Mum and Dad arrived on October 10th amidst great excitement from the Appletons. We all went to the airport to meet them in the evening. The first few days we allowed them to acclimatise and then the sightseeing started. 

We took the ferry from Boston harbour to Provincetown on the tip of Cape Cod. It was the first visit to Cape Cod for all of us and Provincetown lived up to expectations. It was a lively, vibrant, bohemian little town with lots of history and a surfeit of interesting little shops to wander round and cafes and restaurants to stop off at. Mum and Dad had somehow missed in the guide books that Provincetown is a mecca for the gay community and they didn't know quite what to make of the many flamboyant and openly gay couples strolling the streets. From my point of view it just added to the colour and atmosphere of the town. We did a trolley tour as the quickest way of getting an overview of the town and the beaches and enjoyed driving through the narrow streets, spotting the historic houses and hearing about how the early settlers, who had landed in Provincetown before making it to Plymouth further north, had given up on the area when they discovered there was no fresh water available. The scenery and beaches were stunning, the town was fascinating and Barry and I were hooked. We're determined to get back there for a weekend in the Spring. 

On the boat on the way to Provincetown. The two-hour voyage was somewhat rough and there were many, many people hanging over the sides of the boat making a contribution to the god of the sea (none of us featured amongst them). Thankfully, the return journey was an easier ride.

Arrived safely!

Rachel got hijacked by a fire service PR crew and earned herself a plastic fireman's helmet!

One of the many small lighthouses which are such a feature of Cape Cod.

Many whale watching trips go from Provincetown.

Local artists have decorated many of the benches in the harbour area.

The trolley tour!

The sun was shining but it was rather cold, particularly going around the coastal roads.

Dougal's enjoying the ride!

The boat back - still cold and windy, but thankfully not quite so rough.

The following day was a bank holiday so we took Mum and Dad up the Prudential Tower to the observatory for the spectacular views across the city.  After that we stopped off for an ice cream and sat out at the Christian Science Plaza, one of my favourite corners of Boston.

The following weekend we hired a car and headed out to Concord, an historic town which was the site of one of the key battles in the American War of Independence. We took a back road route to do some leaf peeping along the way and saw some beautiful vistas of the multi-coloured trees which make up the New England Fall. Having been a sceptic that the New England Fall is really that special, I am willing to eat my words and admit that it is several levels above anything that we see in the UK. It's largely due to the different tree species here in which the leaves turn anything from bright scarlet to salmon pink and sunset orange. It is something which should be on everyone's bucket list.

Anyway, we arrived at Concord which is a thoroughly attractive small town. We had an enjoyable wander round, admiring the historic and aesthetically pleasing buildings and the colourful trees and then sat out in the warm sunshine for coffee and cake. Very civilised.


Concord's Post Office. One of the many attractive buildings.

 

One of New England's many, many historic sites.

Coffee and cake time!

Nice trees!

Another nice building and more nice trees!

And again!

The Minuteman National Park. The Minutemen were the American part-time soldiers who were on alert to respond at a minute's notice if there was a threat of a British assault. Within this park area, which is just outside Concord, the Minutemen defended the town successfully against the British Army. The Park had only just re-opened again when we visited after being closed for almost three weeks during the US Government shutdown. All National Park Services sites were closed for the duration of the shutdown which meant that our planned visit with Mum and Dad to JFK's birthplace just a mile or so from our house didn't happen as it was another National Park Services site.

We ended our day out at Crane's Beach, a coastal favourite amongst Bostonians during the summer. It's a beautiful long, sandy beach and we enjoyed walking along it but it got a bit chilly as the clouds came in.

Another day, another trolley tour ... This time around Boston. A number of different companies offer sight seeing trolley tours around the city and it's as good a way as any of seeing the main sights in a short period of time, particularly as you can get off and back on at a number of different stops.

One of our stops was at the US Naval yard at Charlestown. The US's oldest still active Naval ship, the USS Constitution, is based here. Also at the Naval yard was one of a number of pianos which were located temporarily around Boston to encourage locals and visitors to tinkle the ivories. Isabel had a go and was hoping Dougal would join in with some singing but he seemed more interested in looking around.

The USS Constitution. It doesn't go into battle any more but is used as a ceremonial ship when the occasion arises.

Rachel being piratical!

Before Mum and Dad left we crossed the river to Cambridge to meet Barry for lunch and to have a wander around Harvard Yard. Barry had suggested we had a look out for the Appleton Chapel and we managed to find it (or at least where it used to be)! Appleton is an historic name in Boston - there were Appletons amongst the early settlers and the name Appleton features as one of the signatories to the Declaration of Independence (I think I'm right in saying that). But there are a handful of streets and sites bearing the name Appleton in Boston and Cambridge.

A few days after Mum and Dad went home Isabel's best friend Amy arrived with her Dad. Izzy really enjoyed having Amy here as she has missed her friends from home and she relished catching up with all the Porthcawl gossip. Amy went to school with Izzy for a day which they both seemed to enjoy!

Finally, a chance to draw breath after a hugely busy (but good fun) month or so. Since I last posted my parents have been to stay for two weeks, Izzy's best friend from home and her Dad have been to stay, we have been celebrating the Red Sox winning the World Series and we have had a six-day break in Florida. Added to that, our laptop has been in IT ER having a hard drive replacement. So, lots to tell you about and lots of photos to show.

First, however, we have some photos to catch up on from previous blog entries so here goes:

Our second Red Sox match at Fenway Park. They were paying the Detroit Tigers and it was a tense 3-2 victory for Boston. The Red Sox were destined to meet the Tigers again in the American League Championship play off (they were to win again too!).

 First day of school. Slightly different from our usual first day of the school year photos!

Isabel's birthday cake. She chose a Red Velvet cake - a blood red sponge cake which seems to be unique to the USA. It has become a big family favourite.

Our day out in Quincy, visiting Barry's fellow IHI Fellow Pete and family. Their house backs onto the beach and their next door neighbours have a variety of water sports equipment which Pete and family are free to use so the girls and Barry (and Dougal) went kayaking.

Grand Central Station in New York. Barry tried to minimise the sightseeing so we could do it as a family when we get to visit New York together but he couldn't help but take in some of the sights as he went to various meetings around the city. It's a hard life.

Broadway. Barry and fellow IHI Fellow Anne took in a show. They went to see Big Fish which was previewing on Broadway. Barry said it was excellent.

On a boat again. This time off to Salem, heading north from Boston harbour. Salem is famous for its witch trials and as an historic maritime town. As you can see, it was another day of glorious weather!

Dougal and Isabel pretending to be Leonardo di Caprio and Kate Winslett in Titanic.

The weather was beautiful but it was still a bit windy on the boat!

Isabel's favourite shop in Salem, surprise surprise - one of the oldest candy shops in the USA, apparently!

Child discipline, Salem style. We quite like it!

Which one's the witch????

Salem's Custom House. Lovely building.

Part of Salem harbour.

Honey, I shrunk the kids!!

Statue outside the Salem Witch Museum.

Salem Common - very attractive. Dougal enjoyed walking around it.

Rachel tries to be scary (and fails!).

It's been ages since our last post so many apologies. There always seems to be something more pressing to do but I've decided I need to make time to bring us up to date before my parents arrive tomorrow (yaaay!!).

So what have we been up to? In between school, homework, music lessons, music practice and birthday parties we managed a day trip to Salem a couple of weeks ago. Salem is infamous as the site of witch trials in the late 1600s and there are many museums and attractions in the town offering historic interpretations of the witch hysteria and a variety of witch-related merchandise, some more tacky than others. However, Salem is also a historic maritime port and a thoroughly attractive small town so we had a lovely day. We caught the ferry from Boston harbour arriving at Salem after about an hour's sail up the coast north of Boston. We allowed ourselves one witch indulgence so we visited the Salem Witch Museum which gave a rather graphic but not too sensationalised account of the events. Fascinating.

I mentioned Potted Potter in my last entry. Absolutely brilliant. If it tours the UK it's a must-see - my face ached after an hour and a half of continuous laughter. I'm not sure I shall ever view the books in the same way again.

The girls have settled well into school and seem to be enjoying life. Both Isabel and Rachel have made plenty of friends. Rachel has already been to three birthday parties and three sleepovers! Isabel has a small part in the grade 7/8 show Fiddler on the Roof, which is due to be performed mid-December so is attending rehearsals twice a week after school which she is loving. She had an overnight field trip last week to a farm somewhere in west Massachusetts (the location was never revealed) and had a ball. Activities seemed to involve brushing the cows and calves and walking the goats but all the kids talked about on their return was how they saw one of the farm cats catch and slaughter a chipmunk!

The school held a series of open evenings a couple of weeks ago for parents to attend. It was an opportunity to see the teachers and hear what they had to say about what the children were being taught and, more interestingly, how they were going about teaching it. Rachel's teacher talked a very good talk and Barry was very impressed at how her classroom philosophy seemed to echo much of what he was learning about the philosophy of quality improvement. Isabel's English and science teachers were equally impressive and her social studies teacher kept all of us parents entertained describing how she would get the class dancing at the start of each lesson so they could burn off their energy before settling down to work. Her maths teacher, who is also her homeroom teacher, was slightly more worrying as she seemed to spend the entire 10-minute slot labouring the point that despite all the children saying that she wasn't teaching them anything (Isabel had told us that exactly) she wanted them to ask her for help and she would help them. Isabel is finding the maths difficult as nothing seems to be explained properly and she doesn't understand the process she is being asked to carry out. We seem to be doing more teaching at home than she is receiving in school. Overall, however, we were impressed with the school and the staff.

We remain obsessed by the Red Sox and their continued success, although Rachel was distraught this morning despite Boston's victory last night over the Tampa Bay Rays. The Red Sox have been playing against Tampa Bay in the post-season ALDS, otherwise known as the American League Divisional Series. In other words, after winning the American League Eastern Division title, they join the other American League and National League Division champions plus two wildcard teams competing to play in the World Series final. The Red Sox had a five-match series against Tampa Bay with the winner going through to what is effectively the semi-final and we had managed to get tickets to the fifth match. However, because the Red Sox won last night winning the series 3-1 there will be no fifth match. Rachel would have much preferred Boston to have lost last night, levelling the series with everything hanging on the final match, just so she could go to watch the match! She'll be growing a beard next! (Cryptic comment - do some research on the current Red Sox team and you'll know where I'm coming from.)

Anyway, it's almost time for school pick up, 2.30pm. The girls have been promised a post-school Starbucks to cheer Rachel up.

Next time I write my Mum and Dad should be here so maybe they can add a post themselves.

No more photos for the time being, sorry. Barry is in New York currently with my camera, along with all the photos we have taken in the last couple of weeks. Therefore, this will have to be a photo-free entry until Barry's return when he will no doubt have some shots of NYC to add to the portfolio.

So, we returned from holiday and Barry started his IHI Fellowship with a seven-day course on patient safety (ie working through the weekend - no rest for the wicked!). The girls and I had an appointment to visit their new school (more on that shortly) and we went to our second Red Sox game. They beat the Detroit Tigers 3-2 in a tight, tense game which was just as exciting as our first experience, despite finding our feet buried in peanut shells thanks to the rather large young man who was spreading into Rachel's seat. Throwing your peanut shells on the floor instead of keeping them to put into the bin is apparently traditional. I can testify that this is one of the rather less savoury traditions.

Anyway, to school. We had an appointment to visit Pierce School before the girls were due to start the following week. We met with a pleasant lady who is the guidance teacher for grades 5-8 who showed us around and had a chat with the girls and me. She then left us with the school nurse who dropped the bombshell that despite our best efforts the girls' immunisations fell short of requirements. Having spent more than £200 on a course of three Hep B vaccinations each for the girls whilst still in the UK it seems there was not enough of a gap between dose 2 and dose 3 to satisfy the Massachusetts Dept of Education. Also, we were told Rachel would need a DTap booster as her previous vaccination had been before her 4th birthday. Bracing myself for a hefty financial hit we were sent to the public health nurse in the building next to the school. Thankfully, lovely Nurse Barbara said that the DTap booster wasn't a requirement until grade 7 so as Rachel was only going into grade 5 it was recommended but not obligatory. However, she was insistent that the girls needed another Hep B jab, much to their discomfort, but delivered the good news that there would be no charge as the vaccination was a school requirement. To cut a long story short the girls (very reluctantly) had the jabs later in the week.

We had made arrangements the following day for the girls to meet up with the 7th grade daughter of a fellow border terrier owner we had met whilst walking Dougal. That morning we had a phone call from the guidance teacher at the school suggesting that it may be appropriate to place Isabel in the year above her age ie to go into grade 7 instead of grade 6. Grade 7 equates to year 8 in the UK and grade 6 equates to year 7 ie first year of secondary school. Her reasoning was based on Isabel's impending birthday, her physical stature, her maturity and my assessment of her academic ability. She left the decision up to Isabel and us, which rather put the cat amongst the pigeons as Isabel didn't know what to do for the best and Rachel was upset as grades 5 and 6 had classrooms close to each other and had lunch at the same time so she had been anticipating Isabel being close by for support. Sensibly, Isabel decided to delay any decision until she met the border terrier 7th grader, who's name was Esther, in the afternoon.

Well, the girls had a great time with Esther and Isabel was adamant that she wanted to go into grade 7. In the meantime, I had e-mailed the school's PTO who boasted an outreach committee amongst its many branches asking if we could be put in touch with any girls who were due to start in grade 5 so Rachel could meet someone before starting school the following Monday. The response was rapid and within half an hour of leaving Esther's house we were in one of the many local parks meeting Aine and her friends Zoe and Anna and Aine's mum. They hit it off straight away and spent a couple of hours together which culminated in Rachel being invited for a sleepover. It was only as I was walking back from Aine's house after dropping off Rachel and her sleepover kit that it occurred to me I had just left my younger daughter in a complete stranger's house! I shouldn't have worried as Rachel had a great time but I told Aine's mum Stacey the following morning that I felt like a terrible mum. She said we needn't worry - they didn't smoke, they didn't do drugs and they didn't have a gun in the house. I gulped - the gun issue hadn't even crossed my mind!!

Over the next few days Rachel met up with Aine and a variety of her friends several times. In between Rachel's social engagements we made a couple of trips to Staples to buy everything on the substantial list of stationery requirements for each grade, spending a total of around $250; to the bookshop to buy the required reading book for each grade and to a clothes/shoe shop to buy trainers and sports shorts for PE although it seems we needn't have bothered with the latter as the school seems quite happy for the kids to wear Converses and denim shorts for PE if they want.

Before the girls started school on the Monday the girls and I went to Cambridge on Sunday afternoon to meet up with one of Barry's IHI colleagues. Jo Ann is on the communications team and had been very helpful during our six-month run-up to moving giving us advice on where to live. She has a daughter just a couple of months younger than Rachel called Justine and we had all been keen to meet up face to face after our e-mail communications. Cambridge is where Harvard University and the IHI are based. Politically, it's a separate city and geographically it lies across the Charles River from Boston. We had a picnic lunch and a wander around the Harvard Square area before heading to the river embankment where the Charles River Conservancy set up a load of equipment every Sunday afternoon in the summer and early autumn for families to play a variety of ball games, all for free. It was all very informal and we had a great time.

So, Monday was the big day - first day of school. We were all up bright and early (if a little bleary eyed) ready for the 8am start. Both girls were excited, particularly Rachel who by this stage had met at least seven or eight girls who were due to be in her grade. Thankfully they had a great day, making friends and thoroughly enjoying their classes and this has continued. Rachel's teacher is called Ms Woogmaster and Rachel already adores her. Isabel's homeroom teacher is Ms Galolo, who is also the maths teacher. As she would have done back in the UK, Isabel and the rest of her grade move around to different teachers for different lessons. Isabel is having to get used to an hour or two of homework each night which so far she is knuckling down to without complaint. Rachel is getting some homework most nights and is also working hard.

Isabel's best friend so far is Maisie whilst Rachel seems to have several gangs on the go already, resulting in a tug of war last Friday between the different gangs all demanding Rachel's presence. Rachel said a teacher had to break it up! It turns out that one of Rachel's favourite new friends is Maisie's younger sister Eve which is convenient!

It was Isabel's birthday last week (Sept 11th) and it was an unusually low key affair. Understandably, she didn't feel that she could invite any friends out yet so we've decided to leave it for a couple of weeks and have a belated birthday party. For her birthday treat she decided she wanted to go out to eat at a lovely little Italian restaurant up the road. It's cheap cheerful Italian fast food in what looks like someone's front room but the food is delicious and the atmosphere is very informal so we all enjoyed ourselves. Then she wanted to stay up to watch the series finale (the big wedding) of a truly dreadful reality TV show called Honey Boo Boo which is massively popular in the US. The girls are addicted to it. She made Barry and I watch it too. It's a good job we love her. Speaking of Isabel's birthday, the girls and I went to visit our very first Boston friends (the South African couple Peggy and Dion who moved to Boston from the UK via Hong Kong and have an 11-year-old daughter Megan along with elder daughter and toddler Jacob) on Monday en route to music lessons and Peggy, bless her, had gone to a local cupcake shop and bought six enormous cupcakes, put candles in them, and she and Megan serenaded Isabel with Happy Birthday!

So the girls survived their first week at school and still seemed to be smiling. I think that's the biggest hurdle out of the way. Barry is enjoying his fellowship, the girls are happy at school and I'm making some friends and starting to get into a routine so I think we're in a good place.

We're almost up to date. Last Saturday we headed south down the coast to Quincy where IHI Fellow Pete and his family live. They had an open house afternoon for the Fellows and their families which was most enjoyable. Their house backs onto a small shingle beach so Barry and the girls went kayaking around one of the nearby small islands and Dougal was able to run around to his heart's content. The girls then entertained Pete's small daughter and son who are now the girls' biggest fans (after Megan's little brother Jacob). It was very relaxing to be out of the constant buzz of the city. Sunday afternoon was our first PTO event - the Pierce Fitfest - where there were a whole host of sporting and fitness activities which the kids could have a go at plus the entertainment of a teacher's dunk tank. Rachel threw herself into the spirit of the event and tried lots of things but Isabel and Maisie were too cool to join in as 7th graders!

So back to school on Monday and all still going well. Barry is in New York until tomorrow night then it's his birthday on Thursday and we're going to see Potted Potter. Happy days!

Many apologies for the lack of posts during the last couple of weeks. No, we haven't disappeared off the face of the earth, we've just been "super busy" as the Americans like to say.

Loads has happened since I last posted but before I start to bring you up to date I have to retrace my steps back to our holiday. On reading the blog Barry pointed out that I missed out an important stop on our holiday so I shall attempt to put that right.

En route from Williamstown and the Berkshires towards southern Vermont we stopped at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. MASS MoCA as it is commonly known had been recommended to us by a couple staying at our hotel so we thought we should drop in.

MASS MoCA is in a former industrial mill town called North Adams. The museum is on the site of what was once one of the biggest textile mills in the world employing around 17,000 people. The site is enormous and the exhibits are spread out in a variety of different old warehouses and factory buildings with some exhibits outside.

The exhibit said to be a must-see was The Phoenix by a Chinese artist named Xu Bing. This huge installation is actually two phoenix (what's the plural of phoenix?) constructed entirely from recycled products. The structures are surprisingly beautiful and graceful and were worth the entrance fee on their own. They are going to New York after their time at MASS MoCA so they are high profile works of art. The other exhibit we particularly liked was a series of "totems" which were in the grounds outside and would not have looked out of place in a Dr Who episode.