The BIG sailboat

We no longer run errands, we go on adventures. This slight change in nomenclature makes Caden excited to leave the house, climb into the white car (he climbs into his own car seat, now), and go wherever we want to take him. He even chants as we pull out of the driveway, “Goin’ on adventure! Goin’ on adventure! Goin’ on adventure!”

We recently discovered a Rails to Trails path that goes through Marblehead; an extension into Swampscott may eventually run right behind our backyard. A couple weekends ago, we explored a section of the trail and ended up walking from downtown Marblehead across to Salem Harbor. Caden was in the backpack most of the way, but enjoyed exploring part of the trail (including the boardwalk in the picture below) on foot.

One of the highlights of the past month was our Mother’s Day adventure to Salem. Our first stop was Derby Wharf and the Salem Maritime National Historic Site, where we toured the Friendship, a replica merchant ship from ~1800. Caden and Dada had seen the ship on a previous visit to Salem, and Caden couldn’t stop talking about the “big sailboat.” Caden really wanted to show Mama the ship, and he was soooo excited to get onboard. After our tour, we got a bite to eat at a café, then did some antiquing and picked up some bread and treats at a favorite bakery.

The following weekend, Mama flew west to see Auntie Sally graduate from Whitman. Dada and Caden had a great time together, especially on Sunday, when we took the blue train to the aquarium to see the big sharks, big turtle, and especially the diver who was feeding the fish. The diver even gave Caden a high five through the glass!

The past few days have been sunny and warm, and we’ve even eaten our breakfast on the deck a couple of times this weekend. It finally feels like summer has arrived in the northeast.

Here's a slightly belated message from Caden to all of you moms out there:

Congratulations, Auntie Sally!

Exploring the railroad path
Pickin' dandelions

Lobsters at the lab

Yesterday evening, Caden was running around, making mischief of one kind and another, while Dada made dinner. At one point, the sound of scattering and clattering came from Caden’s play room. Dada looked around the corner from the kitchen and asked, “What’s going on, Caden?” Caden replied, “Dada making pizza. Caden making a mess.”

Caden started swimming lessons last Wednesday. On Tuesday night, Mama made swimming caps for all three of us—they are required at the Y’s pool—and Caden loved his so much he wore it to school on Wednesday. He also demanded to bring his “Beavers ball,” which provided an irresistible photo op. After school and a quick dinner, we headed over to the Y, where Caden had a fantastic time playing in the water, singing favorite songs, and sliding down the slide into the pool.

Spring semester is over at Northeastern, which means Friday lunch barbeques at the lab. Mama and Caden drove in to join everyone for burgers and pot-luck side dishes. Caden especially liked running around outside, playing with the grad students, and checking out the big lobsters in the running seawater tanks. Sal invited us over to their place after work—Liza and Mae were at a Sox game—for dinner and playtime. Caden loved watching their hamster and playing with Mae and Summer’s toys, and we all enjoyed a tasty dinner.

The weather was crummy all weekend, but it’s been nicer these last couple of days. Caden had fun on an unplanned visit to the lab today—his teachers sent him home claiming that he was sick—where he and Dada checked out the animals in the tanks and played with a soccer ball outside. Jeremy let Caden borrow his lobster hat, which led to some pretty cute clowning around.

At the Boston Public Garden