Museum Memberships

We have memberships to two different museums: Old Sturbridge Village and the Boston Children's Museum.  In the 6 months we've had the OSV membership, we've gone 9 times.  The Children's museum we've had since the end of July and we've gone twice.  The latter was a good idea in theory, but seems to take more planning on our part.  Plus we have to pay for parking, which is also a deterrent.  It will pay for itself in 2 more visits, and we're confident we'll do that (especially over the winter), but I don't think we'll be renewing that membership.

But we definitely love OSV.  My family had a membership for a while when I was younger and I fondly remember our visits.  Then Chris and I got a membership a couple of years ago (while I was pregnant with Bennett, actually).  I know we got our money's worth with that membership, but it was nothing like now!



Hanging out with Mumma in the Boba

 What's nice about the membership is that we don't feel bad if we're there for only a short amount of time.  And we mostly look at the animals, check out the gardens, etc.  Occassionally we go into a building, but not usually.  It's also interesting to see how our visits have evolved from Bennett being mostly in the stroller to mostly in the Boba (baby carrier), to mostly walking/riding on shoulders.  We went last weekend and he pretty much refused the Boba, but was happy as a clam riding on Daddy's shoulders.

 

The new waterwheel, officially in action for the first time
since being replaced.  (They had tested it earlier in the week.)



On our most recent visit, this past weekend, they were celebrating "Harvest Days".  It was a chance to help harvest corn, potatoes, beets, etc.  Plus they gave tours of the root cellar, smoke house, and barns.  Unfortunately we had to miss that since it was in the middle of nap time.  But an added bonus of our visit on Saturday was the rededication of the gristmill.  It's been out of operation for a number of years as it needed a new waterwheel as well as some other repairs.  It was finally done!  We happened to be in the area of the mills when the ceremony was coming to an end.  We stopped by, and as we were standing there, someone vaguely familiar looking walked by.  He had a name tag on because he was a trustee of the museum.  It was none other than Norm Abram, host of This Old House and The New Yankee Workshop.





Norm Abram watching the rededication ceremony

After the ceremony Norm went to talk with the master craftsmen who had worked on the project. Chris wanted to take a picture and talk with him, but he also didn't want to interrupt. We waited around for a little while, but they were having a nice long conversation. So in the end, this is the only photo I have- taken on the sly with my phone as we all stood watching the ceremony.



I think at this time of year things are going to quiet down a bit at the village.  Most of our other visits had been on weekends where special events were going on, but the calendar looks a bit sparce for the next few months.  Makes sense, since there's really no farming to do over the winter.  Plus with the chillier weather, I imagine fewer people will want to visit.  Maybe now we'll make a point of going into all of the buildings to check them out.

Also, as a random aside, I got stung by a yellow jacket while we were there on Saturday.  4 days later and it still hurts!



A medical update

I realize I haven't updated on Bennett's medical condition lately.  (Ok, I haven't really updated on anything lately.)  So here goes.



At the cardiologist- August 2011

August 2011 he saw the cardiologist.  It had been a few months since he had last been in.  The cardiologist he had been seeing had left to go to another hospital.  We considered staying with him, but in the end figured we'd rather stay with Children's. 

The ECHO was challenging.  Bennett did not like lying still.  They got some images, but not great ones.

We met (very briefly) with the new cardiologist and were told that everything looked good.  Come back in a year.

Fast forward to 2012.  When we left last year, they had mentioned the possibility of doing a sedated ECHO next time, but that they would let us know.  After a horrible experience with a kidney/bladder ultrasound back in February, Chris and I knew sedated was the way to go.  So I called and made it known that we thought it would be best if Bennett were sedated.  Finally we heard back that yes, they thought so to.  And then the appointment ended up being rescheduled a couple of times.

Finally at the end of September we were able to get in.  Being sedated meant nothing to eat after 2:30am the night before, and only clear liquids until 8:30am.  (Appointment scheduled for 9:30.)  Surprisingly he did well with nothing to eat, and didn't fuss about no milk.  He was more annoyed with the 2 hour drive to Children's in the morning.  Under "normal" circumstances it would take maybe 45-60 minutes, but it was rush hour.  Chris found some Thomas videos on his phone for Bennett to watch, and that kept him happy for a little while.

Then began the waiting.  At this point we're used to appointments at Children's taking excessive amounts of time with lots of time waiting.  In this case, we were told 9:30, they had us down for 10:00.  They got a height and weight and then brought us back.  Interestingly, our little pipsqueak, was pretty much right on the upper range of being able to take the sedation medicine. 



Passing time while waiting to be sedated. 

They had a play doctor kit in the exam room that Bennett liked playing with while we waited.  Finally they were ready!  The nurse came back in and gave him the medicine.  And then we had to wait for him to fall asleep.  Bennett does not like being told to go to sleep, especially a couple of hours before his normal nap time!  Daddy and I took turns holding him and trying to keep him still.  We couldn't put him down because he would likely fall and hurt himself.  Plus I think he would have been really confused about what was happening.  In the end Chris lay down on the exam table and held him.  All in all, this took maybe 15 minutes.

Then it was time to transfer him to the room where they do the ECHOs.  He woke up slightly when he was transferred but he went right back to sleep.  The nurse stayed with him and Chris and I went to get some food.



He also did some coloring with his new Aquadoodle
that he got for his birthday.



Some people have commented that they wouldn't be able to/ wouldn't want to leave their child there, but with our experience at Children's, we've learned that when you get an opportunity to eat, take it.  Doesn't matter that it's only 11:00.  Go. Eat. 

When we got back to the room the person doing the ECHO was just wrapping up.  They had been able to get great pictures and a very thorough look at his heart.  Bennett was still sleeping, so they went ahead and did an EKG.  Then the cardiologist came in to talk to us.

It was awesome being able to talk and be able to give our full attention to the doctor rather than only have listening while we're trying to entertain Bennett and keep him from getting into everything.  And the news is... He's doing awesome!  The cardiologist commented that Bennett now has "mild regurgitation".  Wow!  Such a change from what we were hearing just before he was born.  They may not do an ECHO again next year, but that's ok because they were able to get such a thorough look this time.  And everything is looking great.  No reasons why he should be prevented from doing sports or other activities.  Future surgeries?  Maybe, but likely not until he's a teen/young adult, and possibly won't ever need anything else.

When we were done talking, and Bennett had been asleep a decent amount of nap time, the nurse removed the EKG stickers.  This woke Bennett up.  The nurse commented that coming out of sedation was similar to being drunk.  And that like with alcohol there are happy drunks and angry drunks, there was a similar range of outcomes when coming out of sedation.

Bennett is a happy drunk!  But  he also thought he could act like his normal self.  Um, sorry buddy.  We had to hold him to keep him from falling down or crashing in to things.  After he drank some milk we were free to go.

He also had his 2 year appointment with the pediatrician that afternoon.  We had time to kill between appointments so we stopped by Brandeis to visit Chris' co-workers.  The effects of the sedation hadn't worn off yet.  It was a struggle to restrain him!  This is a boy who doesn't like sitting still for very long!  But it was entertaining watching him try to walk.  But also a little scary since we had to keep such a close eye on him.



Asleep in the waiting room.



Then it was off to the pediatrician.  Bennett fell asleep again in the car.  He must have still been feeling the effects of the sedation because he didn't wake up when we took him out of the car.  Plus he slept in my arms while hanging in the (noisy) waiting room.  It was awesome!  I haven't been able to hold a sleeping Bennett in almost a year.  I hadn't realized how much I missed that.



Asleep in the exam room.



Then when we took him into the exam room he was still sleeping.  The nurses kept asking if he was ok- was there anything wrong with him?  Nope, just the after-effects of the sedation medication.  Understandable though, because I can imagine if I saw him lying on the table like this I would probably freak out a little as well.

When the doctor came in, we woke him up since we had to get an updated height.  They didn't like the measurement that we had gotten at Children's because it was very different from the last measurement that they had.

And then it was a pretty basic appointment, except we had to keep a closer eye on Bennett to keep him from falling from chairs and crashing into things.  But he was good about sitting still when he needed to be examined.  Pediatrician didn't express any concerns to us.  Yeah, Bennett has a speech delay, but he is making progress.  (We'll be so happy when he learns to communicate more!)

Day Out with Thomas

So for those who aren't aware, I have a degree in Theatre with an emphasis on Costume Construction.  Other than summerstock the year after I graduated and working on one production at a local theatre, those skills have been pretty under-utilized in the past 13 years.  People often ask me if I miss it or if I would want to get back into theatre.  I say, "not really, but my kids will have kick-ass Halloween costumes."  For years (long before Bennett was even a twinkle in our eyes) I've been saying this.  Well, it's now that time...

Back in August Chris and I brainstormed and we came up with idea of Bennett's Halloween Costume being Sir Topham Hatt from Thomas the Tank Engine.  Right after we decided this I started working again and then had to finish everything for his birthday party, so costume plans were set aside.

Then about 2 weeks ago I sat down and planned it all out.  I had a month to get the costume done.  Not too bad- I could take my time and I wouldn't have to rush or stress.  But then I wondered if "Day Out with Thomas" was coming up.  I figured we'd probably missed it, but that it didn't hurt to check.  It was less than two weeks away.  Eeek!!!

So for the past week and a half I've been up late every night stitching away.
4th went fabric shopping and started cutting out the jacket
5th - 9th made the jacket
10th made the waistcoat (vest)
11th started the hat
12th more or less finished the hat, started the spats (and stayed up until 1am)
13th (while at my hair appointment and in the car on the way there) finished sewing the lining into the tophat and sewed snaps onto the spats.

Phew, that was a long 10 days!

All week long he was very resistant every time I had to have him try his costume on.  The jacket was the worst!  He did NOT want to wear it!  I was a little nervous of how things would go on Saturday.

Bennett napped in the car on the way there, but didn’t sleep long enough and woke up cranky. We tried changing his clothes in the parking lot, but He. Was. Not. Having. It. We managed to change his pants but he didn't really want that to happen.  Put on his dress shoes and tried to put the spats on.  As soon as I got them snapped on, he was ripping them off.  So we put him back in his sneakers and I put the clothes in a bag and brought them in with us. Shortly before Sir Topham Hatt showed up for pictures we changed him. He still resisted, but once we got him dressed he was fine. Only we didn’t bother to change his shoes, since that had been the initial cause of the meltdown at the car. So he was all spiffy- and then in sneakers. Phooey

It was fun to hear the comments from other parents about how he looked like Sir Topham, and from some of the staff as well.

At first he wasn’t happy, but this may have been because we tried putting him down on his own. When that didn’t work, Chris quickly jumped in. Got a few pics that way, and then tried a single shot.

But the best is this one from the official photographer. I may need to pay the crazy amount of money to get it.

Not thrilled with any of the official photos with Thomas, and I didn’t get to take any with my camera. This one may be the best (there were three) and I think Bennett’s eyes are closed.

We then got to ride the train. We had a car all to ourselves which was nice because Bennett was able to run around.

Then at the end of the day (they were about to close) a staff member asked if she could take his picture for the website, but then she later said FB. Either way it’s pretty cool. Guess they don’t usually get people dressing up.

So all in all, I’m glad I pushed to get the costume done in time. I’d like to say I won’t be this ambitious next year, but I doubt that’s true.

Oh, and his hat really does fit. There’s a little resistance when you put it on, and Chris didn’t realize that. So it’s just sitting really high in all of the hat pictures except the last one.

Then yesterday I brought him to Brandeis.  The costume designer there had been most helpful to me with some pattern drafting- especially getting things to me during tech week!  She wanted to see him in his costume, and due to schedules, yesterday was really the only day I would be able to bring him in when she was there.  So after nap we headed in.  I changed him in Chris' office.  He was a little resistant, but not too bad.  Still didn't want to wear his hat though, although he is wearing it here.

We changed him again before we left and he wanted to carry the bag with his costume out to the car.  When we got home, he insisted on carrying the bag in.  Then what does he do?  Reaches in, pulls out the hat and puts it on.  And then starts pulling other things out and wants to put his spats on.  Really?  I'm glad you like it, but couldn't you have been more receptive on Saturday?

 

Still a few more occasions to wear it, so I hope he remains happy with it. (Trick or treating in town on the 26th, costume birthday party on the 27th, Halloween party at school, trick or treating on the 31st, and we're also taking him to have pictures taken.)

Happy 2nd Birthday!- A Very Hungry Caterpillar Party

Bennett came downstairs on Saturday to presents on the table.  However, those didn't interest him.  He wanted the (unfrosted) cupcakes that were in the container behind them.  Which was weird, because he's never been much interested in cake.  Or so school tells us.  We don't generally eat desserts at home.

But before he could open presents, we wanted to Skype with Grandma and Grandpa in Georgia.  They were able to sing to him and watch him blow out the candle on his birthday pancake.



We chatted while we ate, and then they watched Bennett open his presents from Mummy and Daddy, as well as the gifts that they had left when they visited over the summer plus gifts from Aunt Suzanne, Uncle Paul, Rosaline and Dekota.

And then came the fun of playing with the new presents!  He really liked the gift he got from Grandma and Grandpa and put lots of train down the mine ramp and through the waterfall.

Then it was time to take our monthly photo.  Bennett is pretty well trained.  When he sees the chair sitting by the basement door, he knows he needs to sit down for pictures.  And then when he was done, he wanted to put the chair back at his little table.

Daddy and Bennett played for a bit while Mummy worked on party prep and then it was time for lunch and nap.  He somewhat resisted the nap, but he must have been tired because he fell asleep pretty quickly.  And luckily he took a nice long nap which gave plenty of time to finish getting ready.

While he slept Mumma made lots of frosting and got the cakes and cupcakes finished.  Daddy ran out to pick up balloons, photos, and some food for the party.  When he got back we finished decorating, baked a pie, and realized we were quickly running out of time.  Mumma texted Awesome Auntie Mel to come and give an extra set of hands.  Which worked out well because shortly after she arrived Bennett woke up.  Mel got to work cutting up fruit while Mummy and Daddy worked on getting everything else ready and all too soon people were arriving. 

Here's the spread. (Daddy made all the stands that the fruit is on.  Worked well to add visual appeal plus it took up less table space than having all the plates on the table.)

On Monday he ate through one apple.  But he was still hungry.

On Tuesday he ate through two pears, but he was still hungry. (Mel added the "bite" marks to the apples and pears.)

On Wednesday he ate through three plums, but he was still hungry.

On Thursday he ate through four strawberries, but he was still hungry.

On Friday he ate through five oranges, but he was still hungry.

On Saturday he ate through one piece of chocolate cake...

... one ice cream cone...

... one pickle...

... one slice of Swiss cheese, one slice of salami...

... one lollipop...

... one piece of cherry pie... (no one touched the pie, but of course I had to have it.)

... one sausage...

... one cupcake...

... and one piece of watermelon.  That night he had a stomachache!

Overall views of the dessert table and buffet table.

(I hand embroidered the text from the book by each food item on both sides of the table runner.)

This shot of the table is missing some of the food, but you can see the runner a bit better.

Beverage station. Bottles of water had either a picture of one of the fruits, a caterpillar, a 2 or a B.  The punch was Sprite mixed with a strawberry-lemonade concentrate that I made in early summer.

After eating it was time to go outside for some crafts.  There were three crafts that I had planned.

• Caterpillar bookmark made with their thumbprints.
• Egg carton caterpillar
• Tissue paper and clothespin butterfly

Again, I am super thankful for the help of my friends.  I showed them the supplies, told them (and showed- I'd made prototypes) what they were making, and they got everything set up and helped the kids.

I think I get negative points though for coming up with a craft that took too long to dry.  Sorry parents for making you take home gloopy caterpillars.

After crafts came cake!

Not a fan of his hat.

Blowing out the candles. With the candles on his pancakes he got one candle not problem but then took a few tries to get the second.  These he also had a bit of trouble with, and I think, in the end, I had to help.

After getting cleaned up we did the hokey-pokey.  He still needs to work on his left and right, but otherwise he does really well.

Then we ended with presents.  I won't bore you with those photos, but I would like to say how awesome and generous everyone is.  And it was the perfect amount.  I think we were on the last present when Bennett started to get tired of opening things.

Cutie Patootie Birthday Boy!

Decorations! I made 4 sets of these fruit garlands that we hung up in a few places. 

Caterpillar photos. I still have last year's photos up on the wall above the caterpillar.

Caterpillar balloons on the closet doors. Looks like someone erased the chalkboard a bit.

And in the front hall, in addition to some balloons and streamers, we had the giant cupcake and favors of "Caterpillar Food" (M&Ms).