Travel

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Keeping Me Guessing

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I think I was wrong.

Not just wrong, but I had it completely backwards. I used to say that E was an extrovert and G was our introvert, but after a week of vacation, I’m rethinking that. We all have a bit of vacation hangover right now. It was a long week, a tiring week, and the most fun week ever. Totally worth it, but reentry is hard.

So as I’m watching how both of the small ones react to reentry and think about how their energy levels fluctuated over the week, I’m thinking that I’m changing my mind: E might be an introvert and G might be an extrovert!

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The Slow Down

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I was hoping I’d have more time. After all, I’m only 7 months pregnant, and I was crossing my fingers I’d have at least another month. But apparently this is it. This is where I’ve run out of time, energy and motivation apparently.

There is still a lot to do. There’s a baby to prepare for, holidays are coming up and presents need to be wrapped, cards need to be sent, and then there’s the normal things, like remembering to do laundry (or more realistically, remembering to put it away after its been washed), and getting myself dressed and out the door every day.

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A Week in Maine

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I'm pretty sure when anyone looks back on our Maine vacation this year, they're going to remember two things.  E saying "hi! hi! hi!" and everyone singing "Do your ears hang low" until it haunts your dreams. Tom has taken to hiding the elephant, and my dad would start screaming from across the house whenever the song started, but the truth is E's reaction is SO CUTE, I'll push play over and over again.

Same goes with his talking.  He's so excited to have figured out a word, and the fact that it causes reactions from people?  It makes his day!  Which means he'll walk around saying "hi" to anyone or anything.  Unfortunately the birds, a person 3 blocks away, and the trees haven't figured out how to answer him.

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Food Adventures of E

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In case you were wondering how much sand a baby will eat before deciding it's not edible.. I don't have an answer for you.  We never got to that point with E!  Eventually we were able to distract him with pickles and oranges, but I swear that kid would have sat in the sand eating fistful after fistful.  

I'm not sure where he'd rate the sand on the list of things he tried while in Florida, but I think I'd put Florida farmer's markets at the top.  We spent one afternoon eating our way through one, and I think I'd gladly go every day if I could.

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My Favorite Part of Vacation

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There's something I love about family vacations.  Especially low key ones with not a lot of plans.  I'm talking the rent a house and go to the beach type vacations, as opposed to exploring a new city, every day has an itinerary type of vacations. 

Something happens when you have that kind of time to spend together.  To eat meals together, to get to know each other's quirks, to just be together.  You get the moments that end up being my favorite memories from vacation.  Not the baseball game or the children's museum or the beach - as fun as those might be. 

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Littlest Sox Fan

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While it wasn't his first Sox game, it was his first visit to Fenway South for spring training.  You know we couldn't let a trip to Florida pass by without a Red Sox game! 

The whole week was full of new experiences, big crowds, and schedule changes for E.  It was a lot to take in, and sensory overload for sure.  We did our best to make sure he still had some sort of a schedule, and got enough sleep, but he was still overwhelmed at points.  

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The Flights

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Allow me to completely skip over our vacation for a minute, an answer the question that everyone really wants to know: How did we survive flying with a baby?  

Not easily. 

While it worked out pretty well, and I haven't ruled out flying in the future, it was something I spent a lot of time thinking about and planning for.  I always find I handle situations better if I've run though every possibility ahead of time, so that when something does happen, I don't have to think.  I just react.  And I've got everything I could need at hand, so I can do it quickly.

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We Survived!

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I alluded to it in E's nine month update, but we recently went on a BIG TRIP!

Now this wasn't what I would have considered a big trip, pre-baby.  In fact it was a trip I've made many times with various people.  My parents go to Florida every year for spring training, and so I've visited them there multiple times.  With cousins, with best friends, with Tom...  Easy, quick trips. 

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Just Me and the Baby

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Recently E and I did something we hadn't done before - we packed up the car and drove off for the weekend, without Tom! 

We had a baby shower to go to, and Tom had some work stuff, and so we ended up parting ways.  (Plus when given the choice between weekend alone or a baby shower, he maybe leaned towards being able to sleep in...)

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An Escape to Maine

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Last week we accomplished something amazing!  We packed up the THREE of us, and took off for a week!  It took two weeks of making lists and slowly gathering everything we thought we might need, but we did it.  I'm a little worried for our future since even our huge car was packed full, and there wasn't much we took that we didn't need.

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Babymoon

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Way back when, Tom and I had plans to go away somewhere warm and tropical this winter.  And then zika happened, and I was pregnant, so that plan was nixed.  We started researching alternative warm places that were a bit safer.  Plans were made, destinations decided on... and then I got tired and never booked anything.  It just seemed like so much work to fly so far and do so many things, especially when the things I'd really want to do, I wouldn't be allowed to because of bubbles.  So eventually plan D was implemented, and we combined a weekend away with a staycation.

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Much Ado About Chicago

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So what did we actually do in Chicago?  A lot of things!

It's hard to believe its already been a month since we were there!  I guess we've been pretty busy since we've been back, but we're still talking about this trip and how much fun we had.  While we were there, we went to Second City, one of my favorite improv houses, and watched future SNL cast members perform some of the smartest comedy comedy sketches I've seen.  We also explored the city on foot, ordered room service, and we visited the top of the Sears/Willis tower.  

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Close Enough

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Flamingo is a sculpture in Chicago, created by Alexander Calder (Calder Red is named from its bright color).  It's an awesome statue, one that I remember from a previous visit to Chicago.  One morning on our recent trip, we were wandering the city when we found ourselves near it.  I steered us over to the area so we could wander around it and see it up close.  

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Lesson Learned

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"Hey, you want to rent one of those quad bikes? It could be fun and romantic!"

I don't remember which of us suggested it, but we got it in our heads that we wanted to rent one of those double bikes that look like carts. I don't think we really had a plan after that though.  So we paid for the bike, the guy pointed us down the street, and we started peddling.  And then -

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An Anniversary Trip

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I have a secret.  

I've been cheating on Boston with another city.  And that city is bigger, cleaner, prettier, and better run than Boston.  The people are nicer too.  I even like their baseball team.  

The only problem is that it's halfway across the country.  In Illinois. Yup, that's right.. we've been in.. 

CHICAGO!