July 1-3

July 1 – 3, Boston & Normandy Farms to Durham, Maine

We really have this subway with 3 kids and a stroller thing down. We have no problems navigating, boarding, changing lines, buying passes, but the parking garage is an entirely different animal. We stayed in the Boston area for three days. We boarded the subway at the same stop 3 days in a row. One would think we could find the proper entrance for the parking garage, but we didn’t until the last trip in on the last day and only after a good half an hour of going around and around the concrete structure with no apparent entrance. I can’t even begin to describe how frustrating this thing was. It turns out that there is only one proper way to enter (we found the improper way the day before and were seriously reprimanded upon exit) and that entrance is off the interstate. The merging traffic makes it nearly impossible to make that exit, but that’s it. No other way in. Also, from what we can tell the entire metro Boston area is under construction.

After circling the parking garage for 30 minutes a day, the kids loved their daily ride into Boston on the T. After seeing all the other riders with their novels, Abby insisted on carrying my copy of Three Cups of Tea on board. As we settled in for our 20 minute commute, Abby would open her book and pretend to read. Aidan played Brickbreaker on the cell phone and Ella talked and danced excitedly.

On the afternoon of the first, we took the kids down to Long Wharf to board our tall ship cruise of the Boston Harbor. This is a real, working sailboat complete with resident sailors who sail the harbor all summer and then head south to the Bahamas for the winter. I’ll admit a little jealousy for the lifestyle.

After hoisting the sails (or whatever that’s called), we were allowed to roam. The views of Boston were absolutely stunning. It was a perfect, cloudless afternoon. A few minutes into the sail, the kids were gathered toward the middle of the boat for a short lesson on the Tea Party delivered by actors dressed in period costume. We sailed on in the harbor for 2 hours and at the end the kids were once again gathered in the middle of the ship to prepare for tossing over the “tea.” Since Aidan was the only birthday boy on board, he was given the first shot at tossing the tea. Of course, he loved it.

Back on shore, we crossed the street to Legal Seafood for Aidan’s birthday dinner. Of course nothing on the kids’ menu appealed to him. Instead, he ordered a pound and a half of steamed mussels. The very confused waiter returned with Aidan’s order after apparently stopping to tell every other restaurant employee to go check out the 8-year-old from Tennessee eating the mussels. Aidan didn’t even leave one in the bowl.

That night, on the train, we discovered that we needed to change trains at the JFK/UMASS stop to get the right red line out to Quincy. On the platform, some teenagers were beat-boxing and dancing nearby. Aidan watched them for a few minutes and then slowly started moving closer and closer to them. A moment later, Aidan had joined the group and was trying to copy their moves. One of the boys introduced himself to me as Davon (like Dave-On). He said that he had never met a kid like Aidan. He thought it was hilarious that he just jumped in and started dancing. Davon also told us that his mom is a substitute teacher in the area and that we were the very first people he had ever met from Tennessee. When the train finally arrived, Aidan insisted on sitting with his new friends. At the next stop, we had to say goodbye to Davon and his buddies. As our train left the station, Aidan looked at me and said, “I wish Davon was my big brother.” Before this trip is over, Aidan will make another friend on the subway. More on that later…. This kid is seriously enamored with big city life.

The next day, the 2nd, we hung around the campground in the morning, spent 30 minutes looking for the parking lot at the station, FOUND IT, and boarded the red line for Harvard. After just two stops, I realized that I had left my camera battery back in the van at the Quincy Station. I was heartbroken thinking about taking Aidan to his first game at Fenway and not having a camera. I thought about buying a new battery in the city until I realized that I had also left my cell phone in the car. There was no way I could go into Boston to the game alone with Aidan and no way to tell Brent when to pick us up at the station. We all had to get off the train on the next stop, wait for an outbound, and start all over again.

I had eaten at Grendel’s Den a couple of times before several years ago, so I was thrilled to discover that it was still there and that the food was still fairly cheap… especially for Boston. We had a nice long lunch there and then strolled around the campus for the rest of the afternoon trying to convince the kids that if they worked really hard maybe they could come here to school. None were all that impressed. Aidan said he’d never even heard of their football team. Abby and Ella cried and said they didn’t want to ever leave home. Well, I guess we won’t have to worry about paying for it. They were over it and it was time for our group to split up. Brent and the girls were going back to the campground to swim, while Aidan and I were headed up to Fenway for the game.

Aidan and I made the trip out to Fenway underground since it was a pretty hot afternoon. I felt a little guilty about him seeing so little of the city above ground, but he didn’t seem to care. Arriving at 4 for a 7 p.m. game, we had plenty of time for souvenir shopping and maybe a tour of the park, but the park tour was out once Aidan entered the mecca of hats and shirts on Yawkey Way. He spent nearly an hour picking out just the right hat, settling on the very expensive on-field wool fitted players hat. We finally had the hat in hand when he discovered the jerseys. I completely forgive him for the meltdown that followed when I told him that he simply must choose. There was no way I was buying a $40 hat AND a $60 jersey. In the end, he chose the hat; I chose a new t-shirt and we moved on to find an early dinner.

We ended up at the adjacent Game On restaurant with a fabulous booth near the windows and the enormous bank of televisions showing the World Cup match between Uruguay and Ghana. We watched the game go into extra time and finally to the penalty kicks. Unbelievable game! After eating a quick dinner, it was finally time to enter the park.

I’ll try to keep the sentimentality to a minimum, but I have to admit I wanted to cry. Fenway was as charming and quaint as ever. After passing through our gate, it took us all of 3 minutes to walk to our seats. Thanks to a friend of Dad’s, Aidan and I were sitting along the third base line about halfway up the lower bowl. The overhang shielded us from the sun and we were on an aisle!

We were early enough to the park that the Orioles were still taking b.p. when we arrived. Aidan was able to walk right up to the first row seats for an unobstructed view of the action. I took some pictures and chatted with some locals while the park finally started to fill up. We headed up a few rows to our seats and enjoyed a perfect night for a baseball game.

Tim Wakefield threw 60 mile an hour knuckleballs all night and the game simply flew by. Before we knew it, it was the 7th inning stretch and Sweet Caroline played over the speakers. Aidan and I stood to stretch and dance along with everyone else. Just then, the cameraman zooms in on us and Aidan and I made the jumbotron. I wish that moment had been captured on film because it was absolutely priceless. The cameraman zoomed in on Aidan’s face and he hammed it up for the camera. I have never seen ANYONE so happy.

In the bottom of the 8th, J.D. Drew knocked out his second homerun of the night to give the Red Sox a 2-1 lead. Papelbon was called onto the field and the crowd rose to its feet where it would remain for the rest of the game. He struck out 2 of the next 3 batters and the last one popped up for the third out. Our time at Fenway had been short and sweet. The game lasted less than 3 hours. We sat there until the park was almost empty. Why fight the crowds? Who wants to leave Fenway? Finally, Aidan and I began the walk back to the Kenmore station to catch the T. That’s when the next BIG subway moment happened…..

We were told that either track would be ok to make our way back to the Park Street station where we could pick up the red line out to Quincy. As we waited for 10 minutes in a packed and VERY hot station, train after train left from the other side bound for Newton. The crowd was getting anxious. Not a single train had come through the inbound side. Finally, we saw the lights coming down our track. YES! NO! It was only 2 cars! There were hundreds of people waiting and 2 cars! I was resigned to wait for the next one, but Aidan would have none of it. He pushed his way through that sea of people and pulled me up into the train. He has the hang of this city stuff. I was nearly panicked by my claustrophobia, but Aidan was doing ok. I couldn’t let him see me cry on the subway, could I? So I played it cool and prayed that the doors I was leaning against wouldn’t fly open as we were packed in this thing like sardines.

Next thing I know, Aidan has chatted up a very cute, very early 20’s Red Sox fan. She is making a big deal about him and flirting right back. She offered him a spot next to her, as there was a little more breathing room in her direction. Aidan let go of my hand and wiggled his way toward her. Wow! Another reason for me to cry on this stinking train!!! She held on to him around his shoulder so he wouldn’t fall or get off at the wrong stop. We agreed that she would push him out at Park Street and I would catch him. DO YOU SEE THE METAPHOR HERE? I was having a moment but so was Aidan. When we finally got to Park and out of the crowd, Aidan looked at me and said, “You think a girl like that probably already has a boyfriend, right?” Yes, Aidan, and he probably isn’t 8! “I’m sure she would like you though, son.” In the last 2 days, Aidan has made a new best friend and fallen in love… all on the T. Maybe he is destined to live in Boston or maybe he’s just nuts. ;)