Ship me up to Boston…Part 2
Where to: Boston, MA & Middletown, RI
When: Memorial Day Weekend 2023
Why?: Attending a weekend wedding for Taylor’s cousin
Sunday was the day of the wedding. This meant Taylor was gone before the kids were awake - leaving the home by 7:30 that morning to begin the precarious wedding preparation process. I assumed the kids would sleep in well beyond Taylor’s departure, meaning I could go back to sleep for at least another half hour to hour before beginning our day. Well…you know what they say about assumptions and toddlers, right? They were awake within five minutes of the car leaving the driveway. Almost immediately they wanted to know why only “daddy was home” and why they could not see their mommy. What solves this dilemma? Dunkin’ Donuts. Off we went to collect our sugary satisfaction before a day filled with play and distractions.
Naptime followed a quick lunch in downtown Newport, RI. This stretch was very uneventful with the kids, which as parents is exactly what we strive for naptime to be. Getting ready for the wedding proved to be much smoother than I anticipated. They awoke with an excitement that I did not expect, making this last little stretch of the day significantly easier. Then came our arrival at the wedding venue - the Glen Manor House - and seeing mommy for the first time that day. Questions and tears began to flow almost simultaneously. Unfortunately, they had to separate again as the ceremony was about to begin. Our daughter handled this well (thanks to the handful of Taylor’s family who entertained her). Our son did not handle this well, but what would you expect from a two and a half year old. I spent the ceremony walking him around, ensuring him that mommy would be right back, and maintaining a significant distance from the bride to ensure his screams did not interrupt her beautiful moment.
Ceremony complete. Tears calmed down. Mommy returns. Quick pictures. And then…bridal party introductions and mommy disappears again. This time, the children switched their personal opinion on the matter. Our son handled this fine. Our daughter could not wrap her head around why she had to loan mommy back to her cousin…again. I walked every square inch of those grounds with our daughter to keep her entertained and happy. While in the moment it may have felt like a major burden, I look back and cherish this one on one time with her. We chased rabbits down their bunny trails and into the woods. We walked to the waterway and talked about all of the boats and imagined what they were doing when they went out to sea. It truly was a heartwarming moment for dad that evolved from not so heartwarming beginnings.
Dinner was delicious. The kids had their own chicken tenders (imagine that) and did very well through the majority of the meal. When the DJ struck up the dance floor, the kids struggled with the noise and crowd. To be honest, it was incredibly loud within the tighter space allotted for those looking to get their grove on. Dancing involved time split between twirling toddlers to carrying off little ones with tears, and then back to the floor to dance some more. Finally, the proverbial wall was hit by both kids at almost the exact same second. Away we went to get through bath time & into bed.
Monday morning brought about another day on the road as we loaded the rental X7 and headed back to Boston. Honestly, this drive was very smooth considering it was Memorial Day. Returning the rental, again, was significantly easier than the pickup; mainly due to the fact that I did not have to uninstall those cheap car seats. One quick meltdown in the TSA-Pre line because we had to pour out a water bottle and we were off to our gate. Wheels up, Goldfish out, and in-flight entertainment (THANK YOU DELTA!!!) loaded, and we were on our way back to Raleigh. Fortunately, the return flight was just as smooth as the first leg. The kids were wonderful passengers on the airplane, something neither of us expected to happen. Back home and back to reality. What an amazing trip for the four of us, but also a wonderful trip with Taylor’s family. We were thankful to have them there when we needed an extra set of hands, but also to enjoy a few days solely with them.
Enjoy more of this trip & our other adventures through our podcast!
