Big Kid Day at the Museum of Fine Arts

Last Monday, the big kids had a random day off of school.  They don't get a February vacation, rather they get a Monday/Tuesday in March.  They lost the Tuesday for Hurricane Sandy day off, so I took off Monday and brought the kids to the MFA in Boston.  Shelagh had been studying Rome and Rory has been studying Ancient Egypt.  He also is reading The Red Pyramid, which is about a "magical" family and their tie to Ancient Egypt and Gods and all that.  He loves history anyway, but is TOTALLY into Egypt right now.  I thought it was a good time to get him to the Museum. 

I have to say that the part of the museum I enjoy the least is the part we ended up spending most time in.  But, it was awesome.  The mummies, the weapons, the hieroglyphics...they both enjoyed it a lot and Rory especially.  We also spent a good amount of time looking at old timey musical instruments and coins.  Again, my least favorite usually, but fun with them. 

At 3 hours, we had hit the limit (and that's including lunch break with a brief "begging parent treat" to keep them going), but we had time before we had to get back home so we dropped by Joe's office and walked into the North End for Joe to grab a late lunch and then we all sat at Caffe Vittorio and had gelato and cappuccino.  Fantastic, sunny, enjoyable day.  We missed Kelly (who was at school and pissed to be excluded), but it was nice to be with the big kids and doing something easy and mellow.  The museum was pretty empty on a random Monday and the weather was beautiful.

Great day!






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Apple & Pumpkin Picking

Our camera got sand in the lens this summer and clearly I need a new one.  My crappy iPhone 3G camera is just not cutting it.  We did have a wonderful day with cousins at a farm in MA.  They had a gazillion pumpkins to choose from.  They had a kids hay maze that we spent some time on along with mini-tractor driving.  It was a gorgeous day and they still had plenty of apples for it being so late in the season.  Also, goats and sheeps, apple cider donuts, apple cider, and hay ride.  Great day!

   

In case you are wondering,  Kelly likes to dance with her arms out and eyes closed.  This happens daily.  This kid is always dancing and/or singing.

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Museum of Fine Arts

A few weeks ago, when my mom was up visiting, we went to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston to see the Chihuly blown glass exhibit.  It was mind-blowingly beautiful.  I attempted to use my shitty iPhone camera to capture it.


This statue of a baby with it's eyes closed is called Night.  There is another on the other side of the new entrance called Day with eyes opened.  Cool and Freaky at the same time.

Serene Japanese Garden outside of the new wing of the MFA.

This Chilhuly piece had something like 2,500 parts that are assembled in a different way every time it is put up.  Amazing...

She insisted she didn't like the MFA and was bored, but in reality, we sat down in front of one piece for a good 10-15 minutes discussing what we liked/didn't like, what the parts resembled, etc.  She loved it.


Shelagh had me take a picture of her in front of EVERY sculpture.  She doesn't ask about them later, but she wants it all documented. There was so much more - a room where the blown glass was in the ceiling above you with backlighting and a clear glass "floor".  You could lay down on the floor and just stare at it for hours...there had to be thousands of sculptures in there.  There was a whole room of "chandeliers" - each one a different color, shape, drop from the ceiling.   Just beautiful...I haven't been to the MFA since before Joe and I were married and it's changed immensely.  New wing, new restaurants, new layouts.  The exhibit was amazing, but I'm so glad to have been back to the museum itself.  I will return again soon, maybe with Rory this time. 
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City Break at the Carousel

On the way to pickup Mom in Boston last week, we stopped in the North End to ride the Carousel and visit quickly with  Joe.  We also saw a street performer juggling knives - Rory's chin was down to the ground he was so shocked.  Fun afternoon...

















Not so happy on the horse...I should get an award for even getting a pic she was gripping my neck so firmly. 
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Skiing !!

We dropped Kelly off with my mother in law and went skiing at a local mountain with the big kids. It was my first time back skiing in about 9 years. DAMN was I scared. Joe took the kids out while I did the whole rental thing and snuck out alone for my 1st run. I had some guy and his daughter giving me a pep talk up the lift and somehow I managed to make it down quietly and secretly behind Rory and Joe. After 2-3 runs I was able to ski with Rory without Joe sticking close by. By the end of the day, I could ALMOST keep up with Shelagh. She's like Speedy Gonzales zipping all over the place. She's a nut.


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Aquarium

I wanted to take Kelly to the Aquarium, so I grabbed the passes from our local library (otherwise it's like $22 per person!!) and we went on a Tuesday a couple of weeks ago. She had so much fun and could not stop talking about the Penguins, the Shark w/ the Boo-boo, the huge Turtles, and all the Nemo's. We went with our friends Leah & Glen. Lots of fun had by all...

The kids on the way in...

They loved all the tanks, especially the center tank which you walk around in a circle all the way up to the 3rd floor.

My kids enjoying themselves...

I got a clown fish coming out of his anemone! Way cool.

Life is Good Festival Air Guitar

Rory getting down to Guster at Life is Good...he plays a mean air guitar.

Life is Good Festival

The Life is Good Festival was great! It was a couple of weeks ago (I just caught up with my pictures!) and we had such a wonderful day. We arrived at around 1 just in time for They Might be Giants, we played around and ate, met Wally the Green Monster (thrill of Kelly's life so far!), saw Laurie Berkner play, ate some more, and finished off with Guster!

Shelagh in her concert outfit (yes, she picked the all black outfit - including boots - completely on her own!). Kelly posing at the concert.

Kelly was obsessed with Wally while we were waiting on line and then was a deer in headlights.

The family watching Guster (except for Kelly who passed out on my by then) and Rory cheering on his band.

Apple & Pumpkin Picking

On Sunday, we spent the day at Russell Orchards in Ipswich for a morning of Apple & Pumpkin picking. The trees were PACKED with fruit. We took a hayride out to the trees, picked for a bit, each ate an apple, played in the playground, visited all the animals (including a 1000 lb pig named Big Boy), ate donuts and cider, and head home pooped!

Rory and Kelly posing by the pumpkins. I love pictures of the kids with pumpkins.

Shelagh and Joe have been extra tight lately...I think the soccer coaching was an awesome idea (Shelagh does too!).

Time to make the donuts!! (Reminded me of that movie we watched in grade school showing how donuts were made. It had to be from the 50's or 60's).

Totally exhausted!

Laurie Berkners Pajama Party

Last Sunday, we brought the kids to Portland, ME for a "Pajama Party". That's all they knew, but as soon as the lights went down, Laurie Berkner and her band came on stage and the kids were super-surprised. Lots of dancing and singing along and all around a great day. Even Kelly clapped along! We went over to our friends house in So Portland afterwards to relax, catch up , and have dinner. All in all, a wonderful day.

Davis Farmland

The kids and I went to Davis Farmland yesterday and met up with a friend of mine and her kids. It was our first time and what a fun trip it was! It's essentially a big petting zoo of unique and heading for endangered farm animals - lots of different kinds of goats, cows, donkeys, emu, llamas, rabbits, chickens, etc. The kids got to pet and get up close to a bunch of different animals (Rory was all for it. Shelagh kind of freaked out about the loose animals). They also have a huge playground and a splash/sprinkler park. We were there for a good 4-5 hours and could have probably stayed longer. As usual, Kelly was a good sport hanging out in the stroller and content to nap in the Baby Bjorn. Here are some shots from the day.

Perfect Day

We got up early today and made our way up to Wingaersheek Beach in Gloucester. It was the most beautiful day. We got there early and got a parking spot up front (this is usually impossible around here). Temperature was 83 with a nice breeze and gorgeous sun...not a cloud in the sky. This particular beach has an insane sand bar. The kids had a blast. They played in the water, they played around the rocks and the pools that form near the rock piles. We had slushes (lemon. yum). We stopped and picked up lobsters and steamers for dinner and fried clams to eat in the car on the way home. We threw in the corn from the CSA which was so sweet and some ice cold wheat beer (smoothies for the kids). Kelly had the CUTEST outfit on today and looked like such a doll on the beach. She was a trooper with not even an hour nap on the beach and less than an hour on the way home even with our stops. Here are my favorite shots from the day.


Shelagh tried lobster tonight and decided, after 3 pieces, that she's not so sure she likes it but she said that she does love the butter part.