October 2015

What a treat for us! The first weekend in October, we got to see Uncle Frank, Aunt Martha, Uncle Michael, Aunt Nancy, and cousin Lexi from Minnesota, as all of them were in Boston for the weekend for Lexi's hockey game and for some general New England fall activities. On Friday, we went to dim sum in Chinatown with Frank and Martha and then let them rest a little in the afternoon before going to my parents' house for dinner.

On Saturday, we walked over to the Prudential for the 9:30 duck boat, which we all really enjoyed. Sure, it was cloudy and chilly and drizzled off and on, but that didn't matter. The kids quacked their duck bills, and we had a great time.

Two highlights of the trip: the kids getting to drive the duck boat in the Charles River (Samantha tore down the aisle to volunteer as soon as the driver offered, and Marcus decided he'd better go too) and our driver offering assistance to an overturned sailboat (we waited with him until a motorboat from Community Boating came over to rescue him. I'm sure the guy loved having a boat full of tourists gawking at him....).

After the duck boat, we picked up a zipcar and went to Belle Isle Seafood in Winthrop, just a bit past Constitution Beach. Marcus ate over a pint of chowder plus a whole salmon dinner. I had the fried scallops, we all tried their lobster pie, and we enjoyed every bite.

From Winthrop we drove north and west to Merrimack College, where Lexi's team was playing, and won!

The kids got to sit on the zamboni during the second break.

After the game, we went downtown and had dinner at Koy near Faneuil Hall, and then after big hugs said goodbye to everyone.

The next day (Marcus still wearing his new hockey sweatshirt), we went to the East Cambridge "Smoke This" Ribfest, with Sarah and Sean, and all ate a ton of ribs. There was a balloon artist there. While other kids were asking for flowers, hats, swords, and puppies, Marcus asked for a chair. She seemed a bit taken aback, but she did come through.

On Columbus Day, as always, we went to the Opening Our Doors festival, with a performance from the Boston Children's Chorus to start, then a brass band leading a kids' parade around the reflecting pool, and then free cupcakes for all.

We did face-painting, made paper dolls, and toured the Mapparium inside the Mary Baker Eddy Library, and then we had lunch at the dumpling place across the street.

Samantha and I headed home then, and Marcus and Robert took a long bike ride around the Southwest Corridor, and then we winterized our garden on the roof in the afternoon.

A couple weekends later, with Debbie in town visiting from Canada, we went to a Lesley University comic book expo (MICE) and had a great afternoon.

We've enjoyed time with other family and friends, too: lunch out with Bob in Porter Square before the Honkfest, an afternoon visiting with Amanda and Baby Katy at Grandpa's house; and fun times with the Juan Carlos family and Baby David at church.

 

Both kids have been having a great time in school.

Our regular weekly activities have resumed, too--Marcus has Sports and Scholars (basically, homework time and an extra double period of gym) on Thursdays after school; both kids have kids' night at the church on Friday nights; and Samantha started going to karate on Saturday mornings, in the class before Marcus.

 

Obligatory sleep/cuddle pictures for the month:

 

Go back to web essays or over to links
robertandchristina.com was made with a Mac.
© 2015 C&R Enterprises
Email christina@robertandchristina.com or robert@robertandchristina.com
Created: 10/31/15. Last Modified: 10/31/15.