Beginning of Summer “Kickoff” Vacation – Martha’s Vineyard

arrival

Well it’s been a week and a half since we came back from our first summer vacation of the season. We rented a house in Edgartown on Martha’s Vineyard. As a child, I visited Martha’s Vineyard in the summers to stay with family friends. We spent so much time with them on and off the island that we called them aunt, uncle and cousins. I always remember the ferry ride and hanging out playing late with the kids. Leao and I have gone alone but decided this year, it was time to make it a tradition for our boys. So I looked into properties and found a great one that was close to town. Some of our family was able to join us on the adventure making it even more fun.

sights1

The boys enjoyed the ride over since we took our car and they liked driving on and then going upstairs to catch the views.  Apollo enjoyed watching how close the seagulls would fly beside the deck. Once we were close to shore we rushed down and got back into the car to exit the ship.  Our house wasn’t too far a ride from the port. What we found was a narrow road to our house. At first, I thought it was strange to have such a narrow two-way road but as time went on I saw how it quite nicely controlled the speed of traffic on the street and set the tone for a laid back experience. I even took walks a few times on it with my mother-in-law so we could explore the neighborhood.

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We spent the first few days exploring a lot of the different towns and sights on the island. I wanted to take them to Aquinnah Cliffs and Lighthouse (when I was a kid it was called Gay Head). It is a magnificent view of the cliffs. Unfortunately the lighthouse wasn’t open for guests since their recent renovations. Leao told me that since we last were here, they actually moved the lighthouse back to avoid the erosion of the cliffs. Moving a lighthouse is pretty amazing and I am glad they were able to preserve it. So we had to look at it from afar. We walked around Oak Bluffs and peeked into the shops. Nicholas even found a little free library. For several years, he and I have been facinated with finding little libraries. We recently found one in my hometown on the Cape. So finding one while on vacation was unexpected and delightful. Next year, we will have to bring a book to donate.

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Hanging out at the house was also a great deal of fun because it an open floor plan with a loft so it never felt cramped. Apollo is into coding now so he spent time with his laptop.

beach1Beach time was a must and we found parking easy and settled into a relaxing routine. I couldn’t believe how close we were able to park. I could see my car from the beach so it made it easy when it was time to pack up.  The water was cold but refreshing from the heat.  We brought snacks and I of course brought my book to just chill.

hangingout2My brother-in-law and his girlfriend joined us in the middle of the week and we had a really nice time as always.

anniversary-celebrationsOur anniversary was on June 30th so my in-laws watched the boys and we headed out for adult fun on the island.  We had fun playing the games and listening to music before heading back to the house.

I have to say that this vacation was a success. I loved our location, I loved having family with us especially for the boy’s first trip there. This was the first time, I didn’t come home feeling like I needed a vacation from my vacation. I truly came back relaxed and happy to continue our summer fun.

That said, I am working on my blogging schedule to prepare to hear more from me once again. I hope you all are taking time to relax and rejuvenate.

Have a blessed day!

Belinda

Up Close and Personal with Animation

One of my friends told me about a new exhibit at the Boston Museum of Science that she thought my boys would be interested to see so last Monday, Leao and I took them to the museum to see it. It is called, “The Science Behind Pixar”. The boys were so thrilled when I told them we were going to see this exhibit. They both love Pixar movies and looked forward to some hands-on experiences.  I too, was excited to learn more about the people behind the magic.

pixar2The boys loved it and I was very impressed with the layout and organization of this exhibit. There was so much to see and learn that honestly, I think we could go again and learn more.  I liked that they had hands-on activities. It help to break up the amount of information for the boys. I know that Leao and I definitely found the video segments with different staff people facinating. The boys watched a few but loved the hands-on. That’s why I think there is plenty more for them to learn.

pixar3We arrived around 1 and it was actually perfect. No huge crowds and after all of our exhibits we headed to the cafe and had a great window seat overlooking the Charles River.  What a treat. Then of course they boys had to go to the gift shop.  Despite some of the overpriced goods, I do enjoy seeing the things they have in stock.

pixar1There was a good amount of life-size characters to pose with. I of course found Sully from Monster’s University and Apollo found Dory. We even renewed our membership so that we will be better about going more frequently. Summer is so special because it takes away some of our crazy scheduling to allow for more fun outings. I look forward to many more.

Have a blessed day friends!

Belinda

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