loved exploring.

There were these really cool adirondack chairs and some other awesome scenery that I tried to get a pic of the kids/cousins but they weren't being too cooperative...

And you can't go to one of these farms and not get some homemade apple cider...

(The kids loved the cider)

The people at the Farm directed us as to where we could find Marys' house and the school house.

We still hadn't found this supposed statue that we had been told about, even after the Lady at the Farm told us where it was. So we were ready to head back home. Just as we rounded the town square I spotted this little dinky sheep. Could that be the statue??? It was! Well We had driven all this way, we had to get out and check it out even if it was only 3 feet high (and I think that may be generous).

The kids had a fun time checking out the little lamb, and for some reason Carder needed to ride it. We laughed at the statue and thanked Mary for giving us a fun afternoon.

Fenway

Leon's brother (Elliot Johnson) plays for the Tampa Bay Rays. As luck had it they came into town to play the Red Sox, so Elliott hooked us all up and we got to take our kids and go with the Johnsons to historic Fenway Park to watch some baseball.

Parking is RIDICULOUS in Boston. We have lived a lot of places, and by far Boston is the worst place we have ever driven in. So we took the bus and the T (Boston's subway and bus system) to Fenway. The kids loved riding the public transit. Carder had our whole route memorized (first the bus, and then the red line and then the green line--I don't remember the exact colors, but you get the idea). And even though we were slammed in like sardines on the Subway (Those Bostonians love their Sox) the kids handled it like champs.

My Little Urban Babies

We had pretty great seats, just a few tiers up from home plate

Carder was way into watching the game. We had read a book awhile back about Boston and I learned that night he had taken all the Red Sox facts to memory. (He knew the wall was called the Green Monster and he knew their Mascots name was Wally--seriously who is this kid?). I was trying to get him to look at me for a picture and he tells me (not breaking his gaze on the field) "Mom, I'm trying to watch the game." 

The kids did pretty good there. We had to take them out for a little bit and walk them around (during which time they got hooked up with free loot. Carder was given the mini wooden red Sox bat (below) and Brenn got a plush Wally doll), but we did make it all the way til the end of the game.

It was so cool to go to such a historic stadium and get to spend a fun evening out with the familia.

Carder had school the next day, and he came home with this...

It's a drawing of Wally and other baseball/Red Sox stuff. I am pretty sure they have made themselves a new little fan for life.

Preschool

Once we got out here we were able to find a little preschool for Carder. I totally became my mother the morning of his first day of school...

Carder sporting his new backpack (his little 'just rolled out of bed' face cracks me up in these)

In front of our house before we left for school

In front of his Preschool (I told you I totally busted a Jackie and went picture crazy...but it was my baby going to his first day of school, can you blame me?)

He loves school. He goes 4 days a week in the morning til just after lunchtime. He has made some great friends (but was really sad when his two best friends--David & William--who were brothers, moved away just before the holidays). He tells me his favorite thing to do at school is to play. We really enjoy when he comes home and teaches Brenn the songs that he learned in circle. The other kids love him and his teachers seem to be fond of him as well (I think they especially like it when he reads books to the other kids).

He has gotten to do all kinds of fun stuff including a field trip to the fire station...

I don't know who is more excited for his next field trip (which will be going to a pizza parlor and making their own pizzas) him or his Dad?

And we just got his school pictures back. I am glad to see he will do a normal smile for some people (I just wish that I was one of them!)

Park Play

Boston does a great job with its parks (not so much with its parking). One of our favorite ones is this one just down from Harvard Law school that we call the "Tom Sawyer Park." Its a little boy's dream with all the ropes and nets to climb. I guess it used to be the area of the Revolutionary Barracks during the siege of Boston from 1775-76. Anyway we had a good old time hopping on the bus (parking is not one of this park's strengths) with all the kiddos and took them to the park for the afternoon. Even Leon was able to come over and join us for a little while in between classes (and then he gave us a nice little tour of Harvard Law School).

Since Britt and I had to watch the girls pretty closely Carder (aka Mr Friendly) did what he does and made some friends. Brittany was dying that by the end of our time there that all the kids and grown ups knew and were calling Carder by name. There are these hills there and I guess people bring card board and then pour some of the sand down the hill and ride it like a sled. Carder had a blast doing that.

We can't wait til the weather gets nice again so we can go back (We actually still need to show Jake Carder's favorite Park, I think he will be impressed.)

Apple Picking

We quickly learned that one of the quintessential fall experiences in New England is to go apple picking.  When we got up here were lucky to get a little holiday with Labor Day (which meant no school for the hubbies), so we along with the Johnson's decided to hop in the car, find a nearby farm, and do a little apple pickin' ourselves. (When in Rome Right?)

The Kids loved playing on the mini tractor while they waited for the Dads to get our apple picking bags inside the farm store.

The Farm gave us a wagon to pull the kids in (they were jiving on that part) and out to the orchard we went.

It was a family affair, (The kids did some picking, the Dads went up to the tree tops and even the Moms got in on the action ) climbing through the trees finding the best apples that we could. Jake for some reason got such a kick out of me up there that you could probably create a flip book with all the photos of me he took climbing up there. (Is it really that unheard of for me to be wilderly? Ok, I do have to admit ballet flats probably weren't the best choice for this activity.)

Brenn found a job for herself as self proclaimed taste tester.

By the end this is how the kids were riding in the wagon (poor Carder...but he didn't even complain with the girls laying all over him). It was rather hilarious to see in person. 

After we were done doing our picking we had a picnic lunch at the farm. The kids had a blast running around the wide open spaces.

We had a blast (not to mention the apples tasted way better then anything I have ever gotten from the store...and there are all these kinds that I had never even heard of, my new favorite being honey crisp). Brittany made us all some of Leon's moms famous apple pie when we got home. We can't wait for it to be apple picking season again!