Anneke, Manny and I started the weekend off on Friday with a trip to the aquarium. Bostonians, like us Chicagoans, can enjoy free passes from the library for many public attractions -- huzzah! I'm not entirely sure just what was going on with Manny in this picture. I think that he was just very tired, though it's entirely possible that a shark had just swum by the aquarium window. *Gulp!* Gabe thinks he's holding his breath; maybe Anneke had threatened to dunk him? (Just kidding; all my friends are nice, especially Anneke.)
Anneke was able to wrangle a car seat (and play yard, and booster seat) from some friends of hers, which made traveling much easier for me. Also, the snappy blue denim car seat allowed Manny to look like a baby-model, since blue is totally his color. See how he's smiling with his eyes in this picture? Baby-model, people.
So here we are again, back at the North Bridge, which was our Saturday trip. This guy was a New England blueblood, direct descendant of William Bradshaw (I don't actually know who this was -- came over on the Mayflower? I'm just repeating what he said), former high-ranking Navy officer (it's been a month, folks, memory fails), and Revolutionary War history buff extraordinaire.
We stopped to watch his musket and bayonet (yikes) demonstration, and then he expounded on Revolutionary War history and democratic ideals. This may sound a bit boring, but he was an amazingly captivating and very opinionated speaker, who managed to inspire no small amount of patriotism in this somewhat apathetic heart. He used the word "umbrage", pointed out that the word "unique" does not need and must not have any qualifiers (e.g. "quite unique" is nonsensical -- a grammarian's pet peeve!), showed us the curved sword that one of his ancestors almost certainly stole from a dead Frenchman's body in the French and Indian War, yet somehow was not above using the phrase "iddin' it" (I'm pretty sure that snuck in there, at any rate). In 20 minutes, this guy managed to make it to the top of my "Reasons to Visit the Boston Area" list. My only regret is that I didn't have a photo taken with him.
In Concord, we stopped for coffee. Despite the fact that he couldn't have any, Manny managed to keep up appearances, putting a smile on his face.
This picture is classic Manny. When he's done, he's DONE. Right thumb in mouth, left hand and arm over eyes. "Out, world, out. Baby needs his beauty rest."
When he wasn't confined to the car seat, Manny practiced push-ups in Steve and Anneke's library/TV room on the second floor. Since we have hardwood and Stassons do too on the first floor, the carpet was a real treat for Manny, as he was able to get some traction. (Parenting 101: If you want to delay mobility, place child on slippery surface at all times. It will be AGES before you have to baby-proof.) 
Here's Anneke in front of the house that she and Steve bought. It is lovely, lovely, and has a great yard. We planted some flowers on Sunday, which was fun. Note that An is carrying Manny in an REI kiddie-pack. She and Steve evidently registered for this as a joke at their wedding, and someone took them up on it. Anneke insisted that she carry Manny in this on a walk thru a forest preserve by their house, which was our Sunday after-church expedition. Besides the un-fun hassle of getting Manny into the pack and the straps adjusted, he really enjoyed his ride. It was funny to see him being carried by someone else, since he's usually a one-woman (Mama!) kind of guy.
Jonah and Gabe got up bright and early to meet us at the airport when our plane came in at 7:40 a.m. Jonah's excitement at seeing me after being apart for four days, though, only lasted until we passed the construction equipment on the Blue Line tracks. That's my boy.
It was great to be able to go to Boston (by the way, this trip was financed by Laura's birthday and Christmas money, so thanks to all of you who helped out with that!) and see Anneke. The last time I saw her, Jonah was six weeks old, so it was great to be able to visit her after almost two years. She and Steve are wonderful hosts and great cooks, and they doted over my baby a sufficient amount. They are also, in some ways, living the life that I would like to incorporate into my own over the next few years: gardening flowers and food, trying new recipes, composting, and brewing their own beer. Thanks for the grat visit, Stassons! And thanks to Gabe for keeping Mr Poo safe and happy over the course of a long weekend, which made my visit immeasurably better.
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