Uses for the Jeep

We primarily use the Jeep to haul yard waste to the composting facility here in town. It's also great to contain (and entertain) the girls while we work in the yard.


Oh, and once in a while Bridges drives it to work or the train station or the airport.

No Pun Intended

I can honestly say that the use of the word "freeze" in the popsicle post was completely unintentional. It must be the Smith family influence seeping into my subconscious.

Parker Meadow

A few days ago we went for a walk in Parker Meadow, one of our favorite small conservation areas nearby. It was a bit wet, but Clara managed to (mostly) stay on the boards over the mucky areas, and gamely followed Lee, who was sprinting on up ahead.


We saw lots of birds, ducks, a rabbit, and a big bullfrog.


These pictures are for Lee, who thinks dandelions are beautiful,


and Clara, who seems to agree.

Freeze!

Today I brought home popsicle molds from Target. When I showed them to Lee, she said "Mommy, is it really almost summer? These are SO exciting!!!"

Sometimes I wish I could just freeze her at exactly this age.

A Birthday in Boston

Lee had a drizzly fourth birthday. We took her into Boston, which is the third year we have done that for her birthday. It was early spring in the city (flowering trees and tulips), but we underestimated how cold it would be with the wind and the rain so we were all a bit chilly walking around.

The first stop was the Public Gardens,

where unfortunately the Swan Boats weren't running due to the rain, but we did visit the Make Way for Ducklings statues.


Then we walked over to the Boston Common where we saw the Statehouse and visited one of our favorite spots, the Tadpole Playground.


We then hopped on the Green Line and went to the Boston Public Library. We went in the McKim building, which I believe was under renovation for years. Bridges and I had never been inside and were amazed at how beautiful it is. The kids had a great time exploring, wandering up and down big staircases, looking at statues and carvings and paintings. Lee even found a heating vent on which to warm up.


Afterwards we took an elevator to the 52nd floor of the Prudential building and had lunch at the Top of the Hub. It was pretty cloudy, so we couldn't see into the distance, but Lee loved being way up high and looking down on places we had just been.

Living My Own Life

We had dinner at some friends' last night, and there was another couple there whom we don't know all that well. He works long hours, and his wife is an internist who works four days a week but is often on call, so in reality she has a full-time job as well. Their two boys are 2-1/2 and just a year.

He was talking about how busy they are, and their work/family balance. They pay a nanny to be with their kids while they work. They also pay someone to clean their house. They often eat out or get take-out, and so someone else is cooking their food. He's very handy and loves to work around the house, but since that would be time taken away from the kids he now pays a handyman to do those things as well. "It's as if I'm paying someone else to live my life!" he said.

I left dinner feeling a bit boring because everyone else had a career and I don't, but also grateful that I'm actually living my own life.

Mommy, I'm a Real Pirate!