“Not done sleeping yet” (Not strange for adults or adolescents – but she’s the only toddler I’ve met who voluntarily asks to go to bed and wants to stay in bed longer if she’s tired).

On seeing fog: “Look mommy, the clouds are hiding behind the houses. They’re playing hide and seek”

When asked: “What happened to ________?”
Response: “The bears got it. They were hungry”
Where are the bears? “At the neighbours. Then they’ll go home. They’re looking for food” — And she persists in the story — 48 hours later she’ll bring up the bear explanation for an event.

When we read or talk in French, she’ll say the English word after I say the French word, and we’ll go back and forth. So one day I said un ours, Charlotte says “bear”, and in our typical fashion I repeat “un ours”, Charlotte “bear”, me: “Un ours”, Charlotte “A FRENCH bear”. Then looks at Brian a few moments later — “Daddy, this a French bear, but the next page is not a French giraffe”

Not her Halloween costume, but part of the new fun dress-up clothes box.

BTW, there is some mystery surrounding Charlotte. The other preschoolers don’t ever see her without her hat and sunglasses. One day a little girl in line snuck up to see if Charlotte had hair but very carefully lifting up her hat from the back. Still, as a result of her fashion sense and independence (she wears a hat and sunglasses from her stash each day), all the teachers and preschoolers know here.

One of Charlotte’s favorite spots in the new house is the “window” seat in the living room. It has great light and is just the perfect depth and height for sitting when you’re two.

Waiting for the Swan Boats.

During our last few weeks in Boston we’re taking the opportunity to go to some favorite places (which we haven’t always remembered to post online), as well as visit some of the locations we’ve planned to see. As part of this process, we’re trying to visit (weather and tourists permitting) all, or at least most of the places in Make Way for Ducklings, a classic (1942) children’s book based in Boston which won a Caldecott Medal for its illustrations and is the subject of a statue in Boston Public Gardens, the place where it is based.

We started the morning visiting George Washington at the Arlington Entrance to the Boston Public Gardens, which is where all the ornamental gardens are, along with the “Do Not Walk on the Grass” signs, and the entrance to the Swan Boats, which are big paddle boats that include a swan. We road on the boat (at the front) around the island and looked at all the ducks and ducklings there.

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We stopped and Charlotte took her first ride on a Carousel. (She selected the cat. The other available open option was a rabbit). She wasn’t sure at first but got into it after a few rounds, such that she wanted to go back on at the end of the ride– “Goes up and down. Up and down. Ride it again”. It went surprisingly fast, for a carousel.

Charlotte and I headed out to wade in the frog pond while Brian went off on a lunch quest. We splashed in the water and fountains before taking our soaking wet selves up onto a bench to dry, have lunch, and then head home for a nap.

She almost fell asleep on the train on the way home.

Last night Charlotte and I took a spur of the moment visit to the MFA (Museum of Fine Art) in Boston. Given that adult ticket prices are $22, the lure of the free evening, despite the crowds, along with the Chihuly exhibit made for a good evening.

Charlotte loved it (and not just because they had balloons outside).  I remember wanting to see a Chihuly exhibit when I was a kid, but wasn’t able to go; Although not my favorite artist of all time, his glass sculptures were pivotal in rethinking the art of glassblowing in terms of scale particularly, and they are amazing to see through the eyes of a two-year old.

Charlotte walked into each room of the gallery and would gasp or say “ohhhh” or “wow” or “it’s beautiful.” The rooms were all dark with the pieces strategically lit.

In one room, the entire ceiling was covered with glasswork. She laid down in a massive crowd of (mostly) adults, tucked her hands behind her head and just soaked it all in.

My kid is cool.

She also liked the other exhibits of early American and 16th – 18th century European art. I only had to explain once about not touching the art and not climbing on the furniture. (Although she did look quizzically at the adult tourists who seemed to be ignoring instructions not to touch).

A quick exploration (and snack) on the grounds, and then home for bed.

As we were about to leave, she said  ”Had fun day, Momma. Had fun day.”