Back Home (For Now)

We got back from Boston on Sunday evening but I say for now because we're back in the air on Friday morning...at least the girls and me.  We fly to Chicago and then are renting a car to drive to Berrien Springs to watch my brother graduate with his Masters in Architecture.  Duncan would have come but PDO's are in short supply this year with all the weddings and the big Nova Scotia trip.  We come back late Sunday evening.

Our trip to Boston was a wonderful time.  Even though the girls and I were car-less Tues - Thurs since Duncan was at his conference those days, everything worked out well.  On Wednesday, Aunt Toni stopped in on her way to the Cape and we hit up a playground, the Outlets, and Cracker Barrel.  I take back all my bad thoughts on Cracker Barrel (for now) since we had a great experience this time although they still don't have bendy straws.  Anywho, later in the evening we were back to the outlets with Mom and Duncan where we attempted to eat at Friendly's.  It pains me to say it about my dear Friendly's (although now the one I specifically worked at) but we had to get up and leave after we were seated for 10 minutes and nobody came to wait on us.  What a shame.

Thursday morning, Dad, Calleigh, Aubree, and I headed to the Children's Museum.  As we drove past to get to the parking garage, I noticed a gargantuan line waiting to get in even though it was already open.  I suddenly remembered that it is spring break up there, hence the line.  It was still huge after we parked but then I noticed a sign that said "members only" with nobody in it.  Even though we're members at the Orlando Science Center down here, we get free admission to this museum and they let us right in including my dad.  So that was really awesome.  We enjoyed ourselves for the few hours we were there and then it was home for naps with me doing my best to keep them awake in the car.  Thursday night we went to Qdoba at Patriot Place (sorry Shawn!) and then on to Baskin Robbins for a little treat (which was promised Wednesday night but after the Friendly's fiasco, that mission was aborted).

Duncan was free on Friday so the four of us went to Southwick's Zoo which is about a 40 minute drive from my folks.  We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  They have some deer that roam around in this giant hilly enclosure and you're able to just walk around in there and feed them.  I figured Calleigh would be too scared to do so but she went right up to them and put her hand out.  She's definitely overcoming some fears (just yesterday she actually put her foot in the foot measurer at Payless.  Every other time she's totally freaked out and refused to do it).  We also so the cutest baby Chimp playing with its mother and another baby monkey of some sort that was nursing.  We got so close that you could actually see the nipple on the mother monkey and Calleigh wanted to know if the baby monkey was biting its mother.  Obviously she had been paying attention to my complaints with Aubree.  The zoo also has a bunch of kiddie rides and Calleigh loved them and quickly made friends with several of the kids on the rides.

My dad met Shawn halfway and picked up Camille and Camden so they could come for the weekend.  Camden is the cutest thing and he's now walking all over the place.  Aubree is not keeping up with her "twin."  But as someone said up there, "Aubree has come alive."  She is doing a lot more "talking" and seems to be much more involved with what is going on.  She still hasn't said a word, per se, but now and then she comes out with things that do sound like words.  We thought she said "Daddy" to Duncan but she doesn't repeat it so you just don't know if it's a fluke or what.

Sabbath we went to church in Norwood and then in the afternoon, Aunt Lori, Uncle Charlie, Kelly, and Steve came over and we went for a walk and visited.  The Rondinellis and the Irrgangs, who had been over the night before, came back that evening for some games.  Calleigh and Bruno, despite the three year ago difference, have a great time playing together.

We were thinking of doing the Freedom Trail on Sunday morning before we left but the weather scared us off.  So we just stayed home until leaving for the airport.  We got there with plenty of time to spare this go around for our flight that left at 3 pm.  We had barely sat down in our seats before Calleigh was lying on Duncan's lap and went sound to sleep.  That is SO different that her usual MO when she's on a plane.  She slept for a good 1.5 hours so that was nice.  Unfortunately Aubree didn't sleep quite as long so there was time to kill but it went fine.  Sherrie and Kevin had driven themselves to the airport in our van so we were able to just pick ourselves up.  Even though they left about the time we arrived (6:30ish), they didn't get home until the next morning due to storms up north.  They had to stay overnight in New York.  All I can say is "Better you than me."

So now here we are back at home.  All is well.  Aubree has, thank goodness, stopped biting for the most part.  Hopefully that was just a phase that has passed.  I'm sure it has to do with her new tooth coming in.  I noticed yesterday that the other bottom front one is coming in so now she officially has two teeth.  Today went to Story Time and say our friends Yolanda and Emma who are in the midst of potty training.  Perhaps Calleigh will get inspired.  This afternoon we went to our neighbor's Rossana for a play date.  She's part of a Meet Up group that we're going to join so there were several other ladies there with their kids.  The ladies are  all very nice and we traded some nursing stories.  However, they definitely have a different philosophy than I do when it comes to pre-school but that's okay.  It's just nice to be around other kids and mothers.  Besides that, I got a good idea of a curtain for my big sliding door!  Unfortunately I had to literally take Calleigh away kicking and screaming.  She didn't nap this afternoon and it was very noticeable by the time we left.  She wanted more snacks that were there and I didn't want her to (because is was almost supper) and that set her off.  We made a great first impression!

Okay, I have lots to do so that's it for now.