Happy 4th birthday Sierra!

Well hello there. It's been (almost) 2 months since we've blogged. Lot's to talk about  (make excuses for why we haven't blogged) but I'll save that for another post.

The reason I came here to post today is because it's my daughter's FOURTH BIRTHDAY. She's four, it feels weird to even type that. Four sounds so much older than three. This time last year we were gearing up for her to go back to daycare and this year we're trying on school uniforms. YES school, Sierra starts K1 in September! I can't believe how fast she is growing and learning these days.

She astounds me every single day with the things she knows and does and I feel so lucky to be able to help her along the way. Before I start crying, I'll just say: Happy Birthday Sierra!

Love,
Dad

What a weekend a.k.a. WE GOT ENGAGED!

What a weekend!

Saturday morning Lauren's mother, Nana, came to get Sierra for an over night sleepover (first time ever!) and Lauren and I were going for a night away alone (first time ever!) to celebrate our 5 year anniversary. We wanted to stay nearby so we went an hour or so North of Boston to Hampton, NH. Hampton is a small town with a long boardwalk full of restaurants, bars and arcades running along side a big beautiful beach. We had visited Hampton once before in the winter and have always wanted to see in it's summer season.

Packing

Leaving our lovely city.

We left Boston around noon and headed north for the night. We had a lovely drive listening to and singing along to the cheesiest music possible; Dashboard Confessional was in heavy rotation. Once arriving in New Hampshire we were both famished so we stopped at Good Karma Café, a delicious raw vegan gluten-free place in Exter. If you are heading through NH and have dietary restrictions (or even if you don't) I highly suggest you stop here - the food was wonderful!

Uplifting sign as you enter the restaurant. Thanks Good Karma Café!

After lunch we went to our hotel to drop off our things and take a quick dip in the pool and a nice relaxing lounge in the jacuzzi before heading up to our room to search for fun things to do (on our iPad. Thanks for the present Gramma!). Hampton is full of things to do, including tattoos and mini golf which is of course what we decided to do. We found a place that had great reviews and photos of their work just down the road from the hotel called Jim's Tattoos and decided to check it out. We both got quick little tattoos and love the way they came out! If you're ever in Hampton and in need of a tattoo i suggest Jim's HIGHLY! They do great work, it's affordable, friendly and FAST!

Our New Tattoos.

After that we went and played 16 holes of mini-golf and I kicked Lauren's ass (by two whole strokes). After my PGA quality game we rushed home, changed into fancier clothes and rushed out to dinner.

Dinner was amazing - seriously. Blue Moon Evolution is an awesome vegetarian & vegan friendly restaurant that is in situated in an old restored barn in Exeter, NH. It's dimly lit by candles and string lighting, has a great menu and the service was top notch. If you're vegan and in need of a good date spot in New Hampshire this is it - no contest. For an after dinner drink we went to 10 Water Street down the road on the river and Lauren even let me watch the 3rd period of the Hawks v. Kings game... THAT LATE GOAL RIGHT?! 

Blue Moon Evolution and 11 Water Street - both great spots!!

After our drink we headed to the Boardwalk back in Hampton and went for a lovely walk and even hit up an old school arcade to play skee ball. We grabbed one more drink nearby and headed to the beach to star gaze.

The arcade and our loot.

By this time it was nearing midnight, making it June 9th, officially our anniversary. I'll spare you the mushy details of my proposal but she said YES and thats all that matters!

We had a child first, then we moved in together and now we're getting married. Not the traditional order of events but it's worked for us. I feel incredibly lucky to be engaged to such a gorgeous, smart, caring and supportive woman who I have a beautiful daughter with and I couldn't be happier or be more lucky.

-Craig

11 fun things to do in Boston with kids!

1. The Boston Children's Museum & The Science Museum - The Boston's Children Museum is WELL worth the money ($14). Tons of awesome exhibits, activities and hand-on stuff to keep children of all ages entertained. We've been many times as there's always something new to do and see. THD Tip: If you're on a tight budget go on a Friday from 5PM to close and it's only $1 to get in!

The Museum of Science is in Cambridge and is $22 for adults and $19 for kids so again on the pricey side but you get a lot of bang for your buck. Tons of exhibits, a lightning show, some animals and overall it's just an awesome way to spend an afternoon. Check out their site for more details on whats included. THD Tip: Walking distance to the Cambridgeside Galleria so when you tire of learning about science you can go shopping up the road.

2. First Friday's - Every First Friday of the month all most of the galleries have new show openings. My favorite spot is: 450 Harrison Ave in the South End. It's an outdoor plaza with 10+ really great small art galleries and a huge building with 3 floors of artist studios who also open their doors to visitors on FF's. My little one has loved it since she could walk and it's free and awesome! THD Tip: There are basically no kid-friendly restaurants in this area so bring your own food and have a picnic or eat before you head over.

3. The Boston Common - The Common is a huge park in the heart of the city and is home to lots of open space, a playground, a large fountain, frog pond and the swan boats. Added historical bonus: The Boston Common is the oldest park in the country and there used to be public hangings! Yay! THD Tip: When you're at the Common be sure to hop next door and check out the Public Garden for some flower sniffing and photo ops. Here is a nice album of photos to give you a clearer idea.

4. The Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park - Walking distance from Faneuil Hall and Haymarket, the CC Park is home to a big park for running around, a great playground with a huge sandbox, a fountain for splashing around in and a merry-go-round. Great way to kill a couple of hours on the cheap! It's also right on the water so you get some nice views and a breeze. THD Tip: If you get hungry you are steps away from Boston's famous North End full of delicious italian food. If you are vegan skip the North End and hit Faneuil Hall for some on-the-cheap and half way decent sushi.

5. Full Moon Restaurant - Full Moon a kid-friendly restaurant in Cambridge where 1/3 of the restaurant is a play room with a train table, kitchen, tons of dolls, trucks and other toys. You can see your child from your table and they are encouraged to play while waiting for food, after eating, etc so parents relax, eat their meal and have a drink! The food is pretty great, it's not too expensive and its the only place like this in Boston (I know Cambridge isn't technically Boston but it's on the red line so sue me). THD Tip: Drink while your kids play. Did I mention this already? 

6. The New England Aquarium - A little on the pricier side ($22 adults / $16 kids) but like the BCM & MOS, it's so worth it. They have seals, rays, octopus, penguins, sea turtles, sharks, jelly fish and tons more. They have touching tanks, shows and exhibits that you can make an entire day out of. It's right on the waterfront too so you can go for a nice walk before or after. THD Tip: If the aquarium is out of your price range you can watch the seals for free right outside as part of this outdoor tank they have.

7. Ride the T - For you out of towers the "T" is Boston's public transportation system made up of subway trains, busses and commuter trains. To someone who uses this regularly (aka me aka every single day) the concept of riding it for fun seems asinine but to a child it's basically a big (smelly) amusement park. I brought Sierra on a "Lets ride the T" excursion a few months ago and she had a ball. It's $2.50 a ride so this adventure is in everyone's budget. THD Tip: I suggest riding the red line because the view between Kendall and Charles is amazing. Oh and bring hand sanitizer.

8. George's Island - If you have a few hours to kill George's Island is really fun. You ride a ferry from the Long-Wharf in downtown over to a small Island nestled inside Boston harbor. You get some amazing views of the city on the way over and once you're on the island there is plenty to do. The island is home to Fort Warren, a Civil War-era fort known for its granite archways and reputed ghost, the Lady in Black. In addition to the historic significance of the island there is tons of green space for the kids to run around and play. THD Tip: There are some free grills to cook up some lunch but its BYOB&C (bring your own burgers & charcoal).

9. The Skywalk Observatory - The Skywalk is sort of a tourist trap but the views are unparalleled so it's worth it even as someone who lives here. You pay $15/adults or $12/kids 10 and under to go up to the 50th floor of one of Boston's tallest buildings. There are windows on all four sides so you can see the city and surrounding suburbs in all directions and the views are truly breathtaking. THD Tip: Go right around sunset because you'll get to see the city during the day and night for the price of one trip and sunsets are badass. Plus the Skywalk is in the same building as the Prudential Mall so you can head downstairs for some shopping and dinner afterwards.

10. Castle Island - This is an awesome day trip. This 22-acre urban park is connected to the mainland by both pedestrian and vehicular causeways. Pleasure Bay, the M Street Beach and Carson Beach form a three mile segment of parkland and beach along the South Boston shoreline of Dorchester Bay and is home to Fort Independence, greenspace to run around, some playgrounds, a rad bike path and of course every Bostonian's favorite ice cream / burger & fries joint: Sullivan's. THD Tip: They have free parking so if you're driving and don't want to deal with meters, overpriced lots and most likely a parking ticket this is a good spot.

11. Franklin Park Zoo - This place is awesome. They have lions, giraffes, zebras, gorillas, hippos, and tons of other animals. It's $17 for adults and $11 for kids. In addition to the animals there are a bunch of places to eat, a carousel, train rides and a playground. They also have rotating exhibits as well (last time we went they had a dinosaur exhibit that scared the bejeezus out of Sierra). THD Tip: On Saturdays from 10AM til Noon it's "Kids Price Saturdays" where everyone gets in for the $11 kids rate.

Happy Thanksgiving 2012!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Not going to be a long post because I am too busy enjoying Thanksgiving festivities with the family but here are some photos from the day! Hope you all have an awesome holiday! -Craig

Getting started on the home made vegan stuffing!

Washing potatoes together.

Sierra is helping! Wash wash wash.

Mimosa Break!

Cutting fresh green beans for the casserole!

Mmmmmmmmmm.

Quinoa-Cranberry Salad in progress... YUM.

Vegan Green Bean Casserole!

No clothes. Don't Care.
 

Ta-Da!!!! Stuffing, Green Bean Caserole, Mashed Potatoes, Mashed Sweet Potatoes,
Rolls and Pecan Cranberry Quinoa!

 

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Apple Pie Spice & a little maple syrup.

Bottoms up!

Lauren did an awesome job! We are lucky!

Pecan Cranberry Quinoa Salad!

Dig in!

Digesting by watching some Netflix.

Daddy Does Chicago (2012 Edition)

This past weekend a client of mine offered to fly me out to Chicago to help his company finish up some work for an event they are running. Being away from Sierra is tough on both of us but we combat the toughness by FaceTiming, calls and plenty of reassurance that I'm not leaving forever and will be back very soon. I also gave her a little note that told her I'd miss her and that I love her and was told she carried it around in her little pocket all weekend. I missed her terribly but I think learning that sometimes parents need to be away is a healthy and important lesson to learn.

So Friday morning I dropped Sierra off at daycare, said my goodbyes and off I went to the airport to hop on a plane and head to Chicago for the weekend. (ps. I went to Chicago last year around the same time and blogged about it here.)

Friday / Day 1: I'm a very light traveler. One backpack with a laptop, a book, a sketch pad and a few different shirts / cardigans. Here is the first (of many) obligatory plane window pictures from on the way there.

Here is the awesome sunset I got to watch from my pal Huff's roof in the Old Town part of Chicago once I arrived. Huff is BALLIN by the way, check out his rooftop pool. Man I really love this city...

For dinner that evening I went out to a little slice of vegan heaven called "Native Foods", which have a few locations around the country (sadly not in Boston!) and a bunch in Chicago. If you're in the area of any of them I  recommend getting out there and trying it ASAP. Organic/Vegan foods and beers galore! Here is some of cool chalkboard murals they have on the walls:

Saturday / Day 2:

On Saturday Huff headed out to see his little cousin play a football game and I ventured out into the (rainy) city by myself in search of good food, cool stores and the Museum of Contemporary Art.

I ate at "Delicious Cafe" (which was delicious!) and checked out a few cool / small galleries and shops. Check out the store "Transistor" if you get a chance!

The Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago is AMAZING. If you live in Chicago or within driving distance you need to get there immediately. They have some really great pieces on view right now and it's well worth the trip.

PS the picture right above this is a still from my favorite piece I saw at the museum period. Here is a one minute clip from it: http://new.daazo.com/film/1dec36cc-3c43-11e0-8e6f-0050fc84de33 -- The fulI film is about 11 minutes long.

Eventually I had to do what I had come there for and settled into Huff's balcony to get some work done. After finally finishing work (around midnight). Huff and I jumped in his BMW (BALLIN!) and went to the famous jazz club "Green Mill" and it was well worth the $5 cover. Unlike bars in Boston which close at 2AM, Chicago parties until 5! Huff and I having just worked for 6 hours straight and been all over the city all day were exhausted and only stayed until around 3 or 3:30 though. We saw an amazing jazz quartet and really enjoyed ourselves. You NEED to go here if you can:

Sunday / Day 3:

My flight was at 1:25 the next day so I pretty much only had time to pack up, eat some breakfast and get to the airport. I was sad to see Chicago go because I had such a great time and love that city but was so excited to get home to my family and get some much needed hugs and kisses from a certain 3 year old.

Once I was home we ate dinner, I gave Sierra a bath with her new color bath fizzes that I bought her at the Museum shop and then celebrated being back home in Boston with a New England pumpkin adult beverage.

Overall it was a lovely weekend and I was glad for the opportunity to be able to see Chicago again. Thanks for the free trip Huff and can't wait to come back again! -Craig

AMAZING stories... AKA Listen right now.

Recently I've become obsessed with story telling podcasts such as The Moth, Strangers and Risk. In case you're unfamiliar someone gets on stage or in the studio and tells a story. Each episode has a theme  and people tell very personal stories about their lives ranging from 5 minutes to an hour or more sometimes. The stories are beautifully told and are so moving and interesting.

Two have truly stuck out to me as a father and I just wanted to share them with you. One is about a Dad who is a stand-up comedian by night and an amazingly strong father who takes care of his young daughter with cancer by day. The story is about 10 minutes long and as a disclaimer grab a box (or two) of tissues before hitting play. So moving.

The second story is from RISK! and is by Susan Kent of http://www.SouthernDiscomforts.com and is about getting pregnant at a very young age and having to hide it from her mother. This one is a bit longer clocking in at around 30 minutes but is told so vividly and with such emotion it is WELL worth the listen.

You should REALLY subscribe and listen to all three podcasts ASAP!! -Craig

The Moth: Subscribe Here

Strangers: Subscribe Here

RISK!: Subscribe Here

Happy 4th of July Post!

Happy (belated) 4th of July everyone! Ours was AWESOME! If you don't know already Don Naylor (Adeline's Daddy) and his adorable family moved to Massachusetts! They moved from Troy, NY to Marblehead, MA and invited us to spend a couple of days with them enjoying the holiday at their new home. Their home is beautiful and so is their new town. It's a classic american beach / vacation town and it was great way to spend the 4th.


p.s. Writing this post reminded me that we've been blogging for over a year at this point -- Check out 2011's "Happy 4th of July Post!" -- A whole year... thats crazy to me. Anyway enough nastolgia check out 35 or so adorable photos from our 2 day trip. -Craig

Don & Rachel practicing for if they ever have a second child. 

Addy cheesing for the camera.

Addy is a huge fan of fans.

BFFs in the making hanging down by the dock.

(vegan) Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese.

family portrait.

Me teaching the girls the wonders of rolling down hills.

Sierra was quickly a fan.

Hey! Why you take picture of me?

Mama and Sierra rolling down the hill.

Sierras face is the best in this picture.

HIGHER DADDY HIGHER!!!

Yeah man..... nature.

Wait what do you mean theres no more chips???

FACEPLANT.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm crackers.

The beautiful harbor where we watched the fireworks.

Waiting for the show to start.

family portrait.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

oooooooooooooooh aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.

AMERICA!!!

Here we are the next day hanging in the shade at a nearby park.

Mmmmmm cream cheese.

PEEKA BOO!

Lauren and her cameo.

Tattooed Daddy club.

Organic Kids.

Waiting for Addy to come down the slide.

Facebook checking break.

AHHHH TOAST MONSTER!

GRUMPY.