Massachusetts Trip

Back in June, the day after Arden's dance recital, the kids and I flew to Massachusetts (actually we flew into Providence, RI for those of you keeping records of me ;)) to spend six days with my mom.

(Easton eating his first hamburger-and he's still not much of a meat eater) 

I was not excited about flying with two kids alone. Easton does not sit still. The flight there ended up being OK. It was everything before that was chaotic.

We had an early flight (hoping that Easton would nap on the plane since it was during his first nap.) I definitely couldn't stress enough to Derek what his job was that morning-to get Easton up, fed, and dressed. Well I kept saying it over and over and I told him what time I needed to be out of the house. That time came and went and Derek was leisurely cleaning the kitchen and Easton still wasn't out of bed!  I finally got him up myself and said, "Do you see what time it is?! Our plane leaves in an hour!" Finally the fire was lit, but before that, he said, "really? what time does it leave?" "9:30." "Exactly 9:30?" "NO! 9:29! let's GO!!!!" I won't mention this was not the first...or second conversation about flight times....

Anyway, so we got to the airport about 30 minutes before the flight was to leave. On a Saturday morning, it was pretty busy. Since I didn't really have time to wait, I went to the Underage passenger line and  the attendant was nice enough to get me checked in. The other good thing about flying with kids is the family line through security which is usually empty. I brought Easton's car seat for the trip and had a little luggage handcart that we strapped the car seat onto so I could put him in the seat and push him. That was all great until the TSA guy made me take it apart before sending it through the machine. I couldn't get it back together, and I had Easton trying to escape while I was trying to fix it/get Arden's shoes on/having our water tested/get my belt and shoes back on all while everyone just stared......ugh. This really nice man helped me do something but it's been so long, I don't remember what he did. I do remember him saying, "it's OK. We've all been there." I think I was almost in tears. I ended up putting Easton in my Ergo carrier and pushing the car seat that kept falling off the cart. It was torture.

We got to our gate just in time, got on the plane and our seats were not together. Maybe this is when I almost lost it. Luckily a nice man switched with me so I could sit beside Arden. He was trying to get closer to his teenaged son anyway because their seats were switched. Arden played with with the lady sitting beside her and Eaton was good until he ate all of the 22 packs of fruit snacks I packed for the entire trip. He of course was tired, and almost went to sleep, but of course the pilot came on the intercom at that moment.

After that, he pooped and it was the most awful smelling poop I have ever smelled in my life. We were almost to Providence, but out of courtesy for those around me (or maybe just myself), I took him to the deluxe port-a-potty on the plane. All I could think about was the time Derek and I flew with Arden to NYC when she was 22 months and he changed her diaper and came out looking like he walked through a car wash, carrying Arden back to the seat with no pants on. Luckily this plane had a changing table.

Whew! So we finally made it, finally got picked up and Easton finally went to sleep on the car ride to Fairhaven- which is about 45 minutes from Providence and an hour from Boston. We drove around a bit to let Easton sleep, got some food and played. That night, we had a big cookout with my mom's brother and sister and their spouses and my cousin and his son.
The next day, we went to Fort Phoenix. It was pretty windy and too cold to swim, but it was nice. They just so happened to be having a cold front for most of our stay.

Clarisa and her friend flew up a week before we did. We barely saw them because they spent most of their time at a local McDonalds. Weird, I know. I wont get started on that.

This couple loved Easton.

The third day, my cousin, Bobby J picked us up and we went to the Boston Aquarium. It was very small and not worth $25/person. Not sure why we had our picture taken in front of this scenic tent, but hey! Here we are in Boston at the aquarium!

I love this picture of Bobby J and Shane. He's a good dad.

The next day, we went back to Fort Phoenix. They have a playground on the beach.

This was Easton's first time in sand/at a beach.

I had been playing with Easton and went back to the playground area to check on Arden since she was playing alone. She wanted to sit on the bench and have her picture taken.

She was acting silly, then Clarisa walked up and sat with her for a picture. It totally made her day.

The day we were leaving, a heat wave came. Our flight left in the evening, so we had some time in the morning. Bobby J and Shane met us a Red Rock beach- the beach my mom grew up on and where we played the summers my family would visit when I was little.

I love this photo of my mom-

When I decided I was going to Fairhaven, I really wanted to re-create this picture from when we were 5 and 6.. I pulled it out a while ago to scan and put it on Bobby J's  facebook on his birthday. Then we moved. Twice. I packed the picture up somewhere 'that would be easy for me to remember where it was.' How'd that work out? Not so well. I still haven't found they copy, but I finally found a CD it was on from years and years ago. (this is also why this post is soooo late. I didn't want to do the post without the picture.) So anyway- when I went to MA, I didn't have the picture to help us pose, but my mom and I kind of remembered......

Bobby J thought we were crazy when we told him how to stand and what to do with his hands-and the look on his face totally says "you are crazy!" and I look like a freak cracking up. My mom thought she was snapping away taking tons of pictures, but she was only pushing the button half way. I'm glad we got one though. Next time, I will have the picture.

Arden and Shane are 6 months apart and they had so much fun playing together. He is such a cute kid.

Love this of Mimi and Arden: 

  

Now I'm too tired to write about the flight back, but we came back on the same flight as Clarisa and Kaitlyn. Arden sat on a row with the big girls and she ate it up. Easton and I were across the aisle. Let's just say that many people commented on how good he was on the flight to MA. No one said anything o the flight back. He didn't care about snacks this time and was determined to get down and walk around. He pulled the lady's hair in front of us more times than you want to think about. I ended up taking him to the not so deluxe this time potty and let him pull all of the toilet paper off the roll, pull all of the tissues out of the thingy (don't worry-I put them back) and he played in the water for 30 minutes. He loved it. (And now you know why flights are so expensive) I felt like I needed to get my moneys worth and we already made the guy sitting next to us angry.