We left on a rainy Saturday morning for our long-awaited trip to New Hampshire. Unfortunately the rain continued all day, so we didn't get to dive right in to Storyland as soon as we got to town, and instead had to improvise a bit. We booked a hotel with an indoor pool, which was wonderful, since the kids needed a chance to blow off some steam after being trapped in the car. After a little shopping at the LL Bean outlet, we had dinner at the Red Fox Bar and Grille, which was great. Hannah was entertained by a movie in one room, while Marc took Max to play with toddler toys in another, and I enjoyed a few moments of quiet while waiting for our food to arrive. Hannah and Marc got a chance to see "The Bee Movie" while I put Max to bed back in the hotel.
On Sunday morning we woke up to a lovely, sunny day, and headed for breakfast at Glen Junction. The main attraction here was the constantly revolving model trains, and Max was totally captivated. Thanks to Stephanie for these two restaurant recommendations!
We were at Storyland as soon as it opened, and stayed until nearly closing time. Max enjoyed exploring the areas based on old nursery rhymes, particularly because he was allowed to touch "Peter Pumpkin-Eater's" oven without reproach. The train and car rides were also a big hit, of course. Unfortunately, though, he was totally terrified of a guy in the circus act who couldn't properly use a trampoline. Hannah was so excited to get to ride the bigger kid rides, and loved the roller coaster (riding one time each with Mom and Dad), the water raft ride, the flying fish, and the water chute ride. She loved getting soaked, which in previous years would have caused a meltdown. Hannah also bought a light up fairy with her allowance money, and was so proud to pay at the register on her own. We swam again at the hotel that evening.
Monday morning was the highlight of the trip for Marc, as we did the drive up Mt. Washington, the tallest mountain in the New England area. The autoroad was completed in 1861, and is truly a marvel even today. We were given a CD to listen to as we drove it, pointing out all there was to see and the history of the area, as well as the "This car climbed Mt. Washington" bumper sticker. The change in the weather as we made our ascent was remarkable. When we reached the summit, it was 14 degrees with the wind chill, with 50 mph winds. It was definitely a mountain top! We were dressed properly though, and Marc took both kids to the summit for a quick picture. It was a great adventure, nothing like the scary thing I had imagined, and I'm really glad we did it.
Both kids were real troopers in the car too. In my opinion, the whining and craziness were at a minimum. We kept Hannah busy with a couple of movies I'd loaded onto my iPod Nano, which worked very well, since we didn't have to listen to it too. Max kept us informed of his surroundings, shouting "bus, truck, and choo-choo" as often as he possibly could. And I made good use of my iPhone, finding a cute diner for lunch on the way there and an ice cream stop on the way back.
Unfortunately, it was all over too soon. While there, we were already discussing our next trip back - to be taken when Max is at least 36" and Hannah is 48". :)
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
A Few Reviews
Due to the lack of childcare in these end of summer weeks, my in-laws generously watched Max and Hannah for a few days so that Marc and I could continue to work and not use all of our vacation time in one shot. The kids have been gone for four days, and it gave us the opportunity to enjoy some more grown-up experiences that are few and far between in our household.
On Sunday we tried The Local, a relatively new restaurant in West Newton. We went for dinner at 5 o'clock before seeing a film, and were seated immediately as there were lots of empty tables. I tend to drink a lot of water, so I was thrilled with the carafe the waitress brought to the table (and completely emptied it before the meal was done). I tried the fried pickles with spicy mayo, which I enjoyed (though Marc said they "tasted like Friendly's" and I totally understood what he meant). I went with the kobe burger and wasn't disappointed. We did notice that there were four highchairs in the place, but I wouldn't bring my kids there. It was a fine meal, and I wouldn't mind going there again.
Afterward we saw the film "Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg!" about actress Gertrude Berg and her radio and early television show by the same name. I wasn't familiar with Mrs. Berg's career, and the story behind it was pretty fascinating. I loved hearing about how neighbors were used in the show to start a new scene, and thought back about so many sitcoms featuring wacky and wild neighbors - all because of her show. Also very interesting to hear about the Black List period. The film is definitely worth adding to your Netflix queue if you can't find it in your local theater.
Monday night Marc and I had dinner at O'Hara's in our own Newton Highlands, which is just a few blocks from our house. We've eaten there quite a few times now, but this was the first time we've tried a pizza there. It was very good, and we may considering picking up pizza from there sometimes, instead of our usual Newton Pizza delivery.
Tuesday night was also a special treat, heading out to Waltham to try Biagio with Julie and Mike. I selected the place because it was still offering Boston Restaurant Week specials (appetizer, entree and dessert for $33.09/person), and the menu was quite extensive, which is rare for Restaurant Week offerings. The meal was very good (despite a very long delay for our dessert to appear), the place was lovely, and it was wonderful to get to toast Julie and Mike on their recent engagement.
We also used this time to FINALLY unpack a bunch of boxes in our living room, rearrange a bit, hang a newly framed map of Newton, and clean out the front hall closet. While I've missed the kids desperately and can't wait to see them tonight, it was wonderful to get some time to relax, do things we enjoy, and get some much-needed projects completed. Thanks to Fillis, John and the other CT family who pitched in this week!
On Sunday we tried The Local, a relatively new restaurant in West Newton. We went for dinner at 5 o'clock before seeing a film, and were seated immediately as there were lots of empty tables. I tend to drink a lot of water, so I was thrilled with the carafe the waitress brought to the table (and completely emptied it before the meal was done). I tried the fried pickles with spicy mayo, which I enjoyed (though Marc said they "tasted like Friendly's" and I totally understood what he meant). I went with the kobe burger and wasn't disappointed. We did notice that there were four highchairs in the place, but I wouldn't bring my kids there. It was a fine meal, and I wouldn't mind going there again.
Afterward we saw the film "Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg!" about actress Gertrude Berg and her radio and early television show by the same name. I wasn't familiar with Mrs. Berg's career, and the story behind it was pretty fascinating. I loved hearing about how neighbors were used in the show to start a new scene, and thought back about so many sitcoms featuring wacky and wild neighbors - all because of her show. Also very interesting to hear about the Black List period. The film is definitely worth adding to your Netflix queue if you can't find it in your local theater.
Monday night Marc and I had dinner at O'Hara's in our own Newton Highlands, which is just a few blocks from our house. We've eaten there quite a few times now, but this was the first time we've tried a pizza there. It was very good, and we may considering picking up pizza from there sometimes, instead of our usual Newton Pizza delivery.
Tuesday night was also a special treat, heading out to Waltham to try Biagio with Julie and Mike. I selected the place because it was still offering Boston Restaurant Week specials (appetizer, entree and dessert for $33.09/person), and the menu was quite extensive, which is rare for Restaurant Week offerings. The meal was very good (despite a very long delay for our dessert to appear), the place was lovely, and it was wonderful to get to toast Julie and Mike on their recent engagement.
We also used this time to FINALLY unpack a bunch of boxes in our living room, rearrange a bit, hang a newly framed map of Newton, and clean out the front hall closet. While I've missed the kids desperately and can't wait to see them tonight, it was wonderful to get some time to relax, do things we enjoy, and get some much-needed projects completed. Thanks to Fillis, John and the other CT family who pitched in this week!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
A Formative Experience
In 1993, as a freshman in high school, I was very fortunate to attend a convention of the Religious Action Committee in Washington, DC. I had gone as part of a teenage delegation from my synagogue, mostly to earn the religious school credits I needed in what I thought would be the easiest and most fun way. I had never been to DC before, and it was an amazing trip, seeing lots of the local sites while attending numerous lectures.
Senator Ted Kennedy gave one of those talks, as did then Vice President Al Gore, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and many other luminaries of the time. There were discussions of the relationship between the African American and Jewish communities, health care reform, and, in acknowledgment of a rally going on concurrently, gay rights. I have to admit - I was a kid. I knew little to nothing about all of these issues, and this trip was a very formative experience. I will never forget how seeing the rainbow flags and the people carrying them made me feel, and I know that those moments shaped the person I have become.
I am very sad to hear of the death of Senator Kennedy, but it gave me the occasion to think not only of the tremendous good he has done, but also of the amazing experience I got to have (and thanks Mom and Dad for letting me go - twice). Back then, I had no idea that I'd end up in Boston myself, and to have the honor of voting for him. RIP Senator Kennedy, you will be missed.
Senator Ted Kennedy gave one of those talks, as did then Vice President Al Gore, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and many other luminaries of the time. There were discussions of the relationship between the African American and Jewish communities, health care reform, and, in acknowledgment of a rally going on concurrently, gay rights. I have to admit - I was a kid. I knew little to nothing about all of these issues, and this trip was a very formative experience. I will never forget how seeing the rainbow flags and the people carrying them made me feel, and I know that those moments shaped the person I have become.
I am very sad to hear of the death of Senator Kennedy, but it gave me the occasion to think not only of the tremendous good he has done, but also of the amazing experience I got to have (and thanks Mom and Dad for letting me go - twice). Back then, I had no idea that I'd end up in Boston myself, and to have the honor of voting for him. RIP Senator Kennedy, you will be missed.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Camp's Over
This summer has gone by in a blur. The weather had been just awful, with lots of rainy days and unbearably humid ones. But it was Hannah's first real camp experience, and Max's beginning days at the JCC. Here are the highlights.
Hannah attended two camps, T-ville Trails and Kaleidoscope. The former is run by Newton Parks and Rec, the latter by the JCC. T-ville was located at the elementary school that Hannah will be attending, and it was great for her to get the lay of the land. She spent time in the art room, gym, and library, and learned to climb "The Spider" structure on the playground. After 3 weeks there, she spent 4 at the JCC, and got to see her brother there on occasion. She had both swim lessons and free swim, loved the science and art projects, and as predicted, didn't really enjoy the sports at all. She did her first play on a stage, "Mr. Gumpy's Boat" and clearly enjoyed herself and felt very proud. I think she had a great time.
Max has had a more difficult adjustment, but I think he has the routine down now. He's really enjoyed swimming and has brought home some interesting craft projects. It sounds like his best friend is a boy named Avi, since that's the name he shares with us most often. It's so frustrating not to be able to talk to him about his day, but his vocabulary is growing every day. Last night he asked, "what's this?" for the first time, frustrated that he knew the word for teeth, but couldn't remember it. Max had his first turn as Shabbat Helper, and his versions of the prayers and the way he says "Amen!" is totally adorable. He's only had 5 other kids in his class, but that number will grow in the fall. I'm sure he'll be excited to go back.
The kids are both on vacation until September 9th, which is just absurd. They'll first be spending a few days with their grandparents in CT, and then Marc and I are alternating days, with a few at Bright Horizons back-up center at my office thrown in. It'll be a bit exhausting, but we'll get through it. Hopefully we'll have a great time at Storyland - one more week until we go!
Hannah attended two camps, T-ville Trails and Kaleidoscope. The former is run by Newton Parks and Rec, the latter by the JCC. T-ville was located at the elementary school that Hannah will be attending, and it was great for her to get the lay of the land. She spent time in the art room, gym, and library, and learned to climb "The Spider" structure on the playground. After 3 weeks there, she spent 4 at the JCC, and got to see her brother there on occasion. She had both swim lessons and free swim, loved the science and art projects, and as predicted, didn't really enjoy the sports at all. She did her first play on a stage, "Mr. Gumpy's Boat" and clearly enjoyed herself and felt very proud. I think she had a great time.
Max has had a more difficult adjustment, but I think he has the routine down now. He's really enjoyed swimming and has brought home some interesting craft projects. It sounds like his best friend is a boy named Avi, since that's the name he shares with us most often. It's so frustrating not to be able to talk to him about his day, but his vocabulary is growing every day. Last night he asked, "what's this?" for the first time, frustrated that he knew the word for teeth, but couldn't remember it. Max had his first turn as Shabbat Helper, and his versions of the prayers and the way he says "Amen!" is totally adorable. He's only had 5 other kids in his class, but that number will grow in the fall. I'm sure he'll be excited to go back.
The kids are both on vacation until September 9th, which is just absurd. They'll first be spending a few days with their grandparents in CT, and then Marc and I are alternating days, with a few at Bright Horizons back-up center at my office thrown in. It'll be a bit exhausting, but we'll get through it. Hopefully we'll have a great time at Storyland - one more week until we go!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Clothing
I don't know why I do this, but I have a habit of thinking at some point during the day, of the kids and what they're wearing today. Maybe it's an irrational thing, but if something happened and I needed to describe them, can I remember what they're wearing? Just now, I couldn't picture Hannah. I kept thinking of yesterday's dress, why can't I figure this out, I know I took it out of the drawer, helped her put it on this morning. Then it dawned on me. Pajama day.
(A side note in case you didn't notice, this is a shorter post. I'm thinking about trying to do more of these, trying to update more frequently than my 1x/month. We'll see how it goes. Maybe I'll get discovered.)
(A side note in case you didn't notice, this is a shorter post. I'm thinking about trying to do more of these, trying to update more frequently than my 1x/month. We'll see how it goes. Maybe I'll get discovered.)
Friday, July 31, 2009
A Quieter Month
July has been so sleepy, by our standards, that I actually had to do some digging to remember what we actually did for one of the weekends this month! I scoured our Google calendar, then the credit card statement, and finally my old facebook statuses until I found details of that lost weekend. Here's what we were up to:
- We spent a few hours at Houghton's Pond in Milton, having a picnic lunch, swimming in the pond, and hiking a bit. It was one of the rare good weather days that we've had this summer. (We hadn't planned this in advance on the calendar, nor used credit for any purchases, so it was almost like it didn't happen...)
- The following weekend Fillis and John came for a visit with the kids, but really it was to watch them so Marc and I could go pick out a new mattress. We quickly settled on one despite our mutual dread about the process, and have been enjoying it since.
- Marc and I also attended a book reading by my favorite writer, Jennifer Weiner, promoting her new book. It was a fun and funny hour, and I'm thrilled to have a personalized copy of her latest.
- Last weekend we went on an adventure in Providence, RI. For a decade, Julie and I have discussed attending WaterFire, an event held during the summers there. Marc and the kids and I first went to the Roger Williams Zoo, then walked along a beach and had a great Italian dinner (thank goodness for GPS, Yelp and smartphones) before meeting up with Julie and Mike for the lighting. I was really, truly excited to go to this, but in the end it was a bit of a letdown. It took so long to get stated, and was so crowded and inconvenient to access with a stroller in tow. I guess there was more to see than we saw, but all six of us left feeling like we'd done enough. Plus, the Providence Place mall where we'd parked was needlessly complicated. I've definitely got the Providence bug out of my system, and am not sure we'll be heading back there anytime soon.
So that was July. Tomorrow we'll be having dinner with our friends Allie and Mark, who are expecting a baby boy in a few months. Hannah is prepared to tell them all about little boys, and Max is, well, prepared to be himself and show them all of the wonderful and terrifying things he can do.
- We spent a few hours at Houghton's Pond in Milton, having a picnic lunch, swimming in the pond, and hiking a bit. It was one of the rare good weather days that we've had this summer. (We hadn't planned this in advance on the calendar, nor used credit for any purchases, so it was almost like it didn't happen...)
- The following weekend Fillis and John came for a visit with the kids, but really it was to watch them so Marc and I could go pick out a new mattress. We quickly settled on one despite our mutual dread about the process, and have been enjoying it since.
- Marc and I also attended a book reading by my favorite writer, Jennifer Weiner, promoting her new book. It was a fun and funny hour, and I'm thrilled to have a personalized copy of her latest.
- Last weekend we went on an adventure in Providence, RI. For a decade, Julie and I have discussed attending WaterFire, an event held during the summers there. Marc and the kids and I first went to the Roger Williams Zoo, then walked along a beach and had a great Italian dinner (thank goodness for GPS, Yelp and smartphones) before meeting up with Julie and Mike for the lighting. I was really, truly excited to go to this, but in the end it was a bit of a letdown. It took so long to get stated, and was so crowded and inconvenient to access with a stroller in tow. I guess there was more to see than we saw, but all six of us left feeling like we'd done enough. Plus, the Providence Place mall where we'd parked was needlessly complicated. I've definitely got the Providence bug out of my system, and am not sure we'll be heading back there anytime soon.
So that was July. Tomorrow we'll be having dinner with our friends Allie and Mark, who are expecting a baby boy in a few months. Hannah is prepared to tell them all about little boys, and Max is, well, prepared to be himself and show them all of the wonderful and terrifying things he can do.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Ch-ch-changes Abound in June
Well, I did say in my last post that June would be a busy month, and I guess it was since I didn't get around to posting at all! Shame on me! Now I'll just have to catch you up again (especially since my loyal reader Fillis just posted comments on my last entries!).
So as the title suggests, lots of changes happened in June. Some were pretty minor: Hannah moving on from her Cinderella bed to cool IKEA stripes, Max moving from his high chair to a booster seat at home, starting a new cleaning service and me getting regular massages to help with my back pain. But the more major shift was Hannah graduating from her preschool program and Max starting his.
Hannah had been in full-time daycare from the age of 13 weeks until mid-June, so nearly five and a half years. She spent close to two years in family daycare, then six months at Sunshine Academy, two years at Gan Yeladim and finally one year at the JCC. All told, we spent close to $100k just on daycare costs alone. I feel so very fortunate and grateful that she had such a great experience, always having good friends and being well-cared for by teachers and staff. Given Hannah's personality, she's been offered many teaching jobs at her centers even at these young ages. I'm so proud of her, and of me and Marc for having successfully navigated what can be a very stressful experience.
And now Max has moved from family daycare to his first (maybe only?) center experience. It's been a difficult transition for him, with lots of tears every morning at drop off, but it seems like he's having a great time once he's there. He's had a few dips in the pool (the weather here in Boston did not cooperate for most of June, and July isn't off to the greatest start!). His teachers are great, and at night we "talk" about his new friends and how his day went. Max's vocabulary is just exploding now, with new words like "school" and "happy." He loves to sing, and I never thought I'd find mangled versions of the "Bob the Builder" theme song as adorable as I do.
But our real June highlights were the wonderful visits we got to have with Grandma Susan, Uncle Ryan and Allison! Uncle Ryan had two weekend weddings in Boston in June, so he got to spend an entire week hanging out with us. We had a lot of fun together, and it was great to have an extra set of hands at times! We spent a Sunday in Boston, going to the aquarium, walking all over, getting ice cream and riding a carousel. A few days later, Grandma Susan joined us. Grandma, Ryan, Hannah and I had a fun lunch at the American Girl store and Hannah got fully-stocked on the latest AG doll and accessories. Then Allison came for a couple days of fun. We had a nice Shabbat dinner all together, then toured the Wenham Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts over the weekend. Hannah spent two days at home with Grandma Susan, going to Plaster Funtime and hanging out in the village. It was wonderful to have everyone come visit us, and we promise that we'll provide better weather the next time they're all here!
Since Hannah had a few weeks off before camp began, she also got to spend a few days with Grandma Fillis and Grandpa John, going to the beach and having a very busy social calendar! Hannah especially liked getting to feed cousin Evie (cousin Nate was sleeping). And then the four of us had a fun extended 4th of July weekend, hanging out at home and going to see the fireworks.
Now it looks like we'll have a pretty quiet July. Hannah's at camp for the first time, and I'm so excited to teach her to make lanyards. Max's is sailing along at the JCC, bringing home multiple shirts each day due to messy snack times. Laundry is harder than ever with two kids going swimming each day. Our July weekends should be on the quieter side, but we're looking forward to a full August with beach time and a return trip to Storyland!
So as the title suggests, lots of changes happened in June. Some were pretty minor: Hannah moving on from her Cinderella bed to cool IKEA stripes, Max moving from his high chair to a booster seat at home, starting a new cleaning service and me getting regular massages to help with my back pain. But the more major shift was Hannah graduating from her preschool program and Max starting his.
Hannah had been in full-time daycare from the age of 13 weeks until mid-June, so nearly five and a half years. She spent close to two years in family daycare, then six months at Sunshine Academy, two years at Gan Yeladim and finally one year at the JCC. All told, we spent close to $100k just on daycare costs alone. I feel so very fortunate and grateful that she had such a great experience, always having good friends and being well-cared for by teachers and staff. Given Hannah's personality, she's been offered many teaching jobs at her centers even at these young ages. I'm so proud of her, and of me and Marc for having successfully navigated what can be a very stressful experience.
And now Max has moved from family daycare to his first (maybe only?) center experience. It's been a difficult transition for him, with lots of tears every morning at drop off, but it seems like he's having a great time once he's there. He's had a few dips in the pool (the weather here in Boston did not cooperate for most of June, and July isn't off to the greatest start!). His teachers are great, and at night we "talk" about his new friends and how his day went. Max's vocabulary is just exploding now, with new words like "school" and "happy." He loves to sing, and I never thought I'd find mangled versions of the "Bob the Builder" theme song as adorable as I do.
But our real June highlights were the wonderful visits we got to have with Grandma Susan, Uncle Ryan and Allison! Uncle Ryan had two weekend weddings in Boston in June, so he got to spend an entire week hanging out with us. We had a lot of fun together, and it was great to have an extra set of hands at times! We spent a Sunday in Boston, going to the aquarium, walking all over, getting ice cream and riding a carousel. A few days later, Grandma Susan joined us. Grandma, Ryan, Hannah and I had a fun lunch at the American Girl store and Hannah got fully-stocked on the latest AG doll and accessories. Then Allison came for a couple days of fun. We had a nice Shabbat dinner all together, then toured the Wenham Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts over the weekend. Hannah spent two days at home with Grandma Susan, going to Plaster Funtime and hanging out in the village. It was wonderful to have everyone come visit us, and we promise that we'll provide better weather the next time they're all here!
Since Hannah had a few weeks off before camp began, she also got to spend a few days with Grandma Fillis and Grandpa John, going to the beach and having a very busy social calendar! Hannah especially liked getting to feed cousin Evie (cousin Nate was sleeping). And then the four of us had a fun extended 4th of July weekend, hanging out at home and going to see the fireworks.
Now it looks like we'll have a pretty quiet July. Hannah's at camp for the first time, and I'm so excited to teach her to make lanyards. Max's is sailing along at the JCC, bringing home multiple shirts each day due to messy snack times. Laundry is harder than ever with two kids going swimming each day. Our July weekends should be on the quieter side, but we're looking forward to a full August with beach time and a return trip to Storyland!
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