Charles River Museum of Industry

We finally got one more check on our "Boston Bucket List." 

We spent our first two Boston area years living in Waltham and we never did made it to the Charles River Museum of Industry. It wasn't at all what I expected--just a small section of an historic factory--nothing fancy, no lavish displays, expensive frills, or other visitors; yet to a history addict like me it was still interesting.

We spent about an hour exploring. An hour is about the limit of two boys at a museum and an hour was how much change we had for the parking meter.

The shop manager had a fun and quirky personality. The kids were allowed to touch and play with most of the machines. Bonus! That helped them survive the ten minutes of time where I tried to read a few signs and explore the Waltham Watch displays upstairs.

I was especially impressed by some framed letters that Chester Nimitz (think WWII) had written about the repair of his watch. After his watch got fixed he the company and explained that he needed a bill for the services and had done nothing to deserve a free repair. I would beg to differ.

David and Will sit on a fire truck that was pulled by horses. Fascinating!

I was also a little blown away that I was standing in the part of the factory where Francis Cabot Lowell had installed the first steam powered loom. The UK was ultra protective of their industrial revolution technology. Lowell memorized how the looms in England worked and brought (or smuggled?!) that here. For some reason I remembered that detail from a history course long ago!

We got caught in an June downpour on the walk to the car but we didn't mind. It was a good afternoon and I'm really glad we went.

A nice walk from the parking lot!

"Love that muddy water"

Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl

Would you ever let your kids eat 30 bowls of ice cream? Well, we did. Sort of. We tried about that many kinds of ice cream ourselves. There was a fantastic assortment with many different vendors offering about five  flavors each.

David and Will were content with about two or three scoops and {shock, horror} were done after that. Brad and I, however, were more ambitious and had at least one spoonful of each kind and if we liked it ate more...up to an entire scoop!

Happily eating their ice cream.

Enjoying testing out a zip car.

 Why yes, I think we'll support cancer research and come again next year!

Brad was very sick the next day, I can't help but wonder if it was related to insane ice cream consumption.

We had a nice little family walk around the public garden afterward. The boys really enjoyed riding the T home with their Dad. Brad reported that they squealed, screamed, and looked out the windows with excitement and delight. Oh to be a three or four year old boy! I took the car back with friends. Surprisingly, even with the notoriously slow bus ride I was not the first one home! 

Enchanted Village

We visited the Enchanted Village at Jordan's furniture for the second year in a row. It was fun to be able to go with Brad. He had some time off during Christmas but used much of it to study for the boards.

Here are the boys looking at one of the Christmas scenes.

Looking at the camera!

Brad gives William a ride.

This was my favorite little life like scene, it is by no means the most elaborate of what we saw but for some reason I liked it best. Just look at all the detail!

People waiting to send or pick up packages at the post office...

A "real" bulletin board.

And finally when we were done a(nother) visit with Santa. Of course William didn't want to be involved!

We headed to Ikea for lunch afterward. Who doesn't love a trip to Ikea?!

Christmas Program

All dressed up for the Christmas program at church!

Both Brad and I sang in the choir; Brad because he has some singing talent and me because I had to be at the practices anyway. I played a simple flute duet with a friend and then a really lovely obbligato (pretty flutie part) with a small singing group. It was nice to play again. I love celebrating the Savior through music.

Copley Square Tree Lighting

One of our first Christmas activities was attending the Copley Square Christmas tree lighting. Compared to the two tree lightnings that we went to last year (The Newbury Street one was a dud, the other at Quincy Market was waaaay too busy...) this was FANTASTIC. We didn't get there early but were able to see everything going on and even snuck to the front of the little stage.

An Air Force brass band played beautiful Christmas carols. Characters from the Nutcracker were there: the huge bear and a soldier on stilts to name a few. Different sponsors were passing out free cookies, egg nog, and chocolate milk. (We all know that our BrDad can't pass up free goodies!) A children's choir sang, and the mayor gave a short speech and invited the children on stage with him. The tree was beautiful as was the backdrop of the Trinity Church on one side and the Boston Public library on the other.

David on the stage with Mayor Menino in the background.

I forgot my camera so Brad's cell phone had to do.

Perhaps the best part of this night was the weather. It was threatening rain but clear and WARM. Hurrah New England, thanks for coming through, especially after Thanksgiving!

The most fancy part of the evening was the after party at the Farimount Copley Hotel. We had no idea we'd be able to attend such an event. I love things like this that are free and open to the public. It was fabulous to sneak a peek at the fancy ballroom and then be able to go to a party inside! There was a decadent hot chocolate station, a cookie decorating station, and "tea" finger foods. A live band and Santa and Rudolph made the lavish event even more special.

The kids really enjoyed decorating their cookies and having them all packaged up to take home. David enjoyed Santa and William kept his distance from the jolly old guy. We ate some Wendy's for dinner. I thought this night was well worth the few dollars we paid to park downtown! I'm beginning to feel a little sad that our time in Boston will come to a close and we may not be here to enjoy another Christmas. I'm glad we were able to squeeze in this perfect family outing.

Ward Christmas Party

Brad spent Friday night and Saturday making what is becoming some of his "famous" ice cream. Ever since we acquired a free chest freezer he's been experimenting and I'd say he has come up with some delicious creations. This time it was a peppermint cheescake. It included peppermint, fudge, crushed oreos, and other stuff to make it taste cheesecakey. He made double the amount he made for the fall ward party and it was GONE in no time.

Brookline Ward Inaugural

Christmas Party 2011

Below: trying to take a photo of the boys before we left.

And finally we find something acceptable.

I can never decide if we should tie David and William to their chairs at events like this of just or let them run around with the other kids. It was wonderful that our opera-singing ward member did a rendition of the Mr. Grinch song for the kids. Most amazing male voice I've heard in person.

There was cupcake decorating and a showing of the Dr. Seuss' How the Grich Stole Christmas for the kids. The four course meal was amazing. It was a FABULOUS party. I know it is a darn lot of work to put on something like that. It was nice being able to go and enjoy it without doing all the planning and preparation.

A Family of SEVEN?!

No, we aren't having triplets (and no we aren't expecting at all) but we did babysit three extra kiddos during the week of Thanksgiving. It was an interesting learning experience.

Things were both easier and harder than I thought they would be. I found out that older kids are more helpful and independent. Who knew! My boys enjoyed playing with the two bigger ones.

The hardest part was probably just not being my house and being able to do "my house stuff" and not being sure where to put stuff away that was taken out! The youngest little girl (2oish months) was a sweet China doll that was an angel the entire time.

Case in point above. I don't think these were supposed to be taken out by the 4 year old we were watching, nor were they supposed to be put on by David.

The 4 year old girl M had a beautiful mane of hair. Thick, long, and amazing for 4. But I was incompetent when it came to doing anything with it. I'm glad she could walk me through the steps of washing at least! I can't imagine what my Mom went through to keep our hair under control. Thanks Mom.

Another bonus was getting to drive the pretty new mini van. Loved it! We were all pretty tired when it was time to go home on Wednesday night. For the first year in forever I was glad we weren't hosting Thanksgiving dinner.

Old Sturbridge Village

We finally were able to use our groupon to Old Sturbridge Village. It's a living history museum that tries to capture what life was like in New England from the 1750's to the 1840's. In my humble opinion it was better than Plymouth plantation. Our only problem was that we didn't even seen half of it!

It was amazing. Homes and buildings were moved from all over the area (up in Maine, down in Rhode Island, Western Mass, etc.) and made into a very realistic and true to the times place!

We had a good day there and would love to go back. It was nice not having to take the stroller and letting the boys walk. We'll see if we want to brave the weather later in the season.

The Blogging Break is Over!

Wow, for a person that enjoys blogging that was a loooooong break. I truly missed updating friends and family on our life, reflecting on what we've been doing, and making that record for the future.

The summer was crazy fun, crazy busy, and crazy hard. We had some unexpected health problems (nothing life threatening--just life frustrating) and I think we are finally back on track. For the first time I don't think we were sad to bid those long and beautiful days goodbye.

Who knows if I'll ever catch up, in theory I'd like to catch up with at least the pictures...we'll see.

Anyway, the Cammack's are back!

Tanglewood

We spent much of today at a timeshare tour (aka twist your arm to sign up for a time share you don't want and can't afford tour) and while it wasn't super fun it did make this trip super cheap so we endured. I may or may not have exited with the kids who may or may not have been being a nightmare at the part where they were trying to get us to sign up for it. :) We didn't let them convince us but MAN...those people can put the pressure on!

Old town hall in Lenox, MA. It is now a Yankee Candle store.

I thought it was very cute.

The main event for today was Tanglewood--it's the famed summer home of the Boston Pops and a huge outdoor "campus" dedicated to bringing music performance and music education to the masses. I actually remember going to a Boston Pops concert in Phoenix when I was a young woman. It was somehow a church activity. I figure if I heard about the Boston Pops as a kid in Arizona they must be somewhat famous.

Tonight's concert was directed by John Williams and of course featured the Boston Pops with guest singer James Taylor. Whoa. If those names weren't amazing enough this concert was even more impressive and wonderful because the kids were free and our admission was relatively cheap. I really wished my Mom and co. could have been there. They would have loved it.

I was struck by the elaborate picnics that people brought. It was the most enchanting place. Many folks had candles, tables, and UH-MAZH-ING spreads.

You can see all the people, a fraction of the crowd, and the tent that housed the orchestra. We opted to sit on the lawn and even though we could only see by video it was the perfect choice. We heard everything and our boys did really well.

Some nearby picknickers with their fancy layout!

The boys listen to the show. Will had a dirty face from eating a few to many peanut M & M's. What a huge night. It was all wonderful. The movie scores from John Williams and the James Taylor stuff. How could you even pick a winner?

It was fun listening to James Taylor talk about his song "You've Got A Friend" that he did with Carole King. He admitted to liking it but then made a joke saying if he had only known how many times he'd have to sing it... James Taylor owns a home near Tanglewood and he and his wife are involved in giving to the organization.

The Berkshires

The first time I head the term "the berkshires" I remember thinking "What the heck are the berkshires?!" Turns out the Berkshires are a small mountain range or highland geologic region in western Massachusetts. The area is famous for many reasons and has been dubbed "the inland Newport." History lessons aside it was a great place for a short family weekend away.

We stayed in a town called Great Barrington.

I loved this town hall all decorated for the 4th of July.

David and Will walk along the cute rows of shops.

We decided to eat dinner at a Thai place on main street. It was just a short walk from our hotel. We were wary of taking our kids into restaurant that seemed nice. Amazingly it was one of the most pleasant moments I've had dining with kids since I've become a mother. The restaurant was a quiet and peaceful. David and William behaved like little gentleman

Will really loved those chopsticks! The restaurant manager found a rubber band to keep the sticks together so they were easier for him to hold.

Even picky eater David found something he liked!

It was such a pleasant and tasty meal.

I had to record it with a photograph of the entire family!

Thanks boys for making this night part of a really nice get away.

Twilight Birthday Party

I'm always up for any excuse to have a good party. I was shopping the Christmas clearance racks at Target this past January (apparently a habit for me) and bought a Twilight SceneIt game on a whim. It was only $7.00 and I figured it could be fun for a girls night. My party planning partner in crime Jenna and I hatched a plan for a night centered around this game.

We decided that Melanie would like a Twilight birthday party. None of us are overly huge Twihards but we did have fun reading the books and seeing (making fun of) the movies so the theme fit.

Red drinks!

We also had apple slices and red and black chocolate covered pretzels.

Cupcakes with Jacob and Edward toppers.

We had a little garland of plastic forks all strung up to represent the town forks. We also had some umbrellas wedged in the corners of the room since it was rainy place.

Some of the other decor...

It was really fun to put this together! We planned and giggled about lots of the silly things we did and had waaaay more ideas than we had time or money. Did you know that it is nearly impossible to find pretend fangs in the summer? Remember that next time you want to throw a twilight party.

This is one of my personal favorites...we were glad that Melanie obliged us with a photo of herself when she didn't know what we were up to.

Happy Birthday Melanie! You are a great woman and friend.

Jenna gets her werewolf thing on!

All of the ladies...

Thanks Christy for photographing the party. It wouldn't have been possible with out Jenna's bottomless craft supply and talent. It helped that both Jenna and I love to decorate with red. Even the birthday girl helped put things together! I'm smiling just remembering how fun this night was.

Cars 2

Maybe you weren't waiting the entire summer to see "Cars 2" but we were. David and William often want to BE cars instead of little boys. It fits that the Disney Pixar film is their favorite. We often drive through Watertown Square. It's the city "center." Both kids squealed with delight at the Cars 2 posters that were up near all the bus-stops.

The day finally came (ok, well the half price day a few days after) we were ready to go! We happen to have fellow CARS loving friends who live walking distance from a great theater. Perfect. Brad was very disappointed that he didn't get to go.

5 boys ready all ready to see the show!

And Janelle is having a girl...good thing. This group needs some pink!

Can't you just sense the excitement!

Ready to watch...

I know the movie didn't get great reviews but we loved it. It was everything little boy hearts could desire. There were old favorites like Mater and McQueen, fun new characters, and lots of intense chase scenes. I love the little jokes they throw in for the adults. We already have plenty of CARS 2 products...wonder what else they'll come up with?

Oh yes, we did see it at the theater AGAIN a few days later with Brad.

David's Half Birthday

When your birthday is the same week as Christmas your Mom worries about how to best make you feel that your day is special. This year after several disasters we concluded that it was best to have a party for David in the summer.

The first disaster was the more-snowy-than-usual-snowy-New-England-Winter. Forget having a bunch of people over...where would they park? On the street that could barley let one car through?

The second was a scheduling error of the church building. I'm glad we didn't show up wanting to have a birthday party when there was a Stake Relief Society leadership meeting/lunch happening.

The third was that I accidentally sent these little photos to a military base in South Africa. I don't know that they ever really went there but they certainly didn't get to our house very fast. Darn you drop down menus!

It was looking like David wouldn't have his Curious George party. I was tempted to skip it because he'd really never know but I had talked it up all winter so I couldn't break my promise to him.

This is just in case you couldn't see the small photos on the invitation:

The Man in the Yellow Hat for Halloween 2009.

Meeting Curious George in person not long after William was born!

I found some clearance monkey invites at Target!

We decided to have the party while my parents were in town in June...this way they could meet some of our friends. It ended up being really good that all those helping hands were around. I don't know if we could have pulled it off without my Mom and Brooke hanging balloons and cutting rolls minutes before everyone arrived.

Digging in bark mulch for potatoes. Both David and William loved this activity at a festival we'd been to in the spring and I was anxious to see how it worked as a birthday party game.

Curious George Bean Bag toss.

Pin the hat on TMITYH.

The half birthday boy. He tells everyone he's 3 and half now.

The family.

The monkey cake made by Brad.

And the moment that was worth all the work! David really did enjoy blowing out those candles. I think all the kids liked the cupcakes too.

Here is William happy to be sitting with his grandpa Von.

It was a great little birthday party. The weather cooperated, it didn't rain, and it wasn't sticky! We maxed out the capacity of our backyard with good friends and neighbors. And man were we all exhausted afterwards. I think David (and everyone else) had a good time.