Diannalynn's east coast visit...

Adam's sister, Diannalynn, visited us over the past week. She brought her youngest son Spencer, who is just 10 months old. It was interesting to watch Gavin's interactions with the little guy and get a little preview of what life will be like in a few months. He definitely displayed typical emotions like jealousy and neediness, but also took on a protective role as well. We had to watch him closely because he also tried to beat up the little guy a few times. Even in the picture below, Gav looks guilty of something... Oh, we're in for some fun this summer!

Adam worked during the weekdays so DL and I went on some short outings last week. Mostly just took the boys for walks to the park or down by the Hudson River. Everything just takes 10 times as long with kids, 2 strollers, diaper bags, etc. The weather was beautiful, low-to-mid 70s- perfect for relaxing out on the front porch.

On Saturday, we all went to Boston for the day. Again, the weather was absolutely fabulous! I had never been to Boston on such a beautiful day. Previous visits have always been rainy or dreary. Boston Common was packed with people picnicking and sunning themselves. Spring always brings such great energy to any city or town. We did a lot of walking- this time we walked the entire Freedom Trail. We started at Boston Common and walked down through Fanueil Hall and Quincy Market, over to the North End, and then over the Charles River Bridge. Rather than turning around, we continued walking through Charlestown and then passed over to Cambridge. We walked along the Charles River and then walked over the Longfellow bridge. That led us through Beacon Hill, a fabulous neighborhood that I had not been to before. The sidewalks are all cobblestone and the storefronts maintain old-world charm, even the 7-Eleven looked upscale. After a little more walking, we made it back to Boston Common. I would guess we walked at least six miles, probably more. After returning to the car, we drove back over to Cambridge and had dinner, complete with chowdah. It was an absolutely perfect day.

                                      

Walking along the Charles River in Cambridge, MA

Neighborhood of Beacon Hill

Random shots of storefronts on Beacon St.

Yesterday, I took DL over to Berkshire County to experience small town New England. We started in Williamstown, home of Williams College. I had read about the Library of Rare Books where you could view original copies of the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, and Bill of Rights. They also have an impressive collection of first edition books. This turned out to be a hilarious little adventure.

We went over to Williams College, where the library was said to be located. There was a sign that stated that the library had moved to a temporary location while the original space was under construction. We got out our walking map and headed to the temporary building. Once we arrived, we saw a call box where you had to be buzzed in. Ok... this is sort of weird. The door opened and we walked down a hallway where a gentleman welcomed us with a puzzled look. Keep in mind, we were each pushing a stroller and this guy was probably thinking, "what do these two moms want?" We followed him into a small room where there was a lady behind the desk and they asked how they could help us. It was beyond awkward. Diannalynn said, sort of sheepishly, "I hear you have some great books." Then I explained that I had read that you could see the founding documents, such as the Declaration of Independence. I felt like we were in a scene of a Dan Brown novel, "I need to see the original copy of the Bill of Rights, STAT!" They informed us that during the 3 year remodel of the library, everything was in storage but the founding documents had been moved to the Clark Museum for display. The museum was, of course, closed on Mondays. They were very nice, but it really made for an awkward experience, yet funny. It still makes me giggle, even as I write this.

Outside one of the buildings at Williams College

New England architecture

We took a little break so the boys could play at the park before getting back into the car.

We walked around Williamstown a while longer and then drove over to North Adams, then through part of southern Vermont. We had a nice time driving along the winding roads. Well, Gavin didn't quite enjoy the winding roads. He got carsick as we arrived to Williamstown. He now owns sweats and a t-shirt with the Williams College logo. I knew I should have packed an extra outfit for him- total rookie mistake. Oh well... we had a nice day and met up with Adam for dinner back in Albany. I think we showed Diannalynn and Spencer a good time while they were here.