Boston

We went to Boston a couple of weeks ago - somebody had dressed the Make Way For Ducklings  ducks in Easter Bonnets.  It was very....charming, that's the only way to say it.  I was also completely charmed by the city and daydreamed a few hours away about how GREAT it would be to live there. 

Here are all the ducklings, following their Momma, wearing their Easter finest. 

In the pictures above: Ashlee listening intently on our walking tour of part of the Freedom Trail.  She is so great - she raised her hand to answer almost every question, always stood near him so she could see/focus - I love that about her.  She also got a sucker for volunteering  to demonstrate what it was like to stand in the "blocks" on Boston Common.  Our guide easily consumed 10 Blow-Pops during our tour.  After Ashlee was given her sucker, she immediately turned it over to Paige, which kept Paige occupied for nearly 30 minutes.  When we were about an hour in, Christopher leaned over and whispered "Look at Ashlee"  She was standing very near our guide, looking intently at his satchel.  "She's trying to burn a hole in the bag with her eyes to get another sucker."   After we walked to our next stop, she came up to me and said "I wish I could have another sucker."  He knows her pretty well.  She's so sweet to just hand that sucker over to Paige, no questions asked.

We also spent a few hours across the river in Cambridge...we walked around part of Harvard and the girls rubbed Mr. Harvard's shoe for good luck getting in.  (Although apparently it's not really him, because all of his likenesses were burned in a fire....just a little something we learned while eavesdropping on a guided tour.)  So, we'll see in a few years if it works...:)  If it does, it will be Ashlee who gets in, Maggie barely touched it.

Anyway, I liked Boston.  I am not that excited about California.  Its bonus - closer to family. And even then, it's still 1 entire day of travel to Utah family, and 2 days to Denver family, so it's not super close.  That's about all I can think of.  Christopher is looking forward to it much more than I am.  When we used to talk about future assignments, if  California ever came up, it never seemed great.  It still doesn't.....  I will try to adjust my attitude about the "governator's" state soon.  In the meantime, I am looking forward to de-junking some more and living for a couple of months with just a few of our things - we have way too much.  (Although I have already packed a mason jar full of popsicle sticks - that can't bode well for the de-junking part of the packing.)