Fun Days with Granny & Papa

While home it was really important that the kids (and I) spend time with our families.  Before scheduling any time with our friends I made sure to coordinate calendars with our parents to ensure that I didn't overbook us to the point where the kids didn't get to see their grandparents. 

I got the kids the day after they got back to the good ole USA.  Their first day back Julie took them to see some friends at Southwick zoo and then they were cape bound for 2 and half days with just Granny, Papa, Aunt Beck, Uncle Ray and Daddy

Before I got the kids I surprised my Dad for father's day.   My parents were scheduled to meet Becky and Ray at their house for a day on the house float.  When my parents knocked on the door I answered to the surprise of my Dad who had no idea I was there.
When I brought the kids to the cape the following day it was raining so we hung out and also went to the movies to see Madagascar 3.  They may or may not of watch their fill of Simpsons and Family Guy.  Granny kept asking if Family Guy was appropriate, probably not but the crude humor was way above their head and they just love that show.  Some day they will say Dad you really let us watch that.  At this point family guys stars wars goes through may head...if you have seen it you know what I mean.

We also celebrated Becky's birthday - only 25 :)  She was soo happy to have the kids there for this special celebration.  We also got to open Becky and Ray's Christmas presents for the kids.  They got "lost" in the mail system for 4 months.  Once the box arrived back in the states around April Becky got a call to pick it up.  The post office had the nerve to charge her over $35 to get the box back after it was lost for 4 months.  I guess someone had to pay for the box to travel through Europe, hang out in Spain for awhile and then come back to the states.

The following day we played soccer outside for a bit and then went on a pirate cruise.   Liam got scared from the beginning when the captain talked about  a sea monster, never left his mind.  Papa had to sit with him the entire time.  Aidan thought he was too big for the pirate cruise but had a good time in the end.  Of course, before we went on the cruise Aidan insisted upon Clam Chowda for breakfast no less.  After the pirate cruise Papa took the kids to an Arcade for some video games and time with the kids. 

The following morning I had to leave early to take the kids to the dentist.  We spent the morning chilling with some  Simpsons and Family Guy.  After getting up at 5:30 AM Liam fell asleep at about 8:30 AM until it was time to leave.  Aidan was couldn't believe he fell asleep during Family Guy.

It was a great two and a half day down the cape with my family but it's never enough...

Heading out to the house float on farther's day

the house float

Great cape cod lunch

Beck actually made the lobsta salad

it was great

playing soccer with Papa

Chilling with Granny

Aidan helping Ganny with Becky's BDay cake

Laim wanting to help as well

The cake

Happy Birthday Becky...

You can blow

(insert family guy joke)

Becky opening Liam's card

The kids got Becky talking Simpsons cards

They made her open them over and over again

Christmass from Becky and Ray

Better late than never

thank you postal service

what is this?????

Liam can't open it quick enough

Becky's birthday ends on a high note

of home made Irish Cream.

Roisin makes it best!

Liam after getting pirated up! Aidan was like no way dude

Heading out to battle pirates and find treasure

Liam with Papa trying to aviod the sea monster

The pirate we need to defeat

Cannons fire

Aidan shooting the cannon

Treasure being brought on board

Liam's treasure haul

The kids coming into port after defeating the pirate

and finding treasure

I am promised the recipe in the will. 

I think I will open a distillery.

It is that good

the end

Besos,

Josh

Spending Time with Nana and Papa

While home it was really important to me that the kids (and I) spend time with our families.  Before scheduling any time with our friends I made sure to coordinate calendars with our parents to ensure that I didn't overbook us to the point where the kids didn't get to see their grandparents.  With Josh here for a few days, he took the kids to see his parents on the Cape (watch for his blog update sometime in the next century) and I plan to take them again at the end of this week.

We've also been spending time with my family.  Some of it has been little spurts here and there as we bound in and out of the house on all our US adventures.  But even those little bits have been quality time.  Just chilling on the couch with Papa or working on his model airplane.  Doing coloring with Nana and making cookies.  Every little bit they spend with our families is time well spent.

I've spent the better part of the last several years feeling guilty for taking the only grandchildren on both sides away from our parents.  Now mind you, our parents have NEVER made us feel this way, this is self inflected.  But it means that when we come home, it's uber important to me that they get this time together.

Our big adventure with my parents so far was a trip to Boston to the Children's Museum.  Both the Aquarium and the Children's Museum are two of Aidan's favorite places in Boston.  Liam once again, has limited memory of his time here and you would think he hadn't been to the museum at least a dozen times in his life but to him, it was all new.  His favorite (and one of Aidan's) was the 3 story climber.  It was great getting to see Liam actually able to climb pretty much to the top (or close to the top, it's when he realized how high he was and started to panic a little bit).  Another favorite of the boys was the bubble room and Arthur's world.  Liam, a lover of being the center of attention, loved being able to be on tv. 

A view of some of the Boston skyline

Nana, Papa and Liam

This milk bottle has been here since I was a kid!

Starting the 3 story climber

Liam realizing just how high he is...

But he kept going for a bit

Liam off for some adventure with Papa

Golf ball momentum fun

Liam liked having the balls going down the spiral

This just reaffirms our need to become fluent in Spanish... it's everywhere

Bubble room!

Bubble fun with Nana!

Fascinated!

Trying to put the bubble around himself...

Making huge bubbles!

Climbing ropes

Giant checkers

Peep from Peep and the Big Wide World

Sand fun with Nana

Building blocks and puppets, it doesn't get much better for Liam

Aidan's castle

I'm on tv!!!!!!

Aidan's on tv too!

You would thinking after puking 11 times on the flight here he'd be against flying but apparently not - he took charge of this plane!!!

Construction zone

Driving the bobcats

After a long morning at the museum we headed off to the Barking Crab for some yummy seafood goodness. One of Aidan's requests when we booked this trip home was for clam chowder. I think in his week back he's had it at least a half dozen times and has satisfied that craving for a while...

Nana and Papa

Aidan is annoyed here because he really wants to go to Attleboro to see his friends (whom at that point he hadn't seen yet) and I was a terrible mom and making him have a great seafood lunch...

I love New England...

Today each of the boys is going to spend some time with Nana and Papa - a little quality alone time.  I'm sure there will be updates later!

Besos,
Julie