Oliver is glad we're home

Check that, Oliver is glad that Bill is home. :)



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Home

Well, we got home with no problems. Samantha felt better after the zofran, was tired of course, but did great. [And, surprisingly, no one else got sick!] Everyone was elated to be in their own bed again. Everyone agreed that our trip to Boston was great.

I asked the kids what they enjoyed most about the trip, what they learned, or what they wanted to remember for a long time. Here were their responses:

Josie: the Museum of Science, the Museum of Fine Arts, Finagle a Bagel, and the history of Paul Revere and his sidekick William Dawes.

Mitch: the Dinosaurs! 3-D movie at the Museum of Science, the subway, the Museum of Fine Arts (all of it), and the plane rides.

Samantha: the little tamarin monkeys (at the Museum of Science), the swimming pool at the hotel, the train (subway), the plane, the connections, the reptile section (of the Museum of Science), the 3D Dinosaurs! movie (also at the science museum), Biscoffs (cookies on the plane), Finagle a Bagel, seeing Alphonso (a friend of Bill's from grad school at Ole Miss who was also at the conference), eating lunch and dinner, sleeping, all the food we had, meeting Matthew (the person in the seat next to me on the Cincinnati-Boston flight coming in), the fat squirrels (in the Public Garden), the park (the Public Garden), the "Make Way For Ducklings" monument in the Public Garden, and coming home.

How awesome is that?! I am biased, of course, but I think my kids are pretty great. I hope we can go somewhere new every year - they learn so much that we can't teach them at home. And the memories will last a lifetime.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Walland, TN

On our way home

We FINALLY got some zofran. Thanks to Bill for going on the medicine-chasing adventure. No thanks to cvs for being unnecessarily tedious and complicated.

We checked out of the hotel and took two trains and a shuttle to the airport, got our tickets, made our way through security, found our gate and got settled in under 1 hour 15 minutes. THAT'S impressive, I think, and we were taking our time! Boston's transportation system is friendly to visitors. It's pretty easy to figure it all out.

So, today we are having an airport adventure! We are ready for flight, with 5 hours to spare. :) Samantha is sleeping already, bless her heart for being such a champ through all this. Bless Josie and Mitch for being so cooperative all day. Everyone has buckled down and done whatever needed to be done. What an awesome family I have. I'd travel with them anywhere (and plan to). ;)



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Boston Logan

No family travel trip is complete without it...

Samantha complained of an ear ache last night as we were leaving the Museum of Science. She cried from the pain on the subway. There was nothing I could do for her. Once we finally got back to the hotel, I gave her Tylenol and Benadryl, and she went to sleep.

Until 4:20am, when she started vomiting. It is now 7:45am and she is still dry heaving. Agony. She is tolerating her misery so well, she's such a trooper. I've called a local doctor's urgent care clinic (front desk gave us the number) - they won't see us because she is not a patient. I called the local childrens hospital and the barely coherent woman to whom I spoke was of no help. I have spoken to our pediatric office in Maryville and the nurse is supposed to call us back. I'm hoping we can get some kind of anti-nausea med called in to the cvs near the hotel. The plane leaves in less than 10 hours.

I am hoping the Josie and Mitch (or Bill or I) either won't get this, or maybe by some miracle if they (we) do, it won't kick in until we get home. Realistically, I imagine the odds of either situation are pretty low.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Boston

Glorious end to great day

Sunset shots from the Museum of Science, which is situated over the Charles River.








- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Museum of Science

Museum of Science

Bill had to get back to his NASM meetings, so the kids and I went to the Museum of Science for the balance of the day.


Snake-necked turtle, above


Alligator tortoise?, I should have written it down.


Burmese python, above


Dinosaurs! 3-D film: good, brief film narrated by Donald Sutherland.

Below, ferris wheel made out of K'Nex toys. We also spent time in areas about eastern US birds and mammals, human body, human development (including film of human birth in water tub, kids were glued to it), mechanical gears, and models. Got to watch a chick working on hatching out of its egg. All very cool. Amazing day in Boston today.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Boston

Relief in the form of hot chocolate and cinnamon sticks

A welcome rest and refueling for our young troopers. We did a cinnamon toast for the birthday girl, Josie, who turned 8 today. Happy Birthday, Josie!





Above, Birthday Girl, chillaxin'.


Mitch (above) and Samantha (below) each enjoying a cinnamon stick.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tired puppies

We'd walked I don't know how many miles at this point. They'd hung in there as long as they could. Bill is trying to locate a place to empty our bladders, as we were in need.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Copp's Hill Burying Ground

The Freedom Trail bricks and markers

The red brick line shows the Freedom Trail path through the city. The markers identify particular points of interest.



In the distance, across the water, behind the center tree, is the USS Constitution. It has a black hull with a white stripe. It was bitter cold, the kids were laying on the ground from exhaustion, and it was easily a couple of miles' walk around to the ship, so this is the shot we got of it from the top if Copp's Hill Burying Ground. If you are able to zoom in on the image, you might be able to make out its outline.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Old North Church

Old North Church is an Episcopal Church. The bells are the oldest in America (1745), there is still the Revere family pew inside, and there is a bust of George Washington believed to be the first memorial of our first president. On April 18, 1775, Robert Newman (the sexton of the church), upon instruction by Paul Revere, hung two lanterns in the steeple, some locals say as a backup plan for signaling the rebels in case he (Revere) was captured on his way to Lexington and Concord.





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:North End, Boston

Old North Church

Statue of Paul Revere with white steeple of Old North Church in the background.








- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:North End, Boston

Paul Revere's home

Paul Revere's humble home, nestled in beautiful North End neighborhood. He had 16 children - 8 each by two wives. Tour guide on Duck Tour told us Revere made numerous rides to Lexington and Concord prior to the Revolution. With 16 kids at home, Bill concluded that he probably didn't mind making those rides at all. :) Speaking of Duck Tour guide, he also said that Revere had the sexton of the North End Church place the two lanterns atop the steeple as a backup plan to notify folks in case he was captured. He said the Longfellow poem ("one if by land, two if by sea"), alluding to this as a signal makes a nice poem, but doesn't exactly reflect the reality. Guide said everybody in town saw the British ships head out, it was no secret. Revere and Dawes rode to Lexington and Concord to let our soldiers know that it was time. I'll defer to my historian friends/revolutionary war experts for the real story here.







- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:North End, Boston

Above, kids in front of statue of Samuel Adams, great orator who inspired revolutionary ideas (literally!) in the minds of citizens. The statue stands in front of Faneuil Hall (image below), where many of his speeches, and others', were delivered.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Old State House plaque

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Boston

Boston Massacre

The five men killed in the Boston Massacre by British soldiers in 1770 are buried in the Granary Burying Ground. If you zoom in, you might be able to see their names.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Granary Burying Ground

Old State House

The Old State House has been here since 1713. This is the balcony where the Declaration of Independence was read to the public. The Boston Massacre happened within sight of the balcony in 1770. George Washington viewed a parade from the balcony in 1789. And more recently, Queen Elizabeth addressed America from the balcony on the occasion of our Bicentennial. In the 1630's, this was a site where Puritans whipped sinners. A lot of history in one spot. Same can be said for all of Boston and New England, in general.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Boston

Start of the Boston Tea Party

We went into the Old South Meeting House (I forgot to take a picture) - they were having a Thanksgiving service, so we didn't stay. In 1773, this is where this particular political demonstration started.

Fun fact: Benjamin Franklin was born across the street in 1706 (then, 17 Milk Street).


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Old South Meeting House

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone


Old City Hall, in front is the site of the first public school in the US.

Graves of Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Mother Goose, and Ben Franklin's parents

Lots of non-famous people are buried here, too.





The older (directly above) and newer (top image) tombstones for Paul Revere.


Peter Faneuil donated the land for Faneuil Hall.


John Hancock's obelisk has a hand and 3 birds (cocks) at the top - get it?, hand cocks, Hancock, ha ha. Below, Samuel Adams.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Col. Robert Gould Shaw Memorial

Overlooking a corner of Boston Common, this memorial took 14 years to complete - the artistry is amazing. It commemorates the first free black unit of the American Army (the "Union Army's 54th Colored Regiment"), led by Col. Robert Gould Shaw.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:State House

State House

Massachusetts State House


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Boston

Starting off on the Freedom Trail

The Massachusetts State House (gold-domed) is in the background.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Boston Common

Legal Seafood

We ate supper at Legal Seafood tonight, in the mall that is attached to our hotel. Delicious. I had clam chowder and a crab cake sandwich. Jumbo lump crab meat, very, very good. Bill had a seafood roll that looked divine, he said it was very good.

Alphonso joined us just as our food was served, he had already eaten out, but had a beer with us. He regaled the kids with stories about Bill from grad school at Ole Miss. The kids told him every story they could think of to try and make him laugh. We had a great time.

The kids went swimming again tonight. They are now sacked out and it is quiet here in our little domain. We have adjoining rooms, which is a good setup for us.

It's supposed to be cold tomorrow (high of 40). I'm thinking it will be perfect weather for hiking the Freedom Trail. We'll see. And, Josie's 8th birthday is tomorrow. :)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Copley Place

Swimming pool

This is where we have spent the last 2 evenings, and presumably tomorrow night, too. That's fine with us, helps them sleep better. ;)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Westin Copley Place

Suffolk County Jail

Very pretty jail.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Boston

Zakim Bridge

This is a staid (sp?) cable bridge, 10 lanes across, part of the Big Dig project (which lasted 12 years), that buried an interstate that goes through the middle of Boston. Impressive.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Near Big Dig

Kids after the Duck Tour

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Museum of Science

Sleeping on the Duck Tour

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Duck Tour

Duck Tour

Time for a duck tour! Fun, amphibious vehicle, great way to get overview of city landmarks.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Boston

Samantha likes these

Ornate coffins of ancient Egypt. Samantha said she wanted to be buried in something like this.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:MFA

Ancient World Art

We saw beautiful jewelry, pottery, busts, coffins, and ornate seals (used like signatures) that were very cool.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Museum of Fine Arts

King Menkauru

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Museum of Fine Arts

Subway

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

End of first day

After kids rested for a few minutes when we got into our rooms, we all put on our winter gear (long underwear is great!) and headed back out in search of dinner. Found a great place called Joe's Americana Bar & Grill (181 Newbury). Bill joined us after his meeting was over and we had a nice family supper together.

Back at the hotel, we ran into Bill's classmate from Ole Miss, Alphonso Sanders. More catching up to come - great to see a familiar face at a big event like this. We plan to have lunch or dinner together before the trip is done. Amazing that Bill happened to see him walk by.

Kids polished off the day with a swim in a not-as-warm-as-you'd-expect 'heated' pool. They were not deterred, and put their time in. Sleep for all 3 came quickly, 2 were gone before the end of the Pooh chapter we read. I asked Mitch, when I made one last go 'round for kisses if he was going to have a hard time getting to sleep. He laughed and said no, and he was right. :)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Boston

Ether Monument

This is a monument to the first surgery using anesthesia, performed at nearby Massachusetts General Hospital in 1846.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Public Garden

Make Way For Cygnets

Of course, this is the monument for the classic tale set in Boston's Public Gardens and neighboring Boston Common.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Public Gardens