*family visit

My parents were out here for a week and we had a great time, seeing a lot of the area.  Here are a bunch of the pictures we took::

On our way to Portsmouth, New Hampshire we stopped here in Marblehead for lunch and a look-around. It was so quaint and pretty.

look at this adorable garden shed!

We also stopped in Salem for a couple hours - I'd love to go back and read more about the history [Ben would like to point out that popular opinion puts the Puritans in a poor light, when really the leaders of the church condemned the trials. Thankfully I am married to a History Professor :)]. I'd heard there was a lot of cheesy witch references, but it really wasn't that bad.  I just love seeing these old old Puritan houses:

at the Strawberry Banke museum in Portsmouth where they've preserved and recreated life there from the 1600s to WW2 era - we all loved it!!

dinner at a fancy restaurant. the girls were amazing! whew.

enjoying her gnocchi:

My mushroom arancini. I feel like arancini were invented with me in mind :)

Vera was so proud and happy to make our coffee in the hotel room. Ah I love to stay in a hotel : )

exploring the garden at strawberry banke:

playing kitchen:

Vera thought the weaving and spinning yarn was especially fascinating. I'd love to get her started in some craftiwork...

Edie wanted to do it her way:

a 300-or-so year old loom:

my dad talking it up with the cooper:

it rained almost the whole time they were here:

John Adams was born in Quincy and we finally went on the tour of his and John Quincy Adams' birthplaces and farm. This is a replica of Abigail's desk.

We went down to New Bedford to check out the whaling museum. My great great great grandfather, Bela Franklin Ward, was a seaman on a whaling ship until a Nantusket sleigh ride made him quit and move west. We tried to find his name somewhere.. don't think we were able to, but it was neat to see it all!

A quick ride on the swan boats before we took them to the airport:

It was a wonderful time all around - does us good to have loved ones share in our life here!

*olympiads

I had to run an errand last night at the mall and Ben sent me this text update:

Both girls got their Olympic outfits on to do cartwheels and somersaults. Vera actually completed a 5 - and I told her if she was in the Olympics, she would get a gold medal. She is now uber excited about the Olympics and fantasizing about it.

He later told me that Edie wanted a gymnastics outfit like Vera, so she put on this little number.  She was very proud of herself and kept saying Vewa, look! Vewa, look!

They break my heart I love them so much!

*la menor

Just some recent pictures of little Eden, such a funny and feisty little girl:

getting better on the tricycle:

loved the high-waisted jammies here:

she got herself all fancy here to help me take out the trash:

posing in her new boden swimsuit:

*la niñez

*childhood*

I read this post recently and I got a little lump in my throat it was so sweet.  Everyone tells you how fast it goes and how you have to hold on and appreciate them when they are small.  Lately I have been letting Edie especially just be a kid - when we go on walks I try to not be in a hurry and let her walk along every curb, climb up on the fence, look at the bugs, push the stroller.  After school I try to let Vera play in the school yard as long as she wants with her friends - they go back by these trees and have some sort of hidden treasure they collect and protect.  I feel like Vera - despite a crazy difficult emotional and sassy stage we are in the middle of - still has so much childlike innocence about her and I love when I see it.  I just went back and tried to find some recent pictures that capture the essence childhood... the sweetness, the innocence, their little ways of being a child  :)  Just a few:

One such morning in Boston, walking along the curbs:

Taking a picture to show Tia how she painted her own nails - with markers:

waiting for their ice cream at the neighborhood shop:

cracking themselves up by spinning and throwing grass in the air:

little huddles around chalk:

extreme excitement over these prepackaged snowcones from the ice cream truck:

*la futbolista

Vera started soccer on Saturday!! It was a very typical and cute first experience. She was more timid than I've ever seen her and didn't quite know what to do with herself - though she was definitely happy and excited. She kept picking up the ball to put it where she wanted it and during the 3 on 3 she and her little friend from class just stood there holding hands, not knowing at all what they were supposed to do :)

*el domingo

The church we've been going to is right in downtown Boston and so after church every week we stay for a little while and hang out in Boston Common or go get lunch nearby. Today was a beautiful Spring day and we had such a great time! After playing at the playground and having a little lunch, we walked over to the Boston Public Garden which I've been wanting to explore. I was so content watching the girls play with their sticks in the water, watching the ducks and all the people [lots of people]. I borrowed Make Way for Ducklings from the library this week as our copy is in storage. So neat to be there where it takes place! Edie wasn't interested, but Vera and I pored over it tonight, noticing where we sat, the State House, the bridge, the boats ... such beautiful illustrations and so fun to have the connection :)

  

The island the ducks in the story live on is just to the right of the boat:

walking back through Boston Common. Ben wanted a picture with the girls, but Edie would only get this close. She was passing through nap time and feeling a little delirious I think:

*Edie at 2.5!

Edie is seriously the funniest little girl. I guess they all are at this age :) Today I was trying to talk to someone after church and she tried to escape the building - Vera was trying to pull her back in while Edie screamed that she wanted to GO OUT IN THE SUMMER!!!!  She makes me laugh.

I should make an "Edie lately" post, but for now I have these photos I've collected over the weeks of her sleeping. She is going through a major transition and every day is completely different from the last. I seriously don't know what to expect. Well except I can expect that it won't be easy :) and that she will crawl in bed with us somewhere between 1-5am.

I think this sleeping on the floor started as a way to just be contrary at nap time, but hey, if she falls asleep it's fine with me. Vera never ever got out of her bed!! Till she was like 4!

or sometimes she will stay awake during quiet time and pass out in the car, like this on the way to swim lessons. I think I already posted this one?

or she falls asleep in the car and I bring her in and she lies comatose wherever I put her:

this is just a cute one of her 'reclining':

and another:

here's one where I thought she was just playing during quiet time but then it was really quiet and she'd fallen asleep right here.

or she was so exhausted from skipping so many naps, she falls asleep here at 11am and sleeps through our whole DMV wait:

Today she did not nap at all, and was a total crazy lady at bedtime. That's when I just "let go" and let her do whatever works to get her to fall asleep. She wanted to sleep on the floor next to her dresser - I just moved her to bed :)