Our 4th was filled with massive amounts of popsicle consumption, a neighborhood bike parade (or lawnmower parade if you are the D-Man), a pancake breakfast with friends, stifling humidity, and a kiddie pool party and BBQ in the evening. It ended with an unexpected rainstorm that left everyone outside soaking wet within seconds. The rain out here is a sight to behold-I love it.
I'm grateful for days off in the middle of the week, for memorable weather, and for great friends that help make the holidays fun.
Phillipine brand dried coconut. I have long been a fan of their dried mangos, but this coconut is my new favorite treat. I have only ever seen it at a Utah Costco, so I asked my parents to bring me a bag when they came for a visit recently--instead they brought me four. That's just how they roll. Ryan thinks it tastes just like Styrofoam. I think that's great--more for me.
Ikea's Kids-Eat-Free-Tuesdays. Who says there's no such thing as a free lunch? Clearly their chocolate milk is a hit.
I get chills every time I watch the trailer for the newest Les Miserables movie. I haven't been this excited for a movie in a long time. In case you have been living under a rock and haven't seen it, you simply must check it out. Anne Hathaway, you get my Oscar vote.
This essay on Motherhood makes me smile. I love writers who can articulate so well how I am feeling like this one did.
And lastly, a video of each of my three favorite little people:
Isaac sings his favorite primary song, Nephi's Courage.
Maddie's rendition of Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam with some dancing. She made me promise I would post this one to the blog.
It is a running joke in our family that Davis has never had a thought that he didn't vocalize. He is ALWAYS talking. Always. Adorable and exhausting all rolled into one. Without him knowing, I grabbed a little bit of footage of him looking at a book in hopes of catching a glimpse of what he is like at age two.
Ryan was talking with Isaac tonight about our day trip to NYC before dropping my parents off at the airport.
"We were walking, Dad, and I dropped my snow cone on the ground. I wanted to cry, but then I pulled myself together."
My parents are in town and we are living it up. The kids are in heaven with unlimited bubble gum and attention and frankly, so am I. Ryan has even been able to take a few days off work so we took a few quick trips this weekend.
Boston
Maddie and Gram Maddie at the Boston Common.
Sword fighting brothers.
D is picking up on every little thing Grandpa says. Words like "freakin'" and "shiz" will have to be detoxed from his vocabulary after our guests head back west. It's a small price to pay to have Grandpa around for a little while.
The Lobster Tail pastries and Berry Tarts were every bit as good as I remember them tasting last fall.
Thanks to Grandpa and priceline we stayed in a posh 4 star hotel in Beacon Hill for a screaming deal. Maddie is donning the leopard printed bath robe here.
After exploring some of the Freedom Trail and Little Italy on Thursday, my mom and I took the kids to the Children's Museum on Friday morning while Ryan and my dad headed to Fenway Park. Hands down the best children's museum I have ever been to. Ike practiced his basketball skills while we were there.
Old Ironsides.
M at Boston Common. I love this picture of her.
Maddie succeeding in outrunning the swimming sea otter outside the aquarium.
M and D below the largest American flag I have ever seen.
The more I see of Boston, the more I love it. We just invested in a membership that is reciprocal at their Children's Museum and I look forward to having many reasons to go back their over the next couple of years. Some of the highlights included the massive amounts of seafood consumed by our party, watching the street performers, and the fantastic weather the whole time we were there. I could really get used to vacationing with the folks.
New York
After carting the kids all over Bean Town we decided to give both them and us a break and left them with a trusted babysitter while we headed to New York.
In front of the NY stock exchange.
M&M on Wall Steet.
Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge was one of the highlights of my day yesterday.
A view of Manhattan from the bridge.
Look really close and you can see Lady Liberty in between my parents.
After we walked across the BB, we took the East River ferry back up to Midtown as not to wear my mom out with a lot of walking. Unfortunately we were too late.
D really wanted to see Times Square, so on the way we stopped for lunch at Bryant Park. I am still raving about the sandwiches we ate there. Who knew a ham and cheese on cinnamon bread would be so delicious? Seriously. Aren't my parents adorable together?
After a short stint in Times Square we booked it down to Canal Street to watch my dad haggle with the locals for a good deal on a knock-off watch. I came home with a new pair of sunglasses. We both loved it. Ryan and Mom hated every minute of Chinatown. This was my attempt to get a photo of D wheeling and dealing, but the watch seller jumped out of the photo as soon as he saw I was trying to get a picture. Too risky, I suppose. D came home with a new fake Tag Heuer. The verdict is still out on who haggled whom in that deal.
It was great to have a day away with just Ryan and my parents. We have never been able to do that before sans kids and it is something I will always remember. Spending Father's Day weekend with my dad is something that doesn't happen very often and I think we made the most of it. Thanks M&D!
