Steve went back to work yesterday. A number of friends and former colleagues are starting attending jobs this month... and Steve is still two years away. I don't begrudge him the longest training path ever, but every year more and more people get "real" jobs. Seems like he's playing survivor. And winning. We miss him, and I'm more than a little nervous about sahm-ing all summer. However, it's good for all of us to get back into more of a routine. The last few weeks before leaving San Francisco and the first few weeks here were essentially without routine and bedtime was different every night. I like living like that, but I know it's not so easy for a four year old.
We now need to find the right mix of playdates and other activities to balance with staying home and having downtime. People keep asking me how the transition to two kids is going... it's hard to say so far since the early months with a new baby are sort of a blur. What I have figured out, though, is that I have to scale back my expectations about what we can do in a day. The challenge is that Grace is accustomed to being busy and around other kids all day, every day, and I'm simply insufficient entertainment. We all keep reading that kids need some time being bored to foster their imaginations so I guess she will certainly get plenty of that this summer. The other tricky thing is that Henry hasn't really settled into a schedule, other than wanting to eat all the time, especially when we are ready to walk out the door. I guess we will figure it out day by day.
The point of this post, however, was to post some pictures of our first weeks in Boston. So without further ado...
There's a new playground on the Esplanade. It's huge and geared toward older kids (it's even fun for adults), but Grace was undaunted and climbed right to the top of the giant structure (stopping Steve's and my hearts a bit). It's a great stop on our evening walks.
Father's Day ice cream at the new JP Licks on Charles Street.
GoGo took us on the Swan Boats in the Public Garden. I had never been, and it was a lovely way to see the park from a different perspective.
Kids "tailgating" in the back of the new car (which took 5 hours at the dealer to pick up... not a great way to spend an afternoon with small children!). Gotta admit - I love our new station wagon, although it's going to take me a while to get used to pressing a power button instead of putting a key in the ignition.
Reunion with friend, Lily. We took many a walk together and had lots of playdates when they were babies. Lily's mom, Amy, was a life preserver in those hazy, hard days of early motherhood. We're so happy to be reunited!
Walking by the river and testing out Grace's new birthday scooter.
So many baby smiles these days. Look at that little guy!
GoGo and Grace surprising us on a walk.
Trying on her school uniforms. When she came out wearing this one, Steve and I both stared at each other. If ever there was evidence that she's not a baby anymore, here it is (though the photo is lousy).
Yet another trip to Ikea... join Ikea Family and you get free coffee when you go! And your four year old can watch the kids' movie in the restaurant while you have a conversation with your spouse! It's the simple things, my friends.
Playground (after what we thought was the final trip to Ikea, but no we still had another one!)
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