Spontaneity

spon·ta·ne·ous:

coming or resulting from a natural impulse or tendency;without effort or premeditation; natural or unconstrained; unplanned; acting upon sudden impulses.

Synonym: BABY

Antonym: PARENT

I have a slightly difficult time being truly spontaneous. Much of that comes from my nature, which was only magnified with parenthood. Over-planning and over-preparation seems to produce less tears and frustration, and as such is worth it.

Mark spontaneously decided we should go to Boston this weekend. Despite always wanting to go there myself, he practically had to drag me along. Something about an 8 hour car ride with Jackson did not sound appealing. But we went. It turned out to be quite the planned, yet spontaneous trip.

Planned

Mark mentioned that when his family went on a trip they had one snack bag for all 9 of them. There were three of us, and we had 2 grocery sacks full of snacks, and a cooler. Not to mention my bag of things to do, Jacksons bag of toys, plus the diaper bag. It was a little squishy. Worth it? Absolutely. We used pretty much everything to entertain that little guy as long as possible. Once out of the car seat, we didn't really need much. He was happy in his stroller or cruising around on the ground. But the car seat required food, music, toys, books, and lots of spontaneity.

Spontaneous

We discovered that plastic cups with toys in them make great rattles; peak-a-boo is a must; rest-stops are critical; and simple mechanics (hinges, lids, buttons) have a longer entertainment life than electronic toys. We also loved the unplanned stops at random places throughout our travels: markets, a dog show, and delicious cafes.

Beyond the car ride we had fabulous time. Walden pond, Faneuil Hall and the new green space over the freeway were highlights of Boston. Cousins, Aunts and Uncles were highlights of the trip up (car ride broken up by stops at relatives houses along the way).

Bunker hill was worth the walk up the hill. Breezy and nice shade made for a perfect resting place after a long day of walking.

Jackson LOVED the USS Constitution (ol' Ironside). I think it was the smooth wood floors, and plenty of ropes to pull himself up on.

Best moments were spontaneous like the crazy dog show we found on the side of the road in New Jersey

Or the out of control produce market near the Northend in boston. We bought blueberries 3 for 2$ from a lady who reminded me of my Aunt Margo on steroids.

Best Bagel sandwich--purchased only after 30 min. of wandering. The whole time trying to decide if the line and money were worth it. No question. Guess I should have been more spontaneous.

Green space exploration video for the grandmas: