Today is the end of a much needed and enjoyed vacation. Tomorrow I return to work..ugh! However, I want to share a fun day I had with my niece and mother! I was born in Cambridge, MA. and lived there on the second floor of my grandparents house,until I was 11 years old. My mother had grown up in that house. We lived between central and Harvard square and by the time I moved to the suburbs, I knew the area like the back of my hand. My parents worked Monday-Friday, but weekends were family time and they kept us busy! One of the places we loved to go was the Boston commons and the garden to ride the swan boats and see the ducks. It was, and still is a great place to people watch, or as my father would say: "Take in the sights".
On Friday, I called my mother to find out what she was doing. I thought we could go to lunch together. She said she was babysitting my niece and maybe we could take her to a park to play. That's when it hit both of us at the same time, Boston! So I picked up commuter rail tickets and we
were on our way to Boston. This was my niece's first train ride and she loved it! It was a little crowded on the train and I ended up sitting one seat behind her. We played peek-a-boo and hiding games that sent her into the giggles. I got this picture when she peeked around the seat. She thought It was great that the conductor gave her a green ticket. After that, every time he walked past she waved and said: "Hi!" I was kicking myself a little bit for not bringing some knitting with me. It's a 30 minute ride on the train. I could have knit in-between games of peek-a-boo ;-).
were on our way to Boston. This was my niece's first train ride and she loved it! It was a little crowded on the train and I ended up sitting one seat behind her. We played peek-a-boo and hiding games that sent her into the giggles. I got this picture when she peeked around the seat. She thought It was great that the conductor gave her a green ticket. After that, every time he walked past she waved and said: "Hi!" I was kicking myself a little bit for not bringing some knitting with me. It's a 30 minute ride on the train. I could have knit in-between games of peek-a-boo ;-).
We arrived at South Station ready to hit the 
pavement! I like walking though south Station. There are book and magazine stands that seem more like bookstores and plenty of places to get food and "take in the sights". We stopped for a light snack because we knew it would be a while before we actually sat down to relax. This is what the building looks like from outside the station. While we were drinking coffee and deciding what we wanted to do first, I was looking around for some lunchtime knitters. I know the Boston SNB group members sometimes meet at lunch or after work at the station to knit/crochet. However, no one was there today. One of the side trips we took was to the Windsor Button Shop. I didn't know this until I mentioned where I'd like to stop my mother used to buy most of her buttons and zippers there! When I was a kid, she used to sew a lot (she was damn good!). I had never been there myself. I was so excited to see all the different yarns they sell and all of the knit related books and magazines. The only problem I had with the place was the heat. It was really warm in there and I couldn't concentrate on all that yarn goodness. I plan to go back and spend some time there looking at everything and buying! I don't know about anyone else, but all stores seem to be holding out on the AC. Anyway, off to the Commons! My niece was enjoying her stroller ride and every few minutes we'd hear "LOOK!" She's two years old and is talking in sentences, but when she's excited you hear real sentences mixed with jargon. It sounded like: "Nana, look jargon-jargon over there! " Eventually, we figured it out. That kid's really a hoot and so smart!
We walked though the Boston Commons and sat on a bench near the frog pond so my niece could stretch her legs. She had a great time seeing other children and watching the pigeons . Look, Bird! Hi Bird! Me, I'm thinking rats with wings. Time to head to the gardens. Here's a picture of the swan boats. We took my niece for a ride, but had no one to take a picture from the dock. So, here's a picture of some people riding the boat. It doesn't hold the same kind of excitement as when I was a kid, but I loved watching my niece's expressions and chatter.
We walked though the Boston Commons and sat on a bench near the frog pond so my niece could stretch her legs. She had a great time seeing other children and watching the pigeons . Look, Bird! Hi Bird! Me, I'm thinking rats with wings. Time to head to the gardens. Here's a picture of the swan boats. We took my niece for a ride, but had no one to take a picture from the dock. So, here's a picture of some people riding the boat. It doesn't hold the same kind of excitement as when I was a kid, but I loved watching my niece's expressions and chatter.
The ducks are really used to people and swam really close to the edge of the pond and then hopped on the grass to visit. My niece giggled,waved and told all the other kids to look at the ducks and then it was a jargon-a-thon cuz all the toddlers were talking to each other and the ducks!
There's a sign that asks visitors not to feed the birds. It didn't stop a woman from throwing bread in the pond. The ducks came for out of the water for more food and a visit. They're really not afraid of people.
This duckling seemed to be the smallest and youngest in the pond. It walked right up to us, stood for a few seconds, shook itself and proceeded to groom as it stood in front of us. It was really cute! It was a really nice way to spend the day and a nice intro for my niece to the city and the commons. We spent the rest of the day walking through Copley square, stopping at the Church and square across from the Copley Library. There was a farmers market there with lots of beautiful flowers and vegetables. We ate at Legal Seafood's in the prudential Center and strolled through the shops on the way back to South Station. By the time we got back to South Station, I was wishing I was young enough to be pushed in a stroller! (If you live in the area, you can appreciate what a walk that was!) Have a good week everyone and the next post will be knitting updates. 
