Swan Boats and Making Way for My Ducklings: Boston Public Garden and Common

We finally did it!  I have been waiting to do this since the day that Laura Walsh (Boone) got us the Make Way for Ducklings book for Joel Andrew when he was first born, and in it she inscribed that we are lucky to be New Englanders and we will surely get a trip to the Public Garden to ride the Swan Boats.  Today was the day, we did it!  And, not a moment too soon - do you know the Swan Boats close for the winter starting September 15?!  Starting after Labor Day the timing of them goes down to like 3 hours a day.  I am glad we got it in, otherwise we would need to wait another year.  And, perhaps I am getting a little freaked out about how fast my kiddos are growing already - but I wonder if another year they maybe too big?  The too tall thing on the kiddie ride at Funtown clearly has freaked me out.

I parked in the underground garage, what could be easier?  There was an elevator to get up and then we walked toward where I thought the swan boats were.  I mentioned to Joelly that he needed to keep his eyes peeled for the famous duck statues, and literally within the first minute we found them.  James was overjoyed, the happiest kid on the planet.  What seemed like thousands of passerbys all noticed this and pointed it out too. Joel had his usual quiet look about him, happy to have the experience but not really overly emotional about anything.  Sometimes I worry what is going on in his head.  He is plotting something I think.

In true to me form, I immediately freaked out that there would be a huge wait for the swan boats so I suggested we run there to buy tickets. Note to the reader, you do not get timed tickets, you just wait in line, get your tickets then get on.  We waited less than 5 minutes and went right on, front seats.  I was a little worried about my fidget midget James and how he was going to fall in somehow, but he did good.  Joel sat quietly and pointed out to me that he likes this kind of boat ride, not the log flume ride from Funtown (see post below).  Maybe he is more like me than I think.  The ride was lovely, we saw the duck island, saw turtles, people watched and enjoyed the beautiful day.

After this we walked around and the stroller again is on its last legs.  Whomever is on the skateboard in the back always wants to get on and off and the person in the front is laying there like a king shouting for more snacks, more this.  The stroller was certainly ideal in it's hayday - wouldn't have traded it for anything else when James was a baby and Joel LOVED the skateboard.  But now it is time to just make them walk.

I didn't make them walk today though as we walked, and walked.  After this we went through the Common and then to get lunch from the Farmer's Market in City Hall Plaza.  Now that summer is winding down there were hardly any places left and those that were were ironically from up by us in NH - ha!  I didn't think that one through!  So, then I walked the even longer way, passed my old old, old place of job (Harrison Gray Otis House on Beacon Hill) and up Charles Street.  We waited for a good 15 minutes for our sandwiches to be ready at a very over priced sandwich shop which was a bummer.  But they were good.  Word to the wise, if you do this trip - from Boston Common call Figs and order a pizza to go.  A five minute walk later, they will hand you your pizza outside and you are done.  There is also a - blanking on the name now, but can see the black and white logo - famous artisan pizza place all over Boston and even in Newburyport but I think that one shut down - anyway, I bet you you could have them deliver the pizza to you at the Common which would be even better!  Less dragging of kids in the hot sun and more time to play and enjoy!

We ran into an old college friend on the walk back to the Garden, she is ready to have her second boy - same age difference apart as my two.  I tried to hide the fear in my eyes for her and only exhibit that it is awesome...  when they get bigger...  She will be fine!  She is much more level headed and calmer than me anyways.  We ate lunch, grabbed a quick Carousel ride, and then were on our way home.  Beautiful day!

Funtown Splashtown and Old Orchard Beach

Joel Husband took yesterday (Monday) off and we stayed at the lake in order to take a day trip to Funtown Splashtown.  This was fun, except Joel Andrew has reached the "super scared of any sort of ride" age.  Is this an age?  Or is this just how he will be from now on?  You may recall from my previous posts in Disney World last year in October, that Joel loved going on the rides.  Despite being smooshed by me on the Runaway Train in the Magic Kingdom, little 3 year old Joel Andrew could be heard screaming: "Faster choo-choo, faster!"  This has seemed to disapated.  Or disappeared.  He pretty much freaked out at any ride that required you to be 38 inches or taller.  This was quite ironic as James screamed that he wanted to go on these rides, but the kids is only 36-1/2 inches.

We (I) dragged him on the log flume.  Mistake.  Joel Husband dragged him on a water slide.  Big mistake.  James went on the same water slide (which was crazy since they end in a 3 foot pool, taller than the kid himself) - and James loved it.  Joel cried, and cried, and whined and whined.  He wanted to go home.  So sad.

The whole day was not like that though, don't get me wrong.  There are a TON of rides that are for 44 inches and SHORTER only.  A helicopter, a boat, a plane, a canoe, a car, a choo-choo - the list goes on and on and also includes hot air ballon made to look like a ferris wheel and mini swings.  I would hazard a guess that this place has the best and most complete selection of mini thrill rides for minis on the planet.  The boys were endlessly entertained with these items and each one offered a new and exciting thing - the helicopter was probably the most favorite.  They both had a great time on these.

Fair food was eaten, Splashtown was fun too - but I feel like this water park will not truly be realized until the kids are at least 6 and 8.  We will keep with our membership to Water Country for now (did I blog about this, if not I need to...), because it is so close and there are some good kiddie pools and a wave pool and all sorts of things - but I have no need to go to a water park with them again especially if there is another theme park nearby that is better suited - at least until they can go off and have fun on their own and I can stay in the sun reading a Us Weekly.

The one thing to worry about - with Funtown - is when Joel Andrew is too tall for the mini-rides.  I hope he gets in again next year so we have one more good year to visit and go!  It was really sad to see the big siblings be denied to go on the little's rides.

On our way home there was a sign for Old Orchard Beach and Joel Husband swung the car around so we could go.  It was a good last minute decision and timely as that morning I had just read from CNN.com the top 20 Piers to visit in the US - I had been to half, but not the closest one to me, Old Orchard Beach (OOB) - well, here I went.

We walked the pier, had a drink and snacks at the end, and played the games.  Joel Andrew got an inflatable guitar to match the guitar Mommy won for James earlier in the day.  Please take note, the games at Funtown are much less expensive and more reasonable than the ones at OOB!

Good times were had regardless.  At one moment, while eating fried shrimp like crazy, and sitting in my lap, James looked up at me and said, out of the blue: "I love you Mommy."  I had to check with Joel Husband to ensure that actually happened.  What a great moment.  Joel Husband verified, it was a great day.

Now, I can't believe the next time we get here they will be so big.  It is all happening too fast!

Summer is Ending

This weekend we had our second to last summer weekend at Sebago Lake.  It felt like we were already cheating the end of summer.  Everyone keeps posting about back to school - it is hard to think that this time next year Joel Andrew might be starting kindergarten, and thus the onslaught of school taking over our lives!

The lake already seemed empty.  Probably because Nana and Pa were also in Hilton Head the whole time too.  I did miss a lot of the events in order to have a fun night out in Portland with college roommates, and to stay home Friday night to party at a neighbor's house, but still...  the lake is emptier.  It is slightly colder in the air, and there are starting to be brown leaves on the ground.

The boys could hardly notice though, they were in for some good lake fun.  There were boat rides, and booty eating, walks and more.  You can't help thinking though as we start to get cooler, that next summer will be the next time we tackle these things in large-scale, and by then James will be potty-trained (lord help us), Joel will be on his was to school, they both could probably be tubing, we will not need to be so worried and on them on the boat, when they are swimming, when they are walking next door to Nana and Pa's.  James may not nap, we maybe able to go for a hike, we maybe able to go down the River on the boat, the full way.  There maybe fishing trips with Joel Andrew, and there will certainly be a moment where James catches his own frog.

It is going to quickly and I am sad that next year is where we are headed already.  But at least I have the fall (my favorite season) and skiing to look forward to!  This summer will be a hard one to top though!

Big Day - North Beach, Peach Picking and My Budding Architect

Today we did a lot of things.  It was a good day.  Everyone was generally well-behaved, including Mommy.  There was less than an hour of TV watched total (by children), over the course of the whole day, which is actually amazing considering they woke up really early, there was no school, it was just me, and more.  I know you probably think this is ridiculous and that I should not let my kids watch TV at all, but that's ok - thats why you have your own kids.  Do what you like with them and I will too!

Today we did have a good day.  We woke up early, which is always a bummer with Mommy. To try not to encourage the early wake up I told them no TV.  So, they played quietly in their room for an HOUR while I rested, watched the news, did laundry, organized the day, emailed, showered and got dressed.  Then, Joel Andrew pointed out that they were so well behaved that they should get to watch one Octonauts.  He likes to hold up his pointer finger and really emphasize "ONE" when he really wants something.  Who am I to object?  We went downstairs and while I cooked breakfast, they watched Octonauts.  I had 15 extra minutes as I have scrambled eggs and yogurt shake down to a science, so I watched the Today show, uninterrupted, with coffee.  Heaven.

I hope you are noticing the stark contrast to my Monday post.  Night and Day.  I hope you are not noticing that most of my happiness is derived from the fact that my children played well with each other and left me alone. But alas.

After breakfast we were out of the house in a reasonable fashion.  So reasonable in fact that we drove to the beach, and got to the water - which in NH - there is only one road with the beaches, and we usually turn left on that road and drive until we hit a beach where there is some assemblance of parking.  Well, we got to the point to turn and Joel Andrew screamed: "PARKING MOMMY" - and there it was, remarkably, metered parking at North Beach.  Two steps from the steps to the beach.  This was too easy I thought.

We got right down to the beach and I noticed that I need a tide clock.  It was High Tide and there was hardly any beach.  I was not thinking and camped out close to the water line when a really nice teenage girl got up from her post, walked over to me and said, "Move next to us back there, the tide is going to come up more and in 20 minutes you will be without a spot."  I wanted to kiss her.  How nice is that?  Teenage girl with enough forethought to tell the poor Mom lugging everything with two young boys something that will make my day loads easier.  Gold Star, person!

So we moved, we camped, we had fun.  We snacked, we played in the water, we dug holes.  The boys were content with their beach toys for at least an hour, They were content with the whole scene for over two hours.  There was a family with SIX children in front of us, which I watched but mostly I spent the time playing with my kids and chatting with them.  They are too cute.

Did I forget to mention that on the way there Joel Andrew wanted to play "I Spy" - So we did, and Joel had a turn then it was Mommy's turn, then it was James' turn.  James said: "I spy, little eye, orange."  Each time.  So cute.

The beach was good, my car is covered in sand, we hosed down and took baths then it was nap time.  James went right down, but Joel continues to resist, no worries there.  I have a stash of fun puzzles and games that are really not yet appropriate for James and so I pulled out a wooden castle building set.  Joel Andrew LOVED it.  He and I built the castle a first time, and then I noted that it was time to rest and watch cooking shows (our new thing, instead of nap - well, I nap and he watches the cooking show.  He likes Giada the best, you can probably guess why).  He told me he just wanted to build a little bit longer.  He did, and then got me to show me his creation, asked me to close my eyes and walked me into the room.  He had rebuilt all the wooden pieces and laid them out into a "school" - it was amazing, he made a floor with all the flat pieces and built little rooms on the side.  I was so impressed.  I told him he would be an architect, and he seemed pleased.  There was no way I was getting him to rest and watch cooking shows now.  So, I laid down and he continued on.

An hour later (yikes, beach must have been tiring!), I woke up in a panic and went into the room, there he was, still building things.  He gets really into things sometimes.  This was about the time James usually wakes up so I noted to Joel that we should probably clean things up before James comes down and sees it and wants to destroy it.  Just as I finished that sentence we heard James coming down the stairs: "Mommy, I'm a Big Boy, I napped" - and Joel had a look of sheer terror on his face before he quickly cleaned all of his items up.

Next stop - Applecrest for peach picking.  Good times were had by all, and it is actually handy to have a really strong and not too shy 2 year old that you can hoist up to pick a peach up high.  After picking we went to ice cream, the perfect before-dinner treat and spent Auntie Grandma's birthday money that she had sent the boys for just such a special treat.  The best photos are being saved for the christmas card, it was a good time.

They are now asleep (well Joel is, James is still talking to Glow Worm now), and it was a good day.  Now I am off to have my berry crumble with peach ice cream and freeze a ton of peaches to be used in yogurt shakes all winter long.  Yum!

Cheers to a great day!

So Tired

All this going and doing and guests and eating and having kid watchers then not having kid watchers and growing and eating and having kids grow and fight and push and shove and not listen, has made me tired.  I am very tired and very cranky.  I knew this week was going to be tough, but waking up this morning at 5:45 because my eldest, who might actually go back to sleep - his blanket fell out of bed.  I still do not know why this means everyone in the house has to get up, but alas.  This annoying act then of course made the youngest wake up - and he did not want to go back to bed.
After finally getting him back to bed - about to close my eyes to hopefully get 10 more minutes of sleep- the phone rings at 7am and it is the animal hospital (Otter is there, she had a procedure last night).  I literally asked the animal hospital "is otter dead?"  Their response, "no she is great, we just wanted to tell you to pick her up by noon."  I slammed the phone down.

I did try to take the boys on a nice walk before we left for our day of errands, clean up, packing and unpacking, cooking organizing and more yuck.  (aren't they excited they miss a day of school for this fun?) Monday's are never as fun as I think they will be, mostly because things like Otter's ear surgery happen and then we cannot have fun.

So, a walk around the lake to expel energy happened. At least it expelled my energy.  Stop picking up sticks, don't walk in the dead leaves (that may have poison something), don't run too far ahead, etc. etc. At one point James walked up to someone's private garden and plucked the only beautiful looking yet still green tomato from a plant.  We ran away quickly.  This week is not going to be the most fun.

It is actually almost comical now.  Little things are difficult.  Trying to get the movie in the car to play and husband who is about to fly off on a private jet calls into to ask how things are going?  I have two fighting over which movie to watch, trying to get them in their seats for a fun ride, trying to get the speakers to work as something is not working, and he calls in and resets the system again.  I know, no one is dying.  We are all healthy people, what is the deal, why am I whining?  White people problems.  And I am tired.

Now I have two restless kids, a in-need of rest Mommy, a whiny big doggie who is sadly in pain, and a little doggie who is just needy.  All to myself this week.  This maybe interesting.  At least I went to Trader Joe's and stocked up on food as I am not sure I can take my kids to a restaurant even for one minute to pick up food anymore.  Put them together and they are nuts!

I am writing this for posterity's sake.  When I am old and (sad?!) that they are also old and do not whine at me anymore (?!) I can look back and say: "I miss that?"

Water Country

Yep.  I have done it twice now.  And, what's worse, we even bought Season Passes - for 2014 - so I am guaranteed to do it at least three more times in the next 365 days...  We hung out in human soup all day long, at Water Country.  No photos, I apologize, but it is difficult to lug the big fancy camera with all the towels, snacks, and the worry of someone taking it at such a place.  So, I finally wised up and left the camera home.

We woke up thinking we would go to Funtown Splashtown.  We got in the car thinking this, but after lots of hesitancy by Joel Husband, I finally convinced him today was not our day to make that large trip, that is much closer to Sebago anyways.  As we were turning to go home, and they boys were saying "Awwweeee" with extreme disappointment, Joel Husband got the idea to go to Water Country instead, only 25 minutes from our house... Opens at 10:30 (it was 10:20 at the time), we had all the necessary equipment - it was capped off by extreme cheers from the back: "yay!" - so we did it and off we went.

It took a while to get set, get in with the passes, get a locker and life vest (if you get your deposit at the end, the life vests are actually free and much easier than adding another thing to lug in the park), sunscreened up and potty stop - we were off.  To the pirate ship we went and it was a good time.  James was hesitant, and he pulled a "shades of Mommy" thing...  He would climb to the top of the slide, full of confidence but once he got to the top he would turn back down, screaming in terror at the thought of actually sliding down.  He does not have this problem with dry slides, so I think it had something to do with the water at the bottom.  Finally I convinced him to go to the top, and I held his hand, and he went down, loved it, and we did this again, and again and again, until finally when he reached for my hand I pulled it away and he slid down by himself.  If I did this to Joel Andrew, he would have been mad at my non-trustworthy move, but James - was elated he did it by himself and wanted to go back up immediately.  I tried to take a (mental) snap shot of James' face, at the top of that dolphin slide with full grin, yelling: "hold my hand, Mommy" - so cute.  He is not going to grow up anymore is he?

Joel Andrew had a great day too.  He was off doing his own thing, going down the slides and "swimming" in the water.  We took both boys down lazy river, which was a disaster.  Whoops.  At the end of this ride Joel Husband said, we should go again - to which Joel Andrew did not reply anything - but just gave a blank stare as if to say: "are you kidding?"  It was perfect.

On the way home we stopped at the Airfield Cafe which is incredibly underutilized by this family.  It serves breakfast and lunch all day, and sits literally on an Airfield.  You can watch little planes take off and land.  Sadly none were doing that while we were there this time, but we will be back.

Good day for Daddy to play hookie!  We might only have one more this summer, Funtown will happen, we swear! Starting in September though, I think the kids will go to school 4 days a week and Mommy will adjust her schedule to being 5 hours at work a day.  This is supposed to allow me more time to go to the gym and get groceries done without having to lug the boys.  Also, it is a lot to program a 2 and 4 year old without a normal schedule...  There has been lots of fun and activity and visiting fun places, but also lots of TV watching for sure.  Hopefully with the new schedule I can take them out of school with enough time to have an activity at the end of the day sometimes, we all might win?  Even daycare, who will charge us more!

Foodie Weekend

This weekend we had a couple without kids up at the lake.  It was fabulous.  I had warned my in-laws in advance, that we might want to sneak off for a boat ride here or there or - even a really great treat, get to go out to dinner...  So, if they could be on call to watch the kids occasionally, we would appreciate it.  They totally took the kids (and loved it, I am hope - as they say they loved it). We loved it too.

Don't get me wrong, yada yada, all that responsible good parenting stuff. eh, I am not going to even try to pretend.  It was glorious being able to take a boat ride without worrying if James is too close to the side, or if Joel Andrew will exclaim: "I have to go poop!" at any minute.  We had delicious drinks and sandwiches in the boat, anchored out and took a swim.  We brought Angus too - that dog was even in heaven from the break.  When we got back, we all took naps.  Glorious I tell you.  There was no feeling guilty that I am taking a nap while Joel Husband rather be on the jet ski, there was just a nap.

And the company!  Great old friends, when we get together once every six months, it is awesome.  They are chefs - Doug literally made us Arnold Palmers from scratch.  He introduced us to the handmade cocktail before - but now we are hooked.  I own lemon bitters now, and muddle can also be my middle name.  We have more lemons than you can shake a stick at and let me tell you, they will be gone this coming weekend.

We did have some good moments with the boys, but the truth of the matter was that the boys just didn't want to be with us.  At all.  Each time I tried to steal them away to come over for breakfast, or to go for a boat ride, it was immediately rebutted with a "I want to stay with Nana and Pa."  Norm and Carole showed up and it was really all over.  Norm is James' new best friend.  Nana keeps saying things like she loves to hang out with them, because pretty soon they are going to grow up and want nothing to do with her.  I am not sure of this.  I think of Joel Husband and his grandfather and they got even closer as he grew.  Look at me and Aunt Pat.  I am thinking as they get older they are really going to want nothing to do with Joel Husband and I, and really scream for Nana and Pa more and more.  We shall see.

Good, nice, relaxing weekends are always the hardest to bounce back from when you have a stressful job and a two and a four year old.  But we are trying!

Annual Trip to Maine Wildlife Park

Joel Husband took the doggies home so we had the day to ourselves to meander back home from Sebago Lake, and we made our annual trip to the Maine Wildlife park.  We had to go see the moose, duh. It was a good time, and I am realizing more and more that the stroller is no longer necessary, and/or is actually a hinderance.  How could we have reached this point so soon?  But alas we have.  For this trip I actually brought the big red wagon, and looking around at all the other smarter parents I noticed that they were making their kids walk through the park.  Seeing as we had a long ride back to Hampton Falls after this outing, and I was hoping we could have some quiet time at home when we returned so I could regroup, I should have thought this through.  Instead I was pulling and carting my two almost 40 pounders around dumbly while they sat like princes.  "Go to the wolf, Mommy!"  "I want to see the bear again, Mommy!"

All in all they were very good boys.  They loved the moose and Joel was enthralled with the constant movement of the coyote.  The smaller animals were in hiding this year, but they have all new bathrooms there which is super exciting. We had a nice snack - I neglected to pack a full lunch, but no worries, fruit, pretzels, cheese sticks did the trick.  And, as we were eating nicely and calmly on the picnic tables I watched around me as swarms of parents struggled with their kids.  The more micromanagement, the more they struggled.  One mom was pretty much forcing a sandwich down her son's throat.  Since I was day 2 after the annual cleanse, I just didn't have the energy in me to micromanage.  And, wouldn't you know it, my kids were angels.  I wonder what comes first?

Please note: sorry for the multiple posts in one day, but for some reason blogger was not letting me post the past two weeks!

Five Boys, One Cabin

We had a great weekend with all of the King boys a few weekends ago.  The night before, we went to a Seacoast Science Center concert, and Joel Husband pointed to a tub of cheese balls and pronounced: "We are going to get those this weekend."  And, boy was he right.  The Kings brought their usual treats and we had delicious cheese balls.

The boys played really well, though it took them 2 hours to go to bed the first night, and thus they woke up super early the next morning.  Saturday night I wasn't playing around and I think I ruined the fun for everyone by insisting the kids go to bed and be quiet.  Joel Husband was heard saying things like: "This is the best time of their life."  Really, at age 2 and 4?  Not going to get better than this?

My godson was perfect.  He slept, he ate, he only puked a tiny bit.  He was the calm amidst all of the crazy boys running around and screaming.  Brian, Lauren, Joel Husband and I decided that when the boys graduate from school, we will take only those graduating to Ireland, each year.  So, we will have a Declan and Joel Andrew trip, a Nolan and James trip, and then when it comes to Colin - we will let Colin decide.  He can have all the boys join him, or it could just be about him.  My guess is he is so chill he will want time with just the adults!

I also decided that Brian and Lauren made us the godparents to ensure that on vacations to come we all split the parenting duties.  Yes, they have one more kid than we do - but we are Colin's godparents, so we are even.  Just kidding, it is an honor to be his godparents, we are excited for the big day!

The weekend was capped off with me getting the annual cleanse disease which was not fun by any measure.  It could have been worse though.  It ripped through the entire family but at least it is behind us now.  I have had my annual cleanse so it can't get me in Disney World, right?

It was a great and yet exhausting weekend rolled all into one!  We can't wait for the year that we just stick them all in the tube behind the boat and have adult time in the boat while they truck around the lake.  Adults just have to take turns looking back and counting the children.  Is next year too soon for that?