Whenever I think about the month that Matt and I spent in Boston with Tommy when he had just turned one, I have to laugh. This was the first stop on our 13-month trip and were we newbies! It wasn’t our first extended trip with Tommy – that happened when he was six weeks old. But it was the first time we had ever been anywhere with a toddler. Tommy learned to walk just as we embarked, and boy was that ever a game changer. Couple this with the fact that we had rented the world’s most hideous apartment and you have a month-long recipe for exhaustion and general operational failure.
I offer these photos by way of illustration. The lovely June day started out well. It had always been my dream to ride the Swan Boats in the Boston Public Garden with my children. Here is Tommy waiting in line. Doesn’t he look cute in that romper and hat?
Here he is on the boat after he realized that, no, we weren’t going to let him run from one side to the other so he could lean over the edge:
I don’t have a photo of him eating a hot dog and an Italian ice for lunch. But I do have some pictures of him in the water area of the Boston Common Playground immediately following this healthy meal:
Did we have a change of clothes, a towel, sunblock, or a swim diaper with us? I’ll let you guess the answer. And why, oh why, is he still in his onesie?
We’re considering a return to Boston with the kids this summer. I’m hoping we’re a little bit more up on the details this time around, especially because it is such a great family destination.
And if Boston is also on your family travel list, I offer for your consideration the set of 3-day Go Cards offered by Smart Destinations that I have contributed to the Passports With Purpose raffle. The list of attractions you can visit in the Boston area using these cards is loooong and includes the Swan Boats. Each 10 dollar donation you make to Passports With Purpose gives you one chance to win the cards (which can be used in thirteen other locales across the United States and Canada). Or perhaps you’d like to try for one of the other magnificent prizes. And remember: All donations are tax deductible.
A big thank you to Smart Destinations for sponsoring my prize!
I share these pictures as part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby. Have a great weekend everyone.
I've taken with my children and those I want to take. Explore and you'll find family travel tips, information about vacation destinations, and lots of stories about our adventures! 
i love this. not least because these experiences define us, and keep us traveling!
This is hilarious! I usually read your posts and day dream that some day I will travel and not have to worry about diapers, onesies, chasing after someone who has no concept of “stop” and “hold still.” This post is a snapshot of my life right now. I now feel much less guilty about the 2 hour train ride in soaking wet shorts and the many meals out that have consisted of about 4 french fries.
Love it! There have been many times when we’ve been out with our daughter and we’ll need one of the essential items, and my husband and I will look at each other like, “You brought an extra pair of pants for her, right?” Glad we aren’t the only ones.
I’ll be so excited to read about your summer adventures in Boston. It’s one of my favorite cities. Definitely check out Trinity Church in Back Bay…really beautiful and the plaza in front of it is a great place for pictures.
Try the water taxi in Boston – it is great fun for kids. Last March the driver even let my boys take a turn driving the boat. I think there are about 18 stops around the harbor & even over to the USS Constitution. We take it from the airport (requires a short free shuttle bus ride to the waterstop) to North End where we stay then back over toward the Children’s Museum.
$10 one way ride. Kids are free.