Vacation Week, Feb. 2007

Inexplicably, schools in Massachusetts have a week-long vacation in February.

I imagine that this is a nice break for the teachers. And for families who have the time and money to vacation in the Caribbean or go skiing in Vermont, this must be a real treat.

For the rest of us who are saving our vacation time for other commitments and are still recovering from the harrowing expense of Christmas, February vacation is a chance to spend 24 hours a day at home with our children.

Here are some highlights of our week:


Monday, Feb. 19
The weather forecast for the rest of the week includes highs above freezing, so Britt and Larry took advantage of the Monday holiday and gathered the boys for what might have been the last game of pond hockey this season.





Tuesday, Feb. 20
We met up with Natalie, Sylvia, and Judy for a late breakfast at a local diner before going to a 1 pm show of Beauty and the Beast at the Wheelock College Theater. Beau enjoyed the show very much; Casey found it somewhat tedious and hard to follow, but with a tummy full waffles and ice cream for breakfast, he was content to sit through it all.






Wednesday, Feb. 21

Q: Five boys and three moms went to the aquarium. How many people went to the aquarium?

A. At least 2,000 -- it was vacation week. (Ugh!)








Thursday, Feb. 22

Beau: Mom, can we go to the science museum today?
Me: No.
Beau: Why not?
Me: Remember all those people who were at the aquarium yesterday?
Beau: Yes.
Me: They'll all be at the science museum today.


So we had a low-key day around town. We went to SuperCuts, the library, and the second-run theater (to see Night at the Museum, which Beau liked, but Casey not -- so he and I sat in the lobby and played cards).



Friday, Feb. 23
Up at 5 am to get Casey to a 7 am hockey game at a rink an hour from Cambridge. Back in time to go sledding with all the neighbors.

In the afternoon, we went to see Looney Tunes cartoons on the big screen at the local art house theater (where I had a nice nap).


Friday night we went to a BU hockey game (BU v. Vermont), and Casey's team got to skate a five-minute scrimmage after the first period. After watching the college boys play, the Mites looked like ants on the ice, but it was great fun.

Happy Birthday, Trixie

Trixie is 10 years old today.

Having adopted a geriatric cat has worked out well enough. At least she's too old for nighttime "Kitty Olympics" (preferring to cuddle, instead), and she had no interest in climbing the Christmas tree. Also, now we can blame the state of the downstairs bathroom on Trixie and her litter box rather than boys with poor aim.

On the other hand, she has a predilection for wolfing her food and barfing it right back up. And, sadly, she generally finds Casey to be a force to hide from, even though it was his plea for a cat that brought Trixie to our happy home.

Valentine's Day Forecast

Outside: Snow and sleet.




Inside: Love and and chocolate.

Britt's Valentine Present to Me

Britt's Valentine present to me was that on Saturday, he bought himself a helmet to wear when he plays ice hockey with the kids. So now if he falls, maybe he won't get a concussion.

He also bought himself a hockey stick, so now he has a properly sized one instead of a too-short kids' stick. A hockey stick should be long enough to reach your nose when you're in standing in sock feet (or reach your chin when you're on skates), so with Britt's long arms and his new 5-1/2 foot hockey stick, he has the reach of an NHL player. (But the kids can still out-play him.)


We went pond skating twice over the weekend: once on the small pond at Menotomy Rocks and once on the much larger Spy Pond (pictured below).




I love that Britt goes out and plays with the kids.

It May Be Fashion Week in NYC...

For reasons unknown to any sane person, Britt, Beau, and Casey got up at 6 am today, left the house by 6:30, and went pond skating before school. (Estimated temperature at 6:30 this morning: 15 degrees F.) After the outing, Britt helped the kids with a quick change in the car before launching them through the school doors.

Since I opted to sleep through the early morning madness, I didn't see the kids today until I picked them up from school: only to discover that they are wearing each others pants -- which they failed to notice until I pointed it out to them.

Beau's only comment: "That's why my ankles feel so cold!"

Happy Birthday, Luna

Hugs and kisses from eveyone at Chateau Rideoux.