madameblogalot

I can’t stand all the government bailout that is going on these days. As many have said, we are raising a generation of people who are becoming used to being bailed out of situations they get themselves into. I wonder how guilty I am to contributing to this way of thinking.

Today, my son called and asked my husband to bring his homework up to the school to him, he had forgotten it at home. I was not home when this happened, but it was before school started. The boy had gone early for tutorials (6:30 am) so it was not like he was being irresponsible or doing something stupid. My husband was reluctant, but decided to go ahead and help him out. Our son was up late doing homework and up early to head out for tutoring/studying. So was this a bailout or just a family helping each other? It’s hard to tell sometimes. But this is not a habit our son is in (forgetting his work) and has not happened much before. The only thing I thought (after the fact) that could have been done differently was, since he drove to school, our son could leave and come back to get the homework himself. He would have been tardy to first period but that would have been part of the lesson.

It’s a fine line to decide just when we are helping someone out or engaging in an all out bail out.

When I was a kid, I loved the movie Escape to Witch Mountain. Coming out before Star Wars, this movie was pretty cool; kids using “magic powers”, controlling things with their minds, aliens…what fun!

Today, we took our kids and our nephews (who had already seen it before) to see the new remake of the old classic Race to Witch Mountain. It was a fun family movie. No bad language, no objectionable scenes really of any sort. I do think the movie was too intense and had too much video-game like violence for young kids. My eight year old nephew was scared, even though it was his second time to see the film.

I enjoyed many parts of the movie. I liked the opening sequence with the storm troopers (from Star Wars) getting into the cab. I liked the kid actors. I sort of groaned on seeing Cheech. But I was really excited when the sheriff for Stony Creek walked in and I knew it was “Tony” from the original movies. I loved that! But it wasn’t til after the movie that my husband said if that was the case, then the waitress must have been “Tia”. Of course, I came home and looked it all up on the internet. It’s true! “Tony” and “Tia” are in the newest Witch Mountain movie! What a fun element to include!

The Saturday that we arrived in Boston, we went out to the town we were going to stay in, Natick, MA. We were blessed to stay with the preacher there, though we had never met! (I had heard his uncle preach though when I was a kid!) My husband spoke at a youth rally in which kids from several states in New England attended. There was a small group there from Maine, about a four hour drive. Instead of heading back to Maine on Saturday night, they spent the night, also at the preacher’s house (luckily they have an old house built in the 1800s that is large enough to hold lots of folks, even if they have to sleep on the floor!)

Well, we were talking about how cold it is and the kids from Maine were saying how it was practically summertime weather for them (though I think they had to be exaggerating a bit.) I am not sure exactly how it all came about, but the kids from Maine decided they were going to sleep outdoors that night, since it was so “balmy”. They invited my son, who was rather doubtful, but couldn’t let his manhood be brought into question. So he bundled up with about three shirts and maybe a couple of pair of pants and a sleeping bag. They headed outdoors for the night.

The next morning we learned that the boys had come in about 4am, as it was just too cold. The girls made it all the way through the night. However, we found it amusing that they had to wake my son up to tell him it was too cold and they were going in!

Even though we have just returned from a trip, my sister is thinking of planning a trip with my son. She asked about meeting him out on the West Coast sometime this summer. It sounds doable, though we have yet to make a final decision.

In thinking about things they could do, it never crossed my mind to have them visit Las Vegas. But I just came across a couple of Cirque de Soleil shows that I know they (and many other people too) would love to catch! Two that are being presented now are Believe and KA. They both sound extremely excellent and would capture the interest of my son.

Believe is based on a Harry Houdini legend. Story goes that Houdini wanted people to be able to communicate with him beyond the grave. Of course only worthy individuals will be given the password, “Believe”. The show vacillates between the world of the living and the supernatural world of the dead. The story and the dancers take the audience through a dream-like fantasy that may or may not have you believe!

The performance of KA is taken from traditional Japanese Kabuki theater. It is an epic story about twins on a journey. The story is told using black and white face paint, martial arts movements, and a rotating and tilting stage. At one point the stage will become completely vertical causing the artists to use arrows to swing and flip against the backdrop. The audience will be drawn in to the story even more by a moving soundtrack that is played on speakers built into your own theater seat.

Whether or not my sister and my son get to see these Las Vegas Shows this summer, I know they would be excellent shows to attend. I have been to one Cirque de Soleil performance years ago. It is fascinating and astounding to watch the dancers and acrobats. They truly are artists!

Our last day in Boston we decided to spend the morning with our host family. They were so gracious to host my husband for a week before we got there and then so generous to let us stay there as a family as well. The family has two small children, ages 3 and 18 months. The three year old asked every day why we took so long in Boston. So we knew it would be a good idea to spend the morning with him and his family. And as an added treat, the wife made a wonderful lunch for us before we left for the city-Zuppa Tuscana! Delicious!

We left that day and got to the city just in time to visit the Sports Museum before they closed. It is located in the Fleet Center/TD Northbank Garden and the hours vary depending on game days. We only had about 35 minutes in there but we got to see some interesting things about sports in Boston. Of course, the first thing you see is all about the Celtics. They also have displays for the Red Sox, the Bruins, the Boston Marathon as well as college sports, the Olympics and several other sports related themes as well. I wish we could have had more time to see all the displays, but we got to see most of the main ones.

Afterward, we of course had to hit the pizzeria one last time, then head back to Mike’s Pastry. After this, we walked back to the Garden to catch the Celtics game! This was the highlight of the trip for my son. He did not care what else we did as long as we got to see a Celtics game! He was a little bummed to find out that Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen are hurt, and was particularly sad that Dwayne Wade did not play that night for the Heat (we don’t know why, he was listed as “inactive” and sat the bench in a business suit.) In spite of that, the game was great! The Garden was packed with gung-ho fans. The Celtics put on a good show to keep fans excited during time-outs and half time.

The game started off with the Celtics going at it strong. Then, they started to sort of dwindle. It was a close game at half time. By the middle of the fourth quarter it was staying neck and neck. It was tied with a few seconds left to go. The Celtics had one shot, and they missed it! Overtime tied at 100!! My son was ecstatic (”Overtime in the Garden!!”) The Celtics went into overtime strong. The Heat missed their first three chances to score during overtime. The Celtics hit several three pointers, helping to bring them to a lead. They also made a free throw after a foul to clinch a win, 112-108!!

We left with the crowd toward the subway station. It was crowded but not miserably bad. We waited through the first three trains without boarding so we would not feel like sardines! After that, the train ride was not so bad. A great way to end our stay in Boston!

The Sunday that we were in Boston (well, technically, just outside of Boston) I learned that an old friend of mine lives an hour away in Rhode Island! I had no idea and even if I’d have known she was in RI, I would not have put together how close the two are! The people we stayed with are friends with my friend and she found out by reading my blog that we were in town!! Sad to say, we did not get to meet up, our schedules just did not allow for it during this trip, but we did talk on the phone. I know that if we ever make it back to the Northeast, she will be on my schedule!

On Tuesday, we had scheduled to follow the Freedom Trail. This is a path outlined through the city with red bricks (and red paint in some areas) that lead you to many of the most historical landmarks from the American Revolution. You can follow this on your own or hire a tour guide. I really was interested in the tour guide, but my friend told me that the best one, “Ben Franklin”, has now retired. Also, in paying for the guide, you have to go with a group. So as usual, we opted to follow the trail on our own. There is no free literature that corresponds with the walk, but there are several items for sale that you can read as you go along. We bought the cheapest -$3 for a regular travel brochure! or there are small books available for $7. Along the Freedom Trail you can see sites like Boston Common and the Massachusetts State House, the Old South Meeting House, Fanueil Hall, site of the Boston Massacre, Paul Revere’s House, the Old North Church, and the Bunker Hill Monument. The trail takes you on a 2.5 mile hike through the city and over the Charles River. It’s not a bad walk and I enjoyed getting to do this at our own pace. Some places along the route charge admission to enter.

After finishing the Trail Hike, we were HUNGRY (we took sandwiches and snacks with us each day so we could splurge on dinner!) We had read about a “famous pizzeria” located in Little Italy, but not on the main strip. We love pizza so we decided to give it a try. YUMMY! This “world famous since 1926″ pizza is cooked in a brick oven and made with natural ingredients and an imported yeast. It is GOOD! The crust is delicious! My kids and I split a plain extra-cheese pizza while my husband got the Giambatta-”a full three pounds of topping!” We ended up getting another small cheese pizza too!

After stuffing our bellies with Regina’s pizza, of course we had to head to Mike’s for cannolis and such. We tried different things each day, except for my husband who had a plain cannoli every day! I got the lobster tail cream puff but my daughter was disappointed that they were out of Boston Cream Pie so we got a Whoopie Pie instead. Son ordered a yellow cream cannoli. All good stuff. I think I liked the cream puff best.

We then headed back to Quincy Market to shop for souvenirs and see what was going on for St. Patrick’s Day. We had seen a Pipe and Drum Corp that we wanted to hear, but by the time we got back we had missed them. As it got dark, folks were lining up at the bars and we decided it was probably a good time to head home.

We made it back. We are worn out but it was a good trip. We got to see and do most of the things we had planned. We got to Boston on Saturday afternoon, picked up by a friend who now lives near us but was up visiting home. We attended the last sessions of the youth rally at which my husband spoke. It was nice to see all the teens from the New England area together enjoying learning, singing and serving together.

On Sunday, we did not leave church in time to make it to the parade. Since we stayed outside of Boston, it took a while each day to get into the city. We did make it just in time for the last tour of the USS Constitution on Sunday (it is only open Thursday-Sunday right now.) We stayed in town and had some supper at the well known Legal’s seafood. We ate chowder, lobster bisque, crab stuffed shrimp, clam steamers, and lobster. It is overpriced, but the clam chowder was really good!

Monday, was a little bit of a flop for us. We went in to Fenway Park for a tour. Because of the construction, you can only go in to see a video and take pictures from a box, no walking around the park. The price is reduced, but only by $2 so we skipped the tour. We did some shopping and then headed out to find the Harriet Tubman House. We did find it right where we expected, only the people looked at us funny when we asked to see the museum. It is the site of a non-profit organization which I am sure does good things for the community. Although the website says there are artifacts, etc, there are none. They did however let us use the restrooms there! So back on the train to walk around town. We did some more shopping (City Sports at Downtown Crossing was a great place that day, as all Celtics gear was 20% off!) We saw an old cemetery where Benjamin Franklin’s father is buried, as well as Paul Revere and Samuel Adams. We also walked over to Boston Common and the Public Garden. There was ice skating, which we opted out of, but no swan boats yet.

We also had a little mishap that day as we got separated. Even though my son is a teenager, I was very worried. It took a long time for us to get in touch with him. His phone had died and no one would let him use theirs. Even if they had it in their hand, they would tell him they did not have one. It took about 20 or 30 minutes before he found someone who would let him use their cell phone.

After that, we decided to get something to eat. That night we ate at Durgin Park-hamburgers and Boston Baked beans! Then it was over to Mike’s Pastry shop in Little Italy for what would become a nightly event!

I have checked us in and printed out our boarding passes. So in essence, we are ready to go. I hope the weather stays fairly steady for us southerners who are heading north! My husband went in to Boston yesterday and did some scouting around. He said it is a really neat city and that we will all love it. I am looking forward to it. I am just really psyching myself out about the cold! I am going to wear layers and gloves and a hat and hope for the best! Here is a run down of the things we hope to get to see and do:

Sat: the youth rally my husband is doing for a church in Natick

Sun: go to church, St. Patrick’s Day parade?, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, USS Constitution,
5 wits /Fenway Park?, Tubman House (may save for Wed.)

Mon: Harbor,Tea Party ship (museum closed), Boston Common (frog pond?), Public Garden, Downtown Crossing

Tue: Visitor Center, Freedom Trail, Franklin birthplace, Bunker Hill

Wed: Fenway/5wits, Tubman House?, back to marketplace?, Sports Museum, Celtics game

Not sure if this is the itinerary we will follow. My husband said he picked up lots of brochures while in the city yesterday, so we will see if there are any other things to add. Any recommendations?

As we get ready to leave for Boston, where its forty degrees and likely to snow, I can’t help but wonder if we should have saved our money for a trip to a warmer climate. We have been talking for a couple of years now about taking the kids on a cruise. Although I know we will have fun in Boston, we are more acclimated to the warmer climates.

Going a cruise will likely be something we will do in the next year or two, before my son leaves for college. There are several that leave from our area and head out to the Caribbean. It would be great fun to head to Jamaica, the Grand Caymans and/or back to Honduras and maybe even Belize.

There are lots of fun adventures we would love to do. Of course, there is scuba diving. I also enjoy seeing the history of places. I know my daughter would love to have a dolphin adventure-swimming with dolphins, petting them, maybe even a dorsal tow. We would love to just relax on the beach, ride scooters, and of course my husband would love to play golf.

So this year, we will head north to experience a part of our country none of us have been to before. As we brave the cold, we may just be thinking of Grand Cayman Island cruise tours and excursions!

I was just putting on my shoes to go to my son’s track meet. He runs the two mile and one mile races. As I was heading to the door, he called, asking me where I am. I said I am on my way. He said, never mind, he just finished running!

They canceled the field events, so the races started earlier than normal! He said I missed his best two mile ever! He finished with an 11:13 in fourth place!

And I missed it! What a mom!