My only regret was not getting one single photos of Ainsley with my sister, or me with my sister, or Julie and Sim together with a proper cute belly shot, and of course one of all three of us girls. Bummer.
Photo oopses aside, we had a blast. I was hoping that it was going to be a magical time with Ainsley. That she'd really lean into being just her and me, shape up a bit and glide along. Almost reassuringly we still had the same issues as always. A stuck out tongue at me when I told her $24 was too much for a small pink stuffed bunny, a sneer when I told her she couldn't drink our whole delicious frozen nutella drink BEFORE we'd had our delicious crepe. Oh the injustice of life! That girl is 5 going on 15 and I've known it since birth. At least she's consistent!
This trip was different than my last trip to Boston, when Ainsley was just a bean in my tummy actually. That trip we "did" Boston. Went on a duck tour, saw the downtown sights, ate chowder and sea food and north end italian deliciousness (Mike's bakery included of course!), even lunched at a bar across from Fenway while a game was going on.
This trip we spent our time getting to know my sister's neighborhood and home. We had busy mornings and loung-y afternoons. I don't think I could pick a favorite thing that we did. It was all great.
Breakfast at the condo
walk to the Rose Garden Playground and shops on Beacon Street
Lunch at Temptations (best chicken ceaser wrap I can imagine)
monster amazing naps
playtime for ainsley with Auntie Jooj and her awesome SLP games
dinner at Sweet Cheeks (ridiculous barbecue and sides with buttermilk biscuits and honey butter)
Rummikub fun for the adults
Morning out in downtown Boston
walked through the public garden, saw a 10K race, walked to Flour, consumed amazing pastries while Ainsley played at a great park
walked a mile with Ainsley on my back to an outdoor market. Tried on and purchased a new tunic(!!!) bought two red New York apples, cabbed it back to the car, nibbled for lunch on the porch
monster amazing naps
walked with Ainsley back to the shops on Beacon street, purchased a new wallet for myself and stickers books for the girls (Usborne!!! at a bookstore!!!)
take out dinner with Jooj, quesarittos (think fried quesadilla stuffed and rolled like a burrito)
late fun night of wine and talk
Morning at the beach!!! salt water, sun, dry heat and sand. Truly perfection. We stayed two full hours.
Picked up lunch from Paris Crepes and Temptations. Ainsley chose a cream cheese and smoke salmon crepe, I simple needed ONE MORE chicken caesar wrap (damn, now I want another one). We split a nutella frozen chocolate drink per Julie's recommendation. One of the best things I've had in a long time.
4:40 flight turned into a 5:40 flight...no big thing.
Ah.
Alright, I lied, there was a stand out favorite; visiting my sister.
We are the two in our family that don't live at "home" and we've bonded over that through the years. While our MN families live in their relatively modern homes and well manicured suburbs we chuckle over our 100 year old crib problems and loves, big city living, making a home away from home.
It's bizarre and wonderful to be at this stage of life. The one where all us little girls are big adults with husbands and children and houses and jobs and lives of our own. I loved getting to see her life.
I got to see where they live, surrounded by friends and awesomeness. Their condo is beautiful. They have amazing adult furniture and art, and that fancy chandelier?!? Well, I'm almost as big a fan as Ainsley. I'm so excited to see them add to their family this fall. That's one lucky little baby in there.
Man, if Boston wasn't the third most expensive place to live in the country right now, we'd be so IN. Ainsley's already on board. She cried herself to sleep the night we got back, just begin to live there.
It was fantastic. What a great great trip. Thanks Julie and Sim!!!
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