Summer vacation is anything but when you're mom to three active boys. Since they were done with camp at the end of July, I've had barely a moment to catch my breath most nights, which is why blogging has been scarce.
They tend to be much happier when we're on the go, so our days have been a blur of car trips, beach time, picnic lunches, summer concerts, and multiple excursions throughout Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.
Last week was one of our busiest yet. We hit the bowling alley Tuesday, since it was kind of rainy. It was Carmine's first time bowling, and he did remarkably well. He slipped and fell once, and smacked his head on the floor pretty hard, but he recovered well and continued bowling - and even got a spare one time, which prompted Dante to comment that "they should have that on the news or something!"
That is one happy bowler! And he did this even when he didn't knock any pins down - getting the ball down the lane was good enough for him!
The next day was perfect weather - warm, but not too hot, and I decided it would be a great day to finally take the three of them up to Boston, and my only regret is that we didn't do it sooner - we had an amazing day! Our first stop was the children's museum, which was fabulous. We were there for several hours, and could have stayed several more.
After grabbing some lunch, we got on the T - the boys' first subway ride - and made our way downtown, so that I could take them to the finish line on Boylston. It was fun to go down there with them, and they truly did seem impressed by it. I think they're starting to understand what a big deal the marathon is, which is kind of cool.
The reason Carmine isn't in this photo is that I was holding onto his hand very tightly to keep him from dashing out into traffic.
The only downside to the day was after we stopped at the finish and we were sitting at a cafe a few blocks down the street having a snack, and several fire trucks flew past, sirens blaring. It hit way too close to home, and I had a hard time not letting the boys see how much it upset me. It brought back so many memories, and so many emotions. But three antsy boys are nothing if not a great distraction, so we finished our snack and moved on up the street toward the Public Garden.
Carmine is such a little trooper. I didn't want to bring the stroller, because it's kind of a hassle to walk around with it, but I was a little worried about whether or not he'd be able to keep up - and he's getting awfully hefty to carry around (well over 40 pounds) if he got too tired. But I took a chance on him, and he definitely delivered. He hiked the few blocks from the museum to the T, trotted up and down the stairs in the subway stations, walked all the way from Copley Square up through the Public Garden and Boston Common, all the way to Park Street, and then back again the few blocks from the T to the parking garage at the museum. And he complained and whined far less than his older brothers did. That is some serious stamina for a 3 1/2-year-old!
I had forgotten how beautiful the Public Garden is, and we spent a good amount of time there, watching the swan boats, and of course visiting the "Make Way for Ducklings" statues. It was so fun to share the city with them. I only spent a few years living in the area, but Boston really was a special place to me, and I loved the time I was there, and often miss it.
It was tough to leave, and I wish we could have made it down to Fanueil Hall, or gone on a Duck Tour, or taken a tour of Fenway Park, or done some other fun touristy stuff, but my guys were wiped out, and we had a fun, full day, and we're already planning all the things we want to do next time.
That excursion was followed by our annual trip to the Washington County Fair, which is always a fun day. Typical county fair - animals, food, crafts, games, and rides - but the boys love it, and look forward to it every year. Dante even had a special outfit picked out that he wanted to wear. It was just a tshirt and shorts, but for some reason it was what he had chosen as his 'fair outfit,' so I went with it, even though the tshirt was covered with stains.
Carmine was so much more interested in the rides this year, and it was fun to see him so thrilled to sit on a little car and go around and around and around. I honestly think he was under the assumption that he was truly driving the car - and I wasn't about to tell him differently.
We capped off the week with an outing to Water Wizz in Wareham, MA. We went for the first time last year, and we were all blown away by how much fun it was. I had never been to a water park in my life before that, and it was the first time for the boys going to one, too, so it was quite an adventure for all of us - and even as we left last year, we were planning this year's trip!
And we decided to surprise the boys with it this year. We packed up as if we were going to the beach, but then as we headed out and got on the highway and they asked why we were going a different way, we told them. I love surprising them with fun stuff like that!
Luckily Scott had taken the day off and came with us this year, because Carmine was MUCH more adventurous than he had been last year. Last year he was pretty content to just wade and splash around. This year he wanted in on everything except the big water slides. So it was great to have an extra pair of hands to help out. And of course the boys were thrilled that Dad was there to get in on the fun, too!
Five and a half hours later, we packed up, made a quick stop at the house to pick up some snacks and a cooler, and made our way down to a concert at the beach. We went to almost all of these concerts the past few summers, but for one reason or another, hadn't made it to a single one yet this year, so even though we had had a long day, it was a gorgeous night, and we didn't want to pass it up.
We ran into some friends while there, got free beach balls, ate and drank, and had a blast. A perfect end to a week chock full of summer fun.
Saturday was all about the beach, but we did have one more trick up our sleeve. Dante has been asking us for a long time now about taking surfing lessons, so we finally decided to sign him up for his first lesson, but we didn't tell him about it until 5 minutes before we headed down there!
It just so happens, too, that one of the surf instructors is a teacher at his school, so we made sure we requested him as the instructor, and I don't know much about surfing, but it seemed to me like Dante did a pretty good job for his first time ever on a surfboard. He was standing up in no time, and looked like he had a blast!
It helped that the water was extremely calm, with almost no waves at all, but I was still proud of him. He's such an adventurer, and it's going to be so fun to see what else he chooses to tackle as he grows up. I have a feeling his list of accomplishments and adventures is going to be very, very long.
Sunday was a less busy day, but I did fit in a special outing with just Gabe and Dante - an afternoon Paw Sox game. Another thing I had planned on doing earlier in the summer, but hadn't gotten around to yet, so it was good that we didn't have anything else planned for Sunday - the timing was perfect. And for the first time, they both were genuinely interested in the game! It was so cool to see them pay attention and cheer at the right times. Definitely has me thinking an actual Red Sox game could be next on the agenda....
First we need to teach Gabe a little more about the players, though. He saw a couple pictures of David Ortiz, and some of them were labeled David Ortiz, but others were labeled "Big Papi," and as we drove home, he commented that "Big Papi and David Ortiz look a lot alike. They must be brothers or something."
Lots and lots to catch up on about running and racing, too, but that will have to wait for another time. The short version - I'm back to regular speedwork, gearing up for my "A" race in October, and feeling great! Details to follow.....
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