Sleeping like a baby in Boston

For Photo Friday at Delicious Baby. And yes, I did, thank you. I absolutely love traveling with my children but there is something completely wonderful about going away without them and not having anyone padding around at 6 a.m. I woke up at 7 my first morning and then got back into bed and dozed for a whole hour. Bliss.

But what I really want to write about is how great a city Boston was to be in with a small baby. Little Lucy pictured above in the Public Garden (sadly the Swan Boats are put away for the winter) is the youngest of five and is just about the sweetest, easiest love of a baby you will ever find. She’s also at that great age when she can be hauled around everywhere. Remember those days? Napping on the go making , say, two hours in the esoteric Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum a snap? And if your children were breastfed, no need to carry any food? Lucy was lucky to be nursed in the square at the back of the Old North Church next to the statue of Paul Revere not once, but twice on this trip. Two if by sea.

But Lucy wasn’t the only one who made our trip fun and easy. I was amazed by the overwhelming friendliness and love shown by the Bostonians. My friend Julie and I were able to shop and eat in the brownstones lining Newbury Street because people kept offering to help us carry the stroller up and down the many steep and perilous stairs with our little maharani. And when we took her to the North End, Santa Lucia was the queen of the parade. No one grumbled about the stroller on the packed sidewalks and more than one person came up to coo over her and ask us whether we were going to get her a cannoli. Which I of course contemplated doing so I could eat it myself. (As it was we went to Mike’s Pastry on Saturday and Sunday night. Best cannoli yet.)

When Julie’s husband Pete wanted to go to dinner at Giacomo’s, a Hanover Street fixture that is always crowded, doesn’t take reservations, and is quite small and loud, I wasn’t sure we could swing it. But the line wasn’t bad, Lucy was compliant, and the waitress didn’t bat an eyelash when we announced our intention to bring her in. We were given a table for four, told which chair to put her carrier on (so she’d be out of the waitstaff’s way) and made to feel as welcome as everyone else. In fact, the waitress saw that we had left some of our gear hanging on the folded-up stroller in the entryway and marched us right out to her car so she could put it in the backseat. I can’t believe that Matt and I avoided eating there while we were in Boston with Tommy as a toddler; I certainly wouldn’t make that mistake again.

So there you have my ringing endorsement: Boston is a fantastic place to take kiddos of all ages.

Looking at this picture makes me realize that I am missing Lucy just a bit. It helps to know that I’m her absolute favorite. She told me so.

Look soon for a Fridays with Teddy post, which has now become a regular weekend feature. I’m trying to decide – do I keep Fridays in the title since we actually have the adventures then or switch it to Saturdays with Teddy since that’s when I usually put it up? In any event, our adventure this week will involve a corn maze. Stay tuned.