From Revere to the North End

Today the weather was gorgeous and we took full advantage of it. We went to the beach in the morning and checked out a sand castle competition. The sculptors were still putting their finishing touches on their work so we got to see them in action. There was also a backhoe on the beach, perhaps there from cleaning the sand a few days ago. Anyway, Bruce drooled on that for awhile.

After our weekly stint on the beach, we came home and let Bruce sleep for awhile. Post-nap and lunch, we packed up and headed downtown. Scott worked in the lab for a few hours while Bruce and I walked down the wharf through Charlestown and around the North End. We saw Old Ironsides and went over the bridge into Boston; there were zillions of jellyfish visible in the river below. Bruce was more interested in the boats though.

We walked along the wharfs and checked out all the boats. Bruce now knows the difference between yachts, speedboats, and sailboats. We walked until we found a big park, fully equipped with a sand box and large playground. We were there for at least an hour and only left when Bruce started stealing other kids' toys and getting a little testy.

We walked through the North End and I thought about stopping at Mike's Pastries to grab a piece of Scott's favorite German chocolate cake. When we saw the line going out the door, though, I decided against it. Too tough with a stroller. So we kept walking along the street until we came to a fire station.

"BIG FIRE TRUCK!" Bruce was excited. The firemen were sitting on lawn chairs in front of the station just listening to music and chatting. They invited Bruce to come in and check out the truck. I got him out of the stroller and we walked around the fire truck. They offered to let him in, but Bruce just wanted to check out the lights and wheels and ladder. After awhile, he just wanted to sit on the bumper. Another fireman sat on the bumper with him reading the newspaper. He was singing along to a Queen song and Bruce started dancing to it.

By then, Scott was finished at the lab and came and picked us up at the fire station. Bruce threw a tantrum as we left. O-v-e-r-s-t-i-m-u-l-a-t-e-d.

On our way home, we stopped at Qdoba. For some reason, Bruce really loves that place. And that can't be said of many restaurants. He had been saying "eat, eat" throughout the day but all I had with me were crackers and water. When we pulled into Qdoba he said, "RICE! BEANS!" He got the usual: a small soft tortilla with black beans, rice, and cheese on it. He was thrilled. Scott said his obsession is like most kids' obsession with McDonalds. I'm glad it's Qdoba instead of McDonalds.

We headed home and read books until we put him to bed. Overall it was a fabulous Saturday that included all of Bruce's favorite things: beach, backhoe, firetruck, playground, Qdoba, and books about cranes and concrete mixers.