Back in Beverly

Last weekend we paid our first visit to Bobby's birthplace since we moved last fall.  Everything was just the same, which was comforting in a way.

I carried my camera around the whole weekend and pretty much only took pictures of Bob; I didn't even take photos of our friends.  But that's ok, because most of the time friends don't love having their pictures taken anyway, and it's good to just hang without a lens attached to my face.

I did capture some of the basic essentials of a trip to the Kingdom of Beverly...

Like a stop at DD on our drive out...

... which included Bob's first solo donut.  It was so cute how perfectly he pronounced "donut" -- over and over he kept saying, "eat donut."  He was feeling pretty mature I'm sure.

Second essential of a trip to the North Shore (especially in the spring): a visit to Glen Magna Farms in Danvers.  I discovered this place on a lunch break while working at the law office; life was never the same thereafter.

Next thing we had to to was drive through our old neighborhood and stop to play at "our" park...

We stayed at our pals the Zobas' place.  Bob loved playing with the baker's rack and pots and pans and lids and giant wooden spoon and fork.  He thought he was a real chef or something.  Also they had a little wooden figurine -- like the kind used for drawing -- that he called "Tiny Zoba."  And their exercise machine he thought was a motorcycle and kept asking to "drive backward."

We walked down to another park nearby (gotta take advantage since we now live in hickville)...

I try to be friendly to other kids at the park, but you know how sometimes they just take it too far and won't leave you alone?  And the only explanation would seem to be that they're neglected or something?

So... I was making Ben and Christina play obstacle course with me (design a course to run through the playground and time each other -- yes, I know, not something adults usually do but I'm fun like that) and just when we were wrapping up the first round two little kids come up and ask if they can play too.  Of course I say yes, but then they proceed to cheat by not following the course exactly or even close, and then insisting that we time them over and over and cheer at their every pass across the monkey bars or arrival at the finish line.  But the kids really took it too far when they started trying to out-do each other, performing more and more ridiculous stunts until we were sure one of them would be killed.  And that's when we made our exit.

Bob never feels more mature than when he's walking on a sidewalk; he's like a whole different little person, just strolling along, living life, taking in the sights and choosing his own destiny.

We walked to dinner at Siam Delight, our favorite Thai place, actually it's probably our favorite restaurant period.  Oh, how we've been longing for that food... Massaman curry is to die for.

As we were about to leave I tried to take a picture of Bob and his friend Christina ("Treeana" as he called her) but Bob was a little sad about it...

... even the sucker and blankie didn't really help...

And then we came home.  I wish I had a comfy car seat and a blankie so that I could sleep most of the way like Bobby does.

 

Sometimes I sleep regardless.  Ben always insists on driving even though I do offer to take a turn; he's a man like that (and honestly, on long trips I prefer to chillax anyway.)

Road trips are fun, except that sometimes I get lazy and bring Bobby to our bed when he wakes up in the night, and then I spend the next week listening to cries of "lay down mama!" at all hours of the night.  I had lots of talks with Bob about being a big boy today, and so far tonight seems to be going better... he did cry after I laid him down; when I poked my head in to say, "I love you, go to sleep," he said, "no twy-baby" and plopped himself back down.  That a'boy.

And now, "oh deeah!" as Bobby would say.  I need to get to bed.