BOSTON!!! Start of the American Revolution – the Boston Tea Party.
We hit the town today with Dave’s sister and family. They love Boston and are great tour guides. With so many kids, we decided to skip the Freedom Trail and the Trolley, though I think we might have been able to manage the trolley if we planned well. Instead – we decided to take a Duck Tour! If you haven’t seen them, a Duck Tour is a tour of the city and the harbor in one of those old military vehicles that drive on land and on water. How cool is that for a bunch of kids!
As we were standing in line to wait to board the Duck – I realized that it was too close to lunch for us make it through the tour without food. So, I dashed to the food court and picked up one of our famous “make it through cheerfully” meals (there was NO way we were going to miss the Duck Tour just for lunch!). Usually our “make it” meal is ice cream, but today it was a bag of chips and a Snickers bar! I am not sure whether the kids remember the tour or the “meal” more fondly!
Our tour was fun, and the driver was eccentric, however not fun enough and not eccentric enough to keep the kids awake! Six of our nine children fell asleep – that would be a $20 nap for each one of them!!! Aargh! Oh well, they needed the sleep and it gave Dave and I a chance to enjoy more of the ride. We did wake the bigger ones up for the water part – that was pretty cool. Most of us took the chance to drive the Duck while we were in the harbor – the same harbor that soaked up the tea of the Boston Tea Party.
Again, the tour was fun, but it did not include as much historical info as I was hoping. The focus was more eclectic and Bostonian than historical.
We spent most of the rest of the day at the Boston Museum of Science – a great place for kids. There is plenty of interesting and thrilling things for kids of all ages to see and do at the Science museum. We loved the musical staircase, the running path that recorded your speed, the live animals, the radiology display, and all the cool gadgets. The kids really enjoyed being able to be there with their cousins.
Dave and I ended the day with a light meal in the food court with the younger six kids, while the older ones went with their cousins and Aunt and Uncle to the North End for pizza.
I think that we surprised Dave’s sister and brother-in-law, they were a little concerned about the kid to adult ratio we were taking on today! Their surprise was at how well and easy the day had gone. Our Gripsterz stayalongs had once again saved the day and proved their worth! I just love that we are able to go and do such cool things with our kids – all 9 of them, and the only way that I even have the courage to do it is because I know that we have Gripsterz to keep us all together.
TIPS:
1. Don’t miss something because of food – grab whatever you can to get by and focus on the experiences. You can always eat healthy when you get home or the next day. I I also use lollipops for quick fixes.
2. We may have mentioned this before, but we love taking walkie talkies on our day trips. Cell phones can serve the same purpose, but we find the walkie talkies work really well.
3. Plan a time for the little ones to nap, but it doesn’t have to be a nap in their bed. Lots of times I plan the drive to our destination as a nap time – we may get there a little later than I would like or have to leave earlier, but it usually works out OK. A carefully timed stroller ride can do the same thing. A carrier/sling can work for some smaller children and babies. Sometimes you can plan to see one of those museum movies at just the right time, take a little one for a relaxing stroller ride just before the movie. They may not get a normal long nap, but just a little sleep is better than none and it can get you through the rest of the experience. If they are having to take one of these short, quickie naps and you are concerned that they will wake up more grumpy than “ready to fly” – try having a treat ready for them as soon as they wake up. A favorite snack, a piece of candy, a new little toy or a visual surprise (some place in the museum) might just snap them into a happy mood.
4. Take a Gripsterz stayalong!
obably the most difficult moment in this whole trip for Dave and I. The farm had been fun, but it was a lot of work to keep up with the kids, it had been hot, and we had a lot of dirty laundry, and…the van was kind-of stinky. We looked at each other, from our thrones in the front of the van, and wondered out loud if we had truly lost our minds! We were at the end of our first week away and we had 3 more weeks to go. Going North seemed like the craziest thing we had ever done, home was South, and we were heading into the abyss with 9 young children for 3 more weeks. We were scared! But, Garmin led us on and we followed – North!
Today was a BIG day. The Civil War is not my favorite part of our American History, nor any of the wars, but it seems to be a favorite for the man-types in our family. So we fed the animals, gathered the eggs, filled up on a wonderful breakfast and hit the road – again! We were off to Gettysburg, our first Civil War stop of the trip. Dave has very fond memories of him and his brother at the Gettysburg Museum…something about a big, giant, super cool, Electric Map that depicts the battle scenes as they played out. 
We ended our museum experience in the food court, the end of all rainbows, which is where Dave and the older bunch came sauntering in to meet us. They looked like nearly dead soldiers who were tired, hungry, thirsty and beaten down…which is apparently all that poor Dad heard for the entire stroll through the museum! Crazy kids!
The kids had a great time, it is probably the first year ever that all the kids (except the baby) knew what to do. In years past I have had to take at least one little one aside and do a “pre-hunt” practice.
After the egg hunt, we jumped back in the van and headed back to Richmond for a little play time at Nana’s, followed by an Easter meal with Dave’s family. Delicious! Dave’s mom and dad make a great cooking pair – he does the meat and she does the sides. I remember my grandparents doing the same thing every Sunday for our family meals together. 
The kids decided to put on an impromptu play, a court scene depicting an infraction by one poor little cousin. It was fun to watch all the natural characteristics of each child play out – some negotiators, some judgers, some supporting, some facilitating and some bystanding. Because it was impromptu it was neat to see them each drift to the role that suited their personality best. And because it was a “play” they were free to act out characteristics without hurting feelings or getting reprimanded for not being patient or understanding. Picture an active and loud court scene where everyone gets to accuse, cry, defend, or proclaim without parental guidance!
Day 3: Richmond
We spent Easter Saturday with Dave’s parents and brother’s family in Richmond. With the recent addition of their fifth child, Dave’s brother and his family were inspired to build an addition to their home to increase living space. Dave had the opportuinity to spend some time helping his brother and Dad work on the house addition. They also had to re-set a portion of the fence which had to be removed in order to allow truck and large equipment access.
7) Spouses – be patient with one another! Sometimes, when we are visiting family or old friends, we may revert to old (younger) behaviors, almost forgetting the new responsibilities we have developed as parents and spouses. Just be patient and understanding with each other, we all do it!
If you know that your host is not set up for young children, bring the basics – cups with tops, plastic plates, waterproof bed pads (just in case) – I have also used these to cover and protect nice dining chairs, favorite snacks, and an easy stain remover or cleaner.
Day 2: Jamestown, VA—
Jamestown is a good way to start a home school trip to study American History. We discussed all the sacrifices and risks the settlers had to make to leave Europe and come here. Being Good Friday, we also took a little time to reflect on Jesus’ sacrifice for us. 
One other helpful tool we found when traveling with children is the two-way radio (commonly known as a set of walkie-talkies). These are critical, as we are often separated when one adult needs to take one or more children on a potty break, when the car needs to be parked, when one sits in the van with children and the other runs into the store to get emergency supplies, etc. It has also come in very handy in the past when we have needed to fly, and one of us drops the other off at the front of the airport with bags and children and the other parks the car and catches the shuttle back. It is invaluable in helping to find each other in the airport, and similarly when arriving so one of us can stay with children and get bags and the other can work on the rental vehicle/transportation/accomodation details.
