Bouncing Around Boston: Part 6

From DC we flew up to Boston where we would spend the next week cramming in visits with friends. Boston was full of fortuitous meet-ups! I found out my cousin Chris and his family (who live in Arizona) would be leaving from Logan Airport around the same time we were landing. We missed seeing Lindsey, Silas and the belly by an hour or so, but got in some time with Chris at the rental car counter :) We'll take visits any way we can get them!

We drove to Cory and Mike's gorgeous new house in Concord, which was our on again, off again base for the week. I was excited to see the house, but much more excited to meet 4 month old baby Benjamin! What a cutie! Maeve was also excited to meet Biscuit and Gravy. The carpeted basement also inspired her to take some solid steps! Just a few and then a plop down, but progress! We enjoyed a peaceful afternoon at a local playground, my first American grocery shop this trip (I was carded and didn't have any ID) and then a quiet night at the house.

Sunday was the day of all days. Being the only full weekend day we had in Boston, we crammed in a lot of visits with our friends with kids. The first was extra special because Ella, Jake, Cora and Gus drove all the way from Montpelier, Vermont to see us. They stayed at a friend's condo in Roslindale so we met there in the morning for fun playground time and the most delicious brunch at Redd's in Rozzie. Thank you friends for making the drive to see us!!

Jeff, Char and Aurelia met us back at the playground after brunch and we played until the kids were ready to drop. Then we drove to a cafe where we could let them sleep in the car while eating next to them. Oh, parenting on the go. Aure kept us all entertained while the others were sleeping. It was hard to believe that we had never met her! The time really does fly by. Jeff is kicking butt and taking names at STAT news. Check them out if you haven't already!

Awake again and ready to rumble!

The cafe stop put us just 10 minutes away from our final event of the day. A Douglas family college reunion at Steve, Lauren, Bear and CC's house (no actual relation). 5 of the 12 Dougs were present and there were more new kiddos (and fur babies) to meet! It is still hard for me to wrap my head around so many of Pete's college friends being fathers knowing them all back when, but they are all doing a wonderful job! 

Preston and Bear

With the newest Doug, Lincoln

The next fortuitous meet-up happened Monday morning. Through Instagram, I learned that Amelia was in New England and messaged her just in case she was going to be in Boston, which she was! She is just back from her year in Africa, headed back to Washington state so I never imagined I would be seeing her so soon! So we were able to meet up in the Boston Science museum before my afternoon flight to Martha's Vineyard. I was so happy to get to introduce her to Maeve and to see Jude "all grown up!"

While I was gone for 2 days and nights on Martha's Vineyard (post to follow), Pete got to have a night seeing Sam and Desanty. They were meant to play an open mic in Somerville, our old neighborhood, but had a chill night in instead. Pete, Oma, Opa and the kids also got to spend time with the Boston Durnings: Chris, Renee, Julianna, Benjamin, Steve and Laurel, who I was sad to miss seeing (and who Pete forgot to get pictures with).

I heard Steve captured Maeve's heart and visa versa while I was gone. So sweet to see, especially given her often "mommy only" attitude. 

When I returned from the Vineyard, Pete and kids picked me up from the airport and we went straight to Jocelyn, Dan and Calvin's home in Dorchester. They bought a beautiful Victorian a few years back and are updating it mostly on their own (while holding down two serious jobs and raising a toddler. NBD). The visit was a bit chaotic with an unexpected retrieval mission for a lost cell phone, the chicken pox vaccine and trying to get our kids fed and on the road in time for bed. We so enjoyed meeting Calvin who is as brilliant as his parents and a very good toy-sharer! Regrettable we did not get a picture with J-Fo and Dan as there were a lot of tears after said vaccines!

The boys doing some construction projects with Maeve overseeing

Oma and Opa drove the kids back to Holliston for the night so that Pete and I could go to a yummy dinner at SRV in the South End with the Douglases and some of their ladies. We inevitably had many of the same conversations over and over again on this visit and none pleased us more than sharing the social benefits of living in the Netherlands. Explaining the affordable child care, lack of property taxes, free health care for children, etc, etc, etc, made us feel really good about our current life situation. If only we could convince more people to move over!

The guys

Our last fortuitous meet-up was with the Walker, Maddie, Margaret and David who live in Portland, OR, but happened to be visiting Walker's family the week we were in town. They invited us up to Swamscott for the day. We were meant to have a beach day, but did a modified version when it was grey and a bit rainy. It had been three years since we'd seen them. Margaret and Jude got along great, and had so much fun being goofy together. 

Looks who's standing!

Little charmer 

"All aboard!"

Little monkeys

While dinner was being prepared, Walker's mom set up a painting station for the big kids and then read them stories aloud while they painted! So great! 

Friday was our last day in Boston and if it isn't obvious from reading these last posts, I have to say that we became a bit travel weary. It took 34 days away from home to reach this point, which is pretty amazing! Exhausted from all of the driving throughout Boston, we opted for a day at home so the kids could get proper rest (and us, too). That meant missing out on a playdate with Joe, Pam and Josie, which we were really sad about. Instead, Pete and I dealt with our huge accumulation of things and the task of packing it all to fit for our flight home. While we tackled that, Oma and Opa took Jude and Maeve to the playground. With both of our kids napping and the packing complete, we had time to hang out with Benjamin (and I started in on the daunting task of updating the blog).

Maeve's wardrobe got hooked up by Winks in Maryland

Sweet boy!

Oblivious to our selfie 

Later in the afternoon, Jen drove down from Portland (ME) to see us and meet Maeve and Benjamin. I was in the early, miserable stages of pregnancy with Maeve when Jen came to visit us in Amsterdam. I felt badly that I couldn't give her the royal visitor welcome when we saw her last, so I was glad to have an opportunity to get those drinks together that I missed out on!

A huge shout out to our hosts with the most who put up with our all of our comings and goings, while also prepping to host a massive family reunion at their house the day we left! Can't wait to see Benjamin again when he's an active little guy!

Jude took this picture! He's getting so good! I guess Mike's seen better pre-school photographers :)