The Big Trip part 1: Boston

We flew, over about 20 hours, to Boston.

We went to the aquarium and terrified the children with sharks...

 

And although our original plan had included no Boston city driving, somehow we still managed to spend about 2 days hopelessly lost on under-costruction bypasses and clogged city arteries...

But where there is Dunkin Donuts, there is a way:

Rosie formed a surprisingly intense attachment to this basketball coach statue...

In Boston they've recently finished burying all the city traffic underground, resulting in this amazing swath of public play space: open air markets and fountains, benches and gardens... stuff like this reminds me why people from the mainland complain about Hawaii. we have a garden with fountains too.... but its 25 dollars a person to get in.

Little Italia-- strawberry cake ice cream for breakfast is not a sin. "When in rome..."

Maile was on an absolute Gawp-gawp search for the whole trip-- if there was a ducky withing 50 miles, she'd spot it.

Handmade squid-ink pasta, chucked from tiny kitchen onto your table by the chef.

The anticipation of the wrapped pastry box:

Oh boy....

the reveal!

Bonding with Grandpa

And the merry-go-round

Boston weather was crazy-making: in one day we went from cool and drizzly to hot and sunburns and then frozen downpour to hot again... here maile has just been rain drenched and is telling auntie lizzie about the gawp-gawps in the water.

Live music, folks. Real, actual, live, wonderful music, at club passim in Boston.

Vacationland is rough on babes-- no naps, lots of restaurants...

Rosie wanted to kidnap uncle Andrew for her very own, watch out auntie liz... my kids put up with a whole morning of museum feet and european ceramics.

the instrument room was fascinating and serious.... but we got church giggles when kate impersonated each sackbut and zither...

These folks have a karaoke stage in their basement. Rosie was indignant-- I WANT OnE. sorry kid, you can have a rooster...

on a lighter note, the beach is nice.

Popsicles are nice too. 

So is sitting in the toy box.

A Sad Story

Once upon a time there was a cute little chickie, that auntie Grace brought to playgroup just for RJ. The chickie spent all of her time playing, watching Diego, snuggling, sliding, eating bugs and cheeping.

 rj: once upon a time, when we were in a story, I brought my chickie, my chickie pecked the bad guys, and the bad guys put her in a jail, but the holes were just right for her body, so I reached in, picked her up, and took her out. the end. That's a pretty happy ending.

 But one day chickie was acting a little weird.

 The next morning she was acting really ill.

 

Then she died.

 RJ and daddy buried her in the garden and put a big rock on the spot. The end.