Boston 1/3

So the morning after Disney on Ice the girls and I took off for Boston. I completely ate my words that I would never travel alone with my kids. It seems like almost all of my declarations about never doing blah blah blah with my kids end up making me a liar. My girls were surprisingly great on the plane. Sadie actually fell asleep within 5 minutes of takeoff (see above). 

The 3 of us fit fairly well into two seats. We watched lots of movies, ate lots of snacks and arrived in Boston without too much whining.

The girls got right down to business, the business of playing with the toys in my parents' playroom. 

After the girls were in bed I got right down to the business of delicious Reese's ice cream sundaes at Friendly's.

The next morning we got up (and NO, my children didn't sleep in, even though there is a 2 hour time difference) and headed downtown to the aquarium. A friend I grew up with generously offered me her company's tickets to various museums in the city. (Thanks Meredith!) 

My sister Meredith was down from New Hampshire since she and Weston were about the fly to Washington to spend Thanksgiving with the Maxfields. We loaded up the minivan with the 3 kids and my brother Matt and after a little adventure trying to find the parking garage we had a coupon for, we just gave up and parked in the expensive lot next to the aquarium.

My girls enjoyed the aquarium and I enjoyed the fact that we didn't have to pay $23 a piece to get in. I'm sorry, but I do not understand paying that much to see fish.

Hey look, it's me in a picture with both my kids. Rare gem right there. Too bad I kind of look pregnant.

 Weston also enjoyed it. Especially when we let him out of the stroller.

These penguins were adorable. So small. Most of the penguins are gone right now because the aquarium is under some major construction.

My favorite part was the seals. This one female seal kept yelling, but it sounded like a male human. In fact, when we first entered the seal area we laughed that there was some guy screaming. Then we laughed even harder when we found out it was a seal.

 With Uncle Matt. Sadie did not want to stop for a picture. She ran through most of the aquarium. She loved it, but didn't want to spend more than 10 seconds looking at each exhibit.

Elise, on the other hand, would have spent 10 minutes at each display if we let her. In fact, a few times she tried to walk back to where we had just been. 

Overall, it was great and we were in and out in just over an hour. Great outing for young kids.

That night we had a little shindig for Weston's first birthday.

He wasn't quite sure what to make of the excitement that came from Sadie.

But once that candle was lit he was loving life. He still had no idea what we were doing, but he was excited about it. 

Weston and Lou enjoyed their cupcakes together. Weston happened to be in Utah for Elise's early 1st birthday celebration in April. Compare the photos below.

I love this picture of Weston trying to steal Louie's cupcake.

My girls kept trying to steal the toys we had given Weston for his birthday. Sadie was also concerned that some of them were still in the packaging. She wanted them open for Weston so that she could play with them.

The next day I captured some precious moments with my girls playing hair salon with their Nana.

Does it look like Elise is kind of punching my mom with the brush? That's because she was.

Thanks for being a good sport Mom. I don't have the patience to sit as Sadie repeatedly gets brushes stuck in my hair, so Sadie was thrilled to have a willing victim playmate.

Stay tuned for parts 2 and 3