Arrival in Massachusetts (Days 2, 3, and 4)

So the plane ride was eventful and somewhat exhausting (read previous post for info on that). But we arrive in Boston in one piece and it's raining. Yeah! Yeah! Rain. We haven't seen rain for a long time. One more thing about the plane ride -- the house was still there and painted the same color. What I'm talking about is there's this house that you can see over the bay when you land at Logan Airport in Boston, and ever since I was a kid it was always painted yellow and green. I was quite surprised and impressed to see that it was still there and I got to see it -- major flashbacks of my childhood plane rides here.

Okay, so the plane was early, but we missed the shuttle we take to get out to where my aunt lives, so we had to wait about 40 minutes. A grandmother, a mom and two small children who have been cooped up on a plane since 6:00 AM and it's now 5:00 PM a very long day (with time changes of course) so really it's only about 2:00 in the afternoon in our minds, but still...you know how it goes. The bus picks us up (Logan Express very, very good) and we get to see Fenway Park in all it's glory (you have to sit on the left side of the bus) and the Munchkin was impressed. And we arrive at the Shopper's World by my aunt's house, she's there waiting and we get to her house in about ten minutes.

Now, my aunt's house -- it doesn't change! It's the same as when I was a girl. Exactly the same! Same paint on the outside (red and brown), same paint on the back door (goldenrod yellow), same wallpaper in the kitchen, the hall, the bathroom, the living room, the dining room, well...you get the idea. Same smell in the basement! Same furniture! I tell you it was erie and weird -- I felt as though I was in a time warp. But it was good, too, you know.

Day Two of vacation (Thursday the 5th of July) or day one not counting the travel time. We wake up and it's raining. Not hard, mind you, but raining enough that my aunt suggested we do some retail therapy. Spags (Building 19) and a couple other places I can't remember -- but that was enough for the kids (and mom).

(See here and here for the where's and what of yarn.)

Day Three (Friday). Woke up and again, a little rainy, but not bad. The Small One wanted a picnic, so, my aunt (who keeps everything) goes up to her attic and out comes an authentic picnic basket (very much like Yogi Bear's) and the little one was extremely happy. So, off we all go to the Longfellow Wayside Inn area in Sudbury. There we had the picnic at the gristmill (that's the picture at the top here). It was great. The weather was wonderful and then we went on to Knit Purl (she doesn't have a web site, but the link gives you directions) in Sudbury. Great store! The owner herself wound by yarn for me. See above link for picture of my Cherry Tree Hill Yarn.

So, Day Four (Saturday). My aunt has to go to the dump. I used to go with my uncle when I was a kid, it's cool, especially to those kids where the garbage truck is a common occurrence. So, off we go to the dump and then back to my aunt's for lunch and then my cousin M. is coming over to meet the kids (she's never seen them) and see me and my mom. The Munchkin is all excited, the Small One is all excited! And she's late. M. doesn't show up until way past the time and then she's not dressed for the beach. But that's okay, it's M. and that's how she is. So, we all troop over to Hopkinton State Park. And the kids had a blast. Remember, my two are swimming pool kids, not too many lakes to go swimming in the desert. And M. fell in -- remember how I said she wasn't dressed for the beach, well, she went to wade in, and fell and got wet only on one side of her pants. But still--it was funny! And we were going out to dinner -- M. in her wet pants, hmm...no, we couldn't let her go out in wet pants, but attic pants, yes, we can do that. (Remember my aunt keeps everything! And most of it's in her attic.)

Back at my aunt's house, we're going out to dinner-- Harry's! A great place to get seafood and other diner like foods. Got my fried clam bellies there, my mom had her bay scallops, the kids both had a "fish fry" as the Small One put it. And M. had to wear the attic pants.

Vacation Tall Tales -- Airport and Plane Ride

Okay. Most of you know that the kids, my mom and I all went on vacation at the beginning of July-- for those of you who didn't know that, these next few postings will be full of vacation tales and stories.

First off, at the Phoenix airport at 4:30 in the morning on July 4th, no one knew what was going on -- and I'm speaking of passengers as well as the airline employees. Granted it was 4:30 in the morning, and there are bound to be grumpy people, myself included especially when my suitcase was 8 pounds overweight! So, in the middle of the check-in line, I'm pulling things out of my suitcase: books, the Munchkin's shoes (which weighed about three pounds), my shampoo, and a couple of other items. I have no idea where these things were going, all that I know is that my husband and my mom were taking them as I threw them out and putting them in either her suitcase or the duffel bag that had the small one's booster seat in it. But, just those few things knocked the weight down to 49 pounds (the cut-off was 50). Whew! I snuck through.

Anyway, so we leave from Phoenix and to Chicago where we get a connecting flight to Boston. So on this airline that will remain nameless even though they were extremely nice and accommodating to me and the kids who had never flown before, this particular plane was the one where the seats are 1,2, 3, aisle, then 4, 5. Well, the kids and my mom had seats 1, 2, & 3, I took the seat 4 in the aisle across from them. I sat down and this nice looking lady came in and sat down on the 5 seat (the window). Now, I'm thinking, okay, seems nice, maybe someone to talk to, I don't know. Well on the take-off, she's gripping the armrests so tight I thought she was going to put holes in them, and then she's kicking the air under the seat in front of her and breathing (sounded like) Lamaze breaths and/or hyperventilating! Oh, *&$%, I thought! But she's okay as soon as the plane leveled out, and sort of looked like she dozed off a bit, but the plane hit some turbulence (my kids loved this part) over northern NY state. Off she goes again! Breathing, kicking and gripping the armrest like there's no tomorrow! I look over at my mom, she's praying (she doesn't like the turbulence) and tried to ignore this nice woman next to me, and stuck my nose in my book (I don't even know what I was reading), but I had to distract myself from her. Now, as we were coming in to land in Boston, the lady asked me for a piece of gum (I had offered her one at take off, hours ago) and I gladly gave her my whole pack. She then went on to explain that she didn't do well in take-off and turbulence (no, really?!?) and she read that the breathing and the kicking was supposed to help. Okay..I'm skeptical. So I, in my attempt to make her feel somewhat at ease asked, where she was coming from--San Antonio she replied. Oh, wow, said I, and then inquired, was Boston her final destination? No, says she, she was flying to Spain! Wow, says I, dumbfounded that anyone would subject themselves to that much flying when they obviously don't like to fly, you're very brave says I (and I think I said this numerous times). We parted, and I still hope that this nice lady had no one sitting next to her on that long and tiresome journey to Spain!

How's that for a kick-off to a vacation?My kids, who had never flown before EVER in their lives, did tremendous on the plane ride. I thought the little one would be nervous, but she was great and had a grand time. The Munchkin had some ear popping problems when we were getting our luggage in Boston, but that soon stopped after he had some water and some dinner at my aunt's house.