We settled into bed on that Saturday night in November, quite happily. We were pretty sure we had provided the duo with the best day of their lives.
Day two started off in a similar manner. We headed down to the lobby for breakfast. Breakfast is their favorite part of any day, especially if there are lots of people to entertain while they eat.
The eating area is not exactly separate from the lobby, and the seating seemed a little sparse, so we ended up on a couple of couches that were either part of the lobby or part of the breakfast area- we are still not so sure.
This, of course, meant that we couldn’t use high chairs to contain crazy children, but it didn’t seem to cause too much of an issue. They were excited to eat a huge breakfast, and dance around until we were ready to start the day.
Our first stop this morning, would be the Boston Children’s Museum. We have visited a number of Children’s Museums over the past year, and like to think we have a decent knowledge base- so when we say this was definitely one of our favorites, we mean it.
We arrived quite early, and in all of our planning, we missed the fact that they would be open to members only for the first hour. Luckily, there was a large open area outside the Museum, which is right on the water. There was plenty of room for the kids to run around and visit with all the dogs being walked.
Eventually, it was time for us to enter. We were immediately impressed by the layout. The museum was spread out nicely, and much like the museum in Phoenix, each exhibit area was in its own room. There were a number of floors, which were split between rooms full of exhibits, and open space that allowed you to see all the way down to the lobby level. The large open area, which housed a large climbing structure.
Each room had it’s own unique theme. There were enough rooms and themes that we never felt crowded, which is a huge plus. The one area that felt a little bit full was the Toddler area, which, again, was the last room we found.
One of our favorite rooms was set up like a Kindergarten classroom. I can only imagine how helpful this would be to get kids ready to go to school!
A staple in most children’s museums- the water play room was a big hit.
Once we found the toddler room, we were clearly not leaving anytime soon. The kids loved the books, the train table, the climbing structure.. even the toddler sized bathroom! Yes! Little tiny toddler potties, and even sinks that they could reach!
We finally dragged the kids away in time for us to grab a quick lunch at the attached Au Bon Pain. The museum has a large cafeteria area that can be used to eat food you bring in, or food you purchase on site.
Once we finished lunch, it was potty time, and then we headed back to the car. We planned on taking the scenic route to the Zoo. It was probably only about a 20=30 minute drive, but we added in some extra circles, to try to get the kids a bit more nap.
We knew we’d be heading home that afternoon, and that they would likely sleep most of the drive, but we wanted to avoid any issues caused by overtired kiddos.
I should probably mention that this day was pretty wet. Rainy and Drizzling all day- Much like our visit to the zoo in Providence.
Of course, this meant that we actually only saw a handful of other people in the zoo that day.
It also meant that most of the animals were trying to find shelter, and stay out of the rain.
It is hard for us to really pass judgement on this zoo, since we were there under less than ideal circumstances/weather. It was well planned- we were able to see all of the animals with one out-and-back trip. There were definiely some areas (the indoor ones, in particular) where we noticed an unpleasant smell- but we aren’t sure how much of that was due to the weather.
Most of the ‘extras’ were not running (we assume due to the weather.)
Ultimately, we were not terribly impressed by this Zoo, but the weather conditions were possibly to blame for most of our issues. I wish I could say that we’d be interested in giving it another chance, but with all of the other amazing things we can do in Boston, I’m not sure we’ll be going back.
Our time at the Zoo ended much more quickly than we could have expected, so we contacted my cousin/Maid of Honor Extraordinaire (B) to see if she was home. She had moved to Boston a while back, and had just moved into a new apartment. With luck, we were able to squeeze in one more bonus adventure. We made our way towards her apartment, arriving just at the same time she did.
It was so lovely to see her, and for the kids to spend some time with her. The pefect way to end a perfect overnight. We do love Boston.
SO!
I’m sure you’re all wondering- How did it go? You know… the potty training? The first overnight without diapers?
I’d score the kids a 10. As parents, we deserve an 8, if we’re being generous.
There were really only a couple of accidents.
The first was almost totally and completely our fault. We had the kids in the stroller for hours, walking around outside, never once offering a potty stop. Our little speech delayed daughter was simply unable to let us know she needed to go. She tried, but we missed her cues, and that was that.
Our second incident was on our way from the Zoo to B’s house. With a shortened nap, we shouldn’t have been surprised that the kids fell asleep on the ride, and we didn’t ask them to use the potty before getting back in the car.
Lessons learned, as usual.
I’m so proud of them, and the way they handled this first trip. With this under our belt, we had another trip to NC coming up, to celebrate Auntie A, and her soon-to-be-born daughter. We would be up north for Christmas, but luckily, we were able to stay in NC between the shower, and Thanksgiving, allowing for one last solid trip before the holidays.
Gotta keep on keepin’ on!