It's kind of a rule... an unwritten rule that you bring a boyfriend or girlfriend on a family vacation with you BEFORE you get married. I mean, it's only polite. The other person deserves to see what they're getting into. They need to see your family at its best and at its worst.
Well, I wonder... if I had brought my boyfriend, Chris, on this family vacation... would he stick around? There were some days on this trip where I was having so much fun that I wished he were there. I wanted him to share the joy and love and funness of my family. But today wasn't exactly one of those days. Oh I love them, but sometimes it's a different kind of love... a more chaotic type of love. The kind of love that only some people can handle. I can. And I love it. But a future mate of mine? Well, he's gonna need to be able to handle it too.
Here's how it all started:
We went back to the Museum of Science this day to watch a movie called "Whales" in the Mugar Omni Theater. The theater is a big round bubble-type theater that reaches back to your peripheral vision. It made me a little dizzy, but it was cool to be in a theater called the same thing that I am called.
My fondest memory at the museum was seeing a baby chick hatch. When we first saw it, there was only a little patch open and he was pecking his way out. We came back a couple hours later and he was three-fourths of the way out. His brother or sister even came up and started to help him get out. It was so sweet.
Alright, so that memory might be sweet, but here's the one I will never forget. The one that would determine if my future mate could be part of my family or not:
The minute we left for the museum my dad was driving like a madman around all the crazy Boston drivers and (even worse) all the crazy Boston pedestrians. My mom was screaming to drive one way while Kelly was screaming to drive the other way. I was screaming for my life and Grace was calmly asking over and over again, "would this shell be better for a key chain or a necklace? Lauren??? Mom? Answer me. What is better for this shell?" Emily and Katie were in the backseat fighting and Benny sat in silence watching the chaotic scene around him. Thirty minutes later (as we hoped to be almost to the museum), we realized that we had ended right back in front of our hotel.
Anyway, eventually we made it to the Museum and saw the movie. We also went on a Duck Tour. I don't think the lady in front of me liked me very much. My knees kept hitting her seat and she looked back with a dirty look every few minutes. It's not my fault they don't make seats for people with long legs.
Our Duck tour guide was hilarious. He kept us laughing the whole entire ride. At one point we did introductions. He wanted to know where everyone was from. So he started at the front of the car and went back. "Where do you come from?" He asked the lady in the front. Blah blah blah. When he got to my dad, there was silence. No answer. Dad's looking down at his cell phone, of course. He had no idea what was going on. "What's that guy doing on his phone back there?" Dad didn't even look up!!! I don't think he even knew that everyone in the tour was staring at him waiting for an answer. Our whole family just started busting up laughing. Everyone probably thought we were crazy, but if they knew my dad (and knew that he was ALWAYS on his phone), they would laugh too.
Part of the way through the tour, Katie said, talking about the tour guide, "this guy talks a lot. He talks more that me!" That says a lot, considering that I NEVER see Katie with her mouth shut. That kid can talk.
Once the Duck turned from a car into a boat and got into water, the tour guide let the kids "drive." When he got each one in the front seat he would ask them questions like, "What's your favorite color?" or "Where do you go to school?" Well, Grace was last to drive and when he started asking his questions, we (the family) all realized that she was in Graceland. Graceland is the place where Grace always seems to be. She's the daydreaming child. Anyway, the tour guide started asking bit she was just staring into space so he waved his hand in front of her face as if to say, "is anyone in there?" Typical Grace.
After the tour, we went over to a park where the Swan Boats are. The Swan Boats were closed, but we hung out at the park and found out that ducks and squirrels both love fruit loops with peanut butter. The kids fed them for at least an hour and probably could have stayed all day.
Later on, as we were at dinner, the restaurant gave us some papers to color on. I drew a picture of Chris and me. Well Emily saw that and started a little chant of "Lauren's obsessed with Chriiiisss, Lauren's obsessed with Chriiiisss." Katie caught on and started chanting "Lauren's upset with Chriiiisss, Lauren's upset with Chriiiiss."
Well, I wonder... if I had brought my boyfriend, Chris, on this family vacation... would he stick around? There were some days on this trip where I was having so much fun that I wished he were there. I wanted him to share the joy and love and funness of my family. But today wasn't exactly one of those days. Oh I love them, but sometimes it's a different kind of love... a more chaotic type of love. The kind of love that only some people can handle. I can. And I love it. But a future mate of mine? Well, he's gonna need to be able to handle it too.
Here's how it all started:
We went back to the Museum of Science this day to watch a movie called "Whales" in the Mugar Omni Theater. The theater is a big round bubble-type theater that reaches back to your peripheral vision. It made me a little dizzy, but it was cool to be in a theater called the same thing that I am called.
My fondest memory at the museum was seeing a baby chick hatch. When we first saw it, there was only a little patch open and he was pecking his way out. We came back a couple hours later and he was three-fourths of the way out. His brother or sister even came up and started to help him get out. It was so sweet.
Alright, so that memory might be sweet, but here's the one I will never forget. The one that would determine if my future mate could be part of my family or not:
The minute we left for the museum my dad was driving like a madman around all the crazy Boston drivers and (even worse) all the crazy Boston pedestrians. My mom was screaming to drive one way while Kelly was screaming to drive the other way. I was screaming for my life and Grace was calmly asking over and over again, "would this shell be better for a key chain or a necklace? Lauren??? Mom? Answer me. What is better for this shell?" Emily and Katie were in the backseat fighting and Benny sat in silence watching the chaotic scene around him. Thirty minutes later (as we hoped to be almost to the museum), we realized that we had ended right back in front of our hotel.
Anyway, eventually we made it to the Museum and saw the movie. We also went on a Duck Tour. I don't think the lady in front of me liked me very much. My knees kept hitting her seat and she looked back with a dirty look every few minutes. It's not my fault they don't make seats for people with long legs.
Our Duck tour guide was hilarious. He kept us laughing the whole entire ride. At one point we did introductions. He wanted to know where everyone was from. So he started at the front of the car and went back. "Where do you come from?" He asked the lady in the front. Blah blah blah. When he got to my dad, there was silence. No answer. Dad's looking down at his cell phone, of course. He had no idea what was going on. "What's that guy doing on his phone back there?" Dad didn't even look up!!! I don't think he even knew that everyone in the tour was staring at him waiting for an answer. Our whole family just started busting up laughing. Everyone probably thought we were crazy, but if they knew my dad (and knew that he was ALWAYS on his phone), they would laugh too.
Part of the way through the tour, Katie said, talking about the tour guide, "this guy talks a lot. He talks more that me!" That says a lot, considering that I NEVER see Katie with her mouth shut. That kid can talk.
Once the Duck turned from a car into a boat and got into water, the tour guide let the kids "drive." When he got each one in the front seat he would ask them questions like, "What's your favorite color?" or "Where do you go to school?" Well, Grace was last to drive and when he started asking his questions, we (the family) all realized that she was in Graceland. Graceland is the place where Grace always seems to be. She's the daydreaming child. Anyway, the tour guide started asking bit she was just staring into space so he waved his hand in front of her face as if to say, "is anyone in there?" Typical Grace.
After the tour, we went over to a park where the Swan Boats are. The Swan Boats were closed, but we hung out at the park and found out that ducks and squirrels both love fruit loops with peanut butter. The kids fed them for at least an hour and probably could have stayed all day.
Later on, as we were at dinner, the restaurant gave us some papers to color on. I drew a picture of Chris and me. Well Emily saw that and started a little chant of "Lauren's obsessed with Chriiiisss, Lauren's obsessed with Chriiiisss." Katie caught on and started chanting "Lauren's upset with Chriiiisss, Lauren's upset with Chriiiiss."
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