Boston, Mass – Apparently, this is the year we turn our children into culture vultures. We have had some success with the symphony and musical theater, and so we decided to see what they think of the ballet. Not just…
Illuminations Tour
Somerville, Mass – The twins are crazy about Christmas lights. What 4-year-old isn’t? And really, what better time to embrace your inner 4-year-old, suspend your judgment, and just soak up some sparkly, high-wattage holiday spirit? It’s one of the things…
Day of the Dead
Somerville, Mass – When it rains for 48 hours, we go to the movies. When it’s the weekend of Day of the Dead, we go to see The Book of Life. This is a spectacular new film by Mexican producer Guillermo del…
Monster MashedUp
Somerville, Mass – One of the many claims to fame of this fair city is that it is the birthplace of Bobby “Boris” Pickett, the voice behind the Monster Mash (it was a graveyard smash). According to his obituary in the…
Global Shopping Guide
Cambridge, Mass – It’s been nearly a decade since I have set foot in a mall between Thanksgiving and Christmas. And no, I don’t do all my Christmas shopping over the internet. Most of my shopping gets done when I am…
Moomins & Monsters
Somerville, Mass – Ever since we got back from Finland, the twins have been crazy for the Moomins. These sweet but strange cartoon characters were created by Finnish author Tove Jansson back in the 1940s. She wrote endearing titles such…
Leaf Pile
Boston, Mass – Fall in New England. Gotta love it.
¡Fiesta!
Somerville, Massachusetts – A few weeks ago, the boys brought home from school the book ¡Fiesta! by Ginger Foglesong Guy and René King Moreno. A simple English/Spanish counting book with colorful illustrations, it shows preparations for a party, especially making and filling…
Maslenitsa
Call me optimistic. Or hopeful. Or perhaps desperate. But this weekend we bid farewell to winter, celebrating the ancient Russian end-of-winter festival, Maslenitsa. This ancient pagan ritual was sort of co-opted by the Christians, so it morphed into a pre-Lenten…
All Aboard the Christmas Train
Monteverde, Costa Rica – I posted this photo on Facebook and my friend commented about my uncanny ability to find a kiddie train anywhere in the world. That, I responded, is my secret to successful travel with toddlers. This one…