guest blog: vermont

Lauren and Liz, “Team Wedding,” were along to be photographers, but if you ask the grandparents the main mission of our Vermont weekend was to show Aiden a taste of Vermont which we did quite literally with cheese, syrup and especially, Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream. If the definition of genius is ‘any normal grandchild,’ then the definition of a ‘genius weekend vacation’ is a visit to Vermont with a grandchild. It should include: a small cheese farm visit with real goats, cows and chickens to feed, followed by a real maple syrup trail; a climb to a beautiful mountain view gazebo at a ski hill hotel where you can sniff roses and sit in chairs that are carved like bears; a real Vermont maple syrup pancake breakfast with a Daniel Boone raccoon skin cap purchase; a quaint Woodstock street fair where you can dance and chalk in the street and find a toy horse that changes into a pillow and a blanket; a visit to an ice cream factory with fun tour, playground and delicious samples; and finally a chance to make your own red teddy bear at Vermont Teddy Bear Factory! It was a great, fun, busy weekend. And, oh yeah. Aiden enjoyed it, too.

We had to drop Liz at Logan Airport in Boston, so we took the opportunity to do the Robert McCloskey memorial tour of riding the big swan boat and spying on the duck island in the center of the Boston Public Garden Pond. Aiden wasn’t happy with just looking at the The Make Way for Duckling statues. He had to sit on Mama Duck and all of her ducklings. Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack and Quack all got ridden upon and ‘fed’ an acorn before we could go. We also saw a Revolutionary War encampment of re-enactors including a potter. A group of children including Aiden got to feel the lump of clay before the potter put it onto his foot propelled pottery wheel. When he asked what they thought he should make, Aiden called out without missing a beat, “A pancake!” The potter said that was the funniest answer he’d ever gotten. I thought of course it was because he is a normal grandchild, and that makes him a comic genius. It was so nice to bask in the light of his two year-old brilliance for a couple of days. It is also so nice to be back in Seekonk where I can rest my back from lifting him into his car seat, and my eyes from reading the same favorite books over again for the 20th time. I understand why younger people have the kids. This is my second opportunity to be a guest blogger. But maybe I’ll get another chance soon because J is off to Australia, so we get to stay on and watch Aiden for at least another week. Oh feet, don’t fail me now! Gran Gran

Sugarbush Farm's calf Paul - straight off Lizzy's cell phone, more photos coming soon...