Do Your Best.

Last night, Cub Scout Pack 691 awarded Jack with no less than SIX Belt Loop awards! He was recognized for achievement in Archery, Music, Astronomy, Marbles, BB Shooting, and Geology.

"There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud." Carl Sandburg

One rite of passage for every kid who lives in Seminole County is the "Mud Walk" at the Environmental Center. Today we met Jack's Cub Scout den for the lovely waist-deep (at times) stroll through the muck. The kids had a blast... as did the adults!

Eighteen Months Old!

And already ruler of the house!

Likes: doggies, Baby Einstein, playing outside, watching Jack's pratfalls, the computer mouse, pulling out all the tupperware, cuddling.

Dislikes: being told "no"(he screams at the offender), going night-night (hides under Daddy's desk when he hears the words), people leaving the house without him.

Working on it...

OK, I tried to get cute and change the background... and in so doing lost my sidebars. Oh well. Change is good.

Back to the Future.

Missing our boat these days! While we ponder what our next boat will be, we decided to rent a pontoon boat and spend the afternoon on the Mt. Dora Chain of Lakes with Will, Jack, & his buddies. The canals linking Lake Dora, Lake Eustis and Lake Harris are teeming with beauty and wildlife (and of course, the oh-so-necessary waterfront cafe with a live band! yes!)

just a wacky picture i like.

Jack & Will in the food court in the Prudential Center mall in Boston...

Colonial Williamsburg.

Finally, we hit the historic area of Williamsburg. Jack & Leah decided to dress the part as we toured the city!

Next stop...

After leaving Boston, we spent a night in Pelham, NY with John's family. And then, it was on to Virginia, for the final leg of our East Coast Road Trip! We settled in Williamsburg, VA for several days: first stop, Busch Gardens, followed by Water Country USA!

Amy's Tour of Old, Historic Burial Grounds continues...

OK, for the record, I am not infatuated with dead people... I am intrigued by gravestones, and the history that is found in cemetaries. I just find it cool. So here are some headstones found in Boston...

**by the way, if you click on a photo, it will show you a bigger version of said photo...

Beantown.

After visiting BU, we took the kids on the Freedom Trail, visiting many historic sites such as the Old South Church, the Granary Burial Ground, Boston Latin School and Faneuil Hall, to name a few. We also spent time in Boston Common & the Public Gardens, walked along Newbury Street, rode the T, went to the Children's Museum, and visited the site of the Boston Tea Party.

Boston University.

Two days in Beantown - the site where it all began! We took the kids on a tour of Boston U, showing them (boring them?) the places we lived, ate, etc. Jack has decided to put BU on the short list of colleges he is interested in! We were happy to see that our old haunt, T. Anthony's, is still open for business and still has the best steak and cheese anywhere!

The Cape.

We were so looking forward to hitting the beaches, lighthouses, and fishing towns of Cape Cod! But, the one day of bad weather we experienced the entire trip was the day we were there! We still had fun visiting with Grandma and Jodie, and taking the kids to the Zooquarium, and of course, hitting Barnes & Noble (always a good day!) We also got our lobster fix! We also made it over to Plymouth Rock, to see the site of the Mayflower landing... did you know the Pilgrims originally hit Provincetown, Cape Cod, but could not find a fresh water source - so they continued on to Plimouth? The other photo above was taken on the ferry from Orient Point, Long Island across the Long Island Sound to New London, CT.

Home Sweet Home...

Twenty-five days later, we are back! We had a great time on the road, but it is great to be back home! I will post some photos from the trip in between mountains of laundry and re-stocking the fridge... and waiting to see what Ophelia will bring us!