Break time on the trail

The kids were ready for another break by the time we made it to this water area so we let them play for a while. 

 

Why do all the kids do this?  I always see at least one if not more at the water parks!  I just happened to catch Ashey in the act. 

Warming up, those of us who didn't get in the water were still trying to cool off! 

Jillian cried when we told her to wear her swim suit that morning (overly tired) and insisted she didn't even want to play in the water.  Of course she played the longest & had the most fun.  What I hope she learned, "just listen to your parents when they say you will be happy you wore your bathing suit under your clothes!" 

Conan & Sierra promised their kids we would stop for some ice cream at the next place we saw.  Who would have guessed it would be right across the street, so not 2 minutes later we were once again taking a break but with ice cream this time. 

 

 

 I loved this red door behind Benny!

 

The Freedom Trail

 

We drove to Alewife station & took the train into down town Boston.  Alewife is the beginning of the line at that end of town so we got on to a pretty open train.  As we made our way through the stops it became much more crowded.  The kids thought it was great fun, I found it to be not so fun especially trying to maneuver strollers through all the traffic.  It is just not very stroller friendly.  Also it made me motion sick!

 

 

Fountain on Boston common.

The Mass State house (below right) is the beginning of the freedom trail. 

 

One of the many churches along the way. 

 

 Inside of another church.  No I didn't use my flash to take the picture!

 

Guess who didn't want to sit on the donkey with his brother & sister. 

 

 Lunch.  We stopped for lunch & found a side walk to sit on & eat our McDonald's.  We were doing a decent job of keeping the pigeons away until Sierra cleaned out the bottom of the stroller & tossed the gold fish out.  We were soon swarmed & had to relocate.  Moral of the story is leave your strooler dirty! 

 

Feeling renewed energy from our lunch we walked across the street to the old south meeting house (another church).

 

This building is the site of the Boston Massacre.

The balcony on the back side is where the constitution was first publicly read. 

 

We are pretty sure this large macaroni noodle was not a freedom trail historical site but the kids thought it was one of the neater things we saw that day. 

 

 

That only covers the first part of the day. 



 

Our next adventure was a trip in to Quincy to see John Adam's houses.  We left Carter with his cousins, making the trip much more enjoyable for all of us. 

 

 

The church where they are buried.

 

 

Cemetery where they were buried before they were moved to the church.

Jillian was not thrilled to encounter another cemetery so soon after her fall in the last one the day before. 

 

John Quincy's grave before he was moved into the church also.

 

 

 The trolley picked us up by the church & drove us to the first houses. 

The house John Adam's was born in. 

 

The house he lived in later (just across the yard from the 1st one).  This is where Abigail lived while John was away for the Continental congress. 

 

Below - The house John & Abigail lived in after they returned from their many diplomatic posts in Europe.  They decided they needed something a bit larger & grander after spending so much time in Europe.  The house started at about 1/2 this size & was added to by many generations of Adam's who lived in it.  It was really neat but incredibly hot & stuffy!!!  Benny & Christian only made it to the first room before one of them couldn't take being cooped up anymore & had to get out & run.  It was like Mount Vernon all over again except that it was Bennett who had to be taken out & not Carter. 

 

 

The library that John Adam's always wanted was added later by his Grandson (if I remember correctly, it is hard to learn anything with kids there!!)

Benny lasted for about 10 minutes in the library before he refused to be distracted by the passing traffic outside any longer.  He refused to watch for a possible trash truck (which he loves) to drive by and wanted out!  He & I spent a little time in the beautiful gardens. 

 

Side view of the house with the library on the left.



The event

After some technical difficulties, I am back for the next installment.  So we were at the Old North Bridge, having a nice time.  Note the small boat house & dock behind the boys, it comes into play later.  Also make a mental note of Carter's clean white socks & legs.

 Everyone was happy throwing things into the river (the boys favorite past time).

 

More things go in.  They could have done this all day until...

We hear a hello from down river.  Jillian had made her way over to the dock & was claiming our attention so we could all see how cool she is:).  Well, as soon as the boys saw her they took off running to join her.  They decided there was no reason to stay on the marked path and therefore did not pass Christian who was giving out warnings not to get in the mud.  Having missed this vital, and apparently not obvious information, Carter climbed on the dock & took a big leap into the mud below. 

All I heard through the trees, as I followed the appropriate path, were frantic cries of "Help, I am stuck" repeated over and over in a very panicked voice. 

 

This was the next thing I saw when I made it to the boat house.  As Carter cried, he is very claustrophobic & had thought he was about to perish in quick sand, and Christian lectured on the stupidity of jumping into the mud, I documented what we knew would later be a very funny story. 

 

Go back to the first picture if you don't remember what color Carter's socks were pre-mud. 

 

This is how you look after you have had what you thought to be a near death experience & you have to endure a lecture form your Father. 

You might also look like this!

 

 

The next part of the time was spent looking for a hose to wash this guy off before he got back into any of Uncle Conan & Aunt Sierra's car's.  Apparently they don't like black stinky mud all over their car's, go figure. 

 

A hose was located in the garden but it wasn't attached to anything, that was a disappointment.  

The search continued, and we found one around the back of the house where Christian discreetly rinsed Carter off. 

 

 

As we walked back across the bridge, I got another picture of the boat house.  Can you tell where Carter was?  The trail of mud is a giveaway. 

 

Well, we made it back to the car & stripped Carter down only to have him exclaim "Where is my hat?"  He had it on in the first 2 pictures but you will notice not in any of the others.  Sierra & I voted to buy a new hat, as it was a rather long walk back to the bridge, & it was very hot & humid.  But Christian, feeling some remorse over having lectured Carter when he was in such a fragile state, assured Carter he would go back for it.  Carter was very grateful, he is pretty attached to his hats & wears them often.  Luckily, Daddy found his hat & Carter was able to laugh about his sad mud pictures later that evening, though he is still a little touchy about having the story told.