Staycation: don't let the bed bugs bite!

A staycation to remember. . . 

At the last minute, Matt, who is left alone one weekend due to Harold's work schedule, asks if we're interested in using his Starwood points to stay at a hotel near a beach north of Boston and take a little staycation.  Always up for a last minute free vacation, we accept.  A 10 pm discovery of bed bugs and panic over a few almost-lost expensive/important things does not keep us from enjoying our time on the beach. . . it just made it more shall we say exciting? interesting? creepy?  

Gassed up and ready to go

a 30-minute drive in Friday afternoon Boston traffic turns into 1.5 hrs)

First stop?  The hotel's pool!

After ordering the Lego movie, the kids fall alseep.  Matthew mentions, just before falling asleep, that he thinks he saw a bug but no one can confirm and he was very sleepy when he claimed to have seen it.

Rule #1:  sometimes you have to trust your kids

(we also took a video in case they didn't believe us AND captured one in a plastic cup)

They believed us!  I wanted to just go home, transfer the sleeping kids to the car and skiddattle.  Luckily, Matt/Dave talked some sense into me.  We would have had to go through some crazy cleaning measures before going home anyway (to prevent transferring them to our place) so it wasn't really a good idea at this late hour.  They moved us to the other end of the hotel (FAR AWAY) and took all our stuff and got it cleaned/dried.  We stripped each kid and checked them (hair and all) while they slept and transferred them to another room--they didn't even remember this in the morning and asked why they woke up without clothes.  Apparently for things you cannot clean (luggage) you just leave it for a day in a car in the summer sun where anything would die if it were there.  In all the room-changing commotion, I couldn't remember where I put Matt's tablet, wallet or medicine bag and felt terrible all day long (there was a point things were left in the hallway just to get them out of that room and I feared I got them stolen).  Luckily, after a day or so of guilt/worrying, they turned up!

The Beach: 

playing back at the hotel 

after our complimentary dinner. . . eat too much Matthew? haha

NJ Camping Trip (Cheesequake State Park, Site 003)

Ever since moving to MA, Mia had been sad about leaving her NJ friends behind.  I thought it would be fun to get an annual summer camping trip together among old friends.  Because of schedules and to help attendance, I offered to come all the way to NJ and camp only 15 mins from where they all live.  The Hurley's (Rachel/Ethan), the Monroe's (Maddie) and even Diane/David came to visit the Friday we arrived at the campsite.  We were so tickled that the Hodges actually joined us for camping!  It was even their first time camping and they loved it (despite the mosquitoes, which were admittedly heavy at the time.  We were so touched that so many of Mia's old friends came out to say "hi" and I was too busy enjoying the re-connections that I didn't take many pictures.

FRIDAY NIGHT

Gavin had a little fever and fell asleep in my arms- poor guy

during the day, however, he was as healthy/peppy as can be

SATURDAY

a small morning hike

The secret fort

late afternoon, after swimming, maybe starting to feel sluggish again

Hurley's visit!

Mia & Rachel

Gavin & Ethan

SUNDAY MORNING

Mia and Iona @ breakfast. . . lovely ladies

Dads pushing swings moments before heading out

Happy Pride & Father's day!

Mia's first pride parade was 5 yrs ago and it has been awhile since we have been to Boston, where Pride celebrations are at their finest.  It was as if she didn't miss a beat though.  Below is my rainbow rock star (Matt, if you have more pictures please send them along and I'll update this post).  She and Gavin did well walking/scooter-ing throughout the parade with Matt's temple.  They gave out necklaces and bracelets and wished everyone "Happy Pride!".  

The whole weekend was great.  It started off with a dinner in Cambridge at Beat Hotel.  I was going to babysit and let the 3 fathers go out to celebrate but when they found a babysitter and asked me to come I couldn't resist.  The food was good and we were in front row seating for the live Brazilian Jazz musicians (thanks Harold!!).  After the Pride parade we went to a Wagamama to eat, which was DELISH and I am regretting leaving my leftovers at Matt's house.  Sunday morning I made waffles for everyone and then Dave celebrated the day by doing his own thing (trail running and reading uninterrupted).  

Field Trip to zoo (Dave & kids)

See how they both have crazy hair?   

Well keep an eye out for future posts. . . we finally got Gavin to sit for a haircut (it took tons of bribing and coercion as he is still fearful).  Although I loved his long locks I just couldn't take the hair in his eyes and the sweat on his neck.

Dave told me this leopard took one look at Gavin and sprinted towards him.  

Amazing that he was able to catch this on camera so well.

hahaha my little meerkats

Foxborough's Founder's day

The town of Foxborough was founded in 1778 and named for the Honorable Charles James Fox, member of the English House of Commons and staunch supporter of the Colonies.  Here we are celebrating the towns largest celebration, Founder's day, which began with a parade, followed by a festival and ended with fireworks (perfectly visible from our back porch).

THE PARADE

I had no clue that we had a Special Operations vehicle!

Let me go down on record as saying I prefer the days when the parade was the thing to get excited about (vs the candy).  I think I will sit at the end of the route next year where everyone has run out of candy to throw.  I let them each keep 2 x their age so Mia got 10 pieces and Gavin got 6.  They promptly consumed all of their allotment at once.  

 THE FESTIVAL

 A PICNIC INTERLUDE

 WAITING FOR FIREWORKS (9PM)

swinging

dancing 

ready for the fireworks show to start

Kid updates

Mia's measurements when she was just a couple months past turning 5 yrs old (3/4/14)

Height is 3'7" or 43 inches (60%)
Weight is 45 pounds (78%)

Mia Update
Sometime in late March Mia got her first wiggly tooth.  I noticed it one night after tucking her in.  I was just curious because I knew she would, sometime within the next year or so get one (and Mattie had just gotten his first wiggly tooth) so I wiggled the one I knew that would come out first (the one that came IN first as a baby).  Sure enough, it wiggled. . . just a bit.

On Cinco de Mayo that sucker came out (after hanging by a thread for quite some time).  Here is the story:

We were all in the master bedroom reading stories and later Mia recounts that her tooth got stuck while wiggling it.  The next thing she knew it was in her hand.  She quickly covered her mouth for fear blood would pour all over the bed when in actuality it wasn't too bloody.  

The tooth fairy left her $1 bill and 2 quarters (extra $0.50 for first tooth status). Since it was just before bed, she didn't get a chance to really inspect/admire her tooth and the next morning she was sad about this fact and expressed a longing to see it.  Well what do you know, later that same morning there was a note from the "tooth fairy" and a tooth in a very special looking pouch and the note said that she could borrow it for the day but she had to return it at bed time.  :)

Gavin's measurements just before his 3rd birthday (March 12, 2014)

Height is 3'2" or 38 inches (66%)
Weight is 34.8 pounds (81%)

Gavin update
On Mother's day weekend, after a week of wanting no diaper on but refusing to sit on the potty, Gavin flawlessly went from full time diapers to full time toilet use (including peeing standing up and sleeping without a diaper).

This included going to a festival with the potty and many other outings (see recent posts).  He perfectly trained himself (other than 2 previous half attempts when he was younger, we never even suggested potty training recently).