Tag Archives: independence day

Tall Ships

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So, after letting the idea sit, we decided against the fireworks.  Instead, we opted for an activity-filled day.   The big news in Boston has been the ‘Tall Ships‘ which are a bunch of boats visiting for the holiday.  OpSail 2012 is bringing thousands of sailors in to join the celebration – and this means, their ships are here too! So, what better way to celebrate our Independence Day than visit the ships docked in Boston to celebrate the Bicentennial of the War of 1812.

As a plane & ship enthusiast, Vinay brought me along with him to see New York City’s Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum complex when we were dating.  So, the Bicentennial event was right up our alley.

We packed up early and were waiting in line at noon when the gates opened…

And man was it hot!!!  Avery is under that hat keeping cool.

There were a bunch of naval ships from the US, Germany, Canada, and England docked, awaiting the masses of curious visitors.  They were huge!!!

Avery & I are so tiny next to the big ships! (and yes, I’m feeding him a bottle-gotta keep hydrated on a hot day!)

We first toured the Canadian ship – Here were are on bow…

I think the ships behind us are German & American.

We wandered around and saw a dummy they throw into the water for training, and their work-out area, and here’s Vinay (and our friend & his son) on the deck…

And when we asked a gentleman on the ship (carrying a BIG gun!) about the ship, he told us it’s main purpose was refueling other ships out in the water.  They most recently brought fuel (and beer) to the ship docked next to them.  Who could need anything else at sea?  Fuel and beer.

And Avery loved the rope railings… he held on and looked down into the water for a while…

Then it was off to the American ship, which had a HUGE line.  By the time we got on the ship (in a tour group) we had been baking in the sun for way too long and we still had to wait in a group to see parts of the ship, so we ducked out and headed to Castle Island (a beach/park) for some lunch… and ice cream!

Yum!  So, no fireworks, but lots of fun!  We still have plans to do something on the 4th.. so the holiday fun isn’t over yet.

What are you doing to Celebrate the 4th of July?

Are Fireworks for Babies?

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4th of July is next week, and because it’s on a Wednesday, most celebrations are happening this weekend.  It’s Avery’s first 4th of July and we’ve been going back and forth about how to celebrate.  We’d love to take Avery to see fireworks.  They’re loud and bright… he loves sounds and colors so we think he’d love them.  But, are fireworks appropriate for babies?

When we were dating, we (along with the masses of people) watched Boston’s Fireworks along the Charles River.  They’re always a huge display, Boston Pops plays in the park, everyone has glow sticks and it’s a zoo getting to and from.  But now that we’re a family of three and living in the burbs – not really, but we’re out of the city now – we’re checking out the local activities.

Our town has a full day of activities for the holiday:  a carnival, parade, performances, and fireworks.  Sounds like a great time to us!  But what about the fireworks?  Here are the two issues I have with fireworks for a 9 month old (yes, he’s 9 months, today!):

1. Fireworks are LOUD! Should we invest in some ear muffs to muffle the sound?  I’ve seen them used at races and airshows like this little guy:

Without ear will it damage his ears?  Avery loves anything that makes noise, which makes us think he’ll love them… but will they be too loud for a baby? (image source)

2. Fireworks start at 10PM. Avery’s bedtime is 7PM.

Do we really want to shift his schedule around, risking messing it up for the next day or two, especially while we’re trying to get him to sleep thru the night?  We could have him nap for a bit and wake up for the fireworks… but then I bet it’ll be rough getting him back to sleep… especially if he’s over-tired at this point…

Help a Momma out!  What do you think?  Any experiences you can share with us to help us decide?   Any tips and tricks to make this a fun family experience?!