We had one night in Vermont as a family before Adam went to Stowe with college friends for almost 2 days, leaving Isaac and me to entertain ourselves. I'd been reluctant to give up Adam on our family vacation, but Isaac and I had a great time as I tried to show him the best of Vermont's Champlain Valley, a place Adam and I love so much.
DAY 1
Adam left after breakfast, Isaac napped in the car for an hour, and then the two of us headed to Burlington's Church Street. This pedestrian area is much like Boulder's Pearl Street with the fun local shops and restaurants, street vendors and entertainment - but trade the Flatiron views for glimpses of sparkling blue Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks just past its western shore. As soon as I told Isaac it was called Church Street, he started saying "In church. Isaac in church." True to its name, there is a beautiful old church at the very end of the street, so I said sure, and we walked together, slowly, past the colorful shops and smells of lunch to try the front door at the top of the church steps. Locked.
But we walked around the side yard until there was a door propped open, entered through the basement, and found our way up to the sanctuary. It was silent and peaceful. And after all the travel, and Isaac's chronic lack of sleep, maybe it was just what we needed. I explained to Isaac before we stepped in that we have to be very quiet in the sanctuary, because people come there to think and pray and rest. He walked in silently, plopped down on the floor next to the altar, and looked around us with a little smile. There were no stained glass windows to catch our eye, but the interior was white wood, light and airy, simple and beautiful, classic New England. Isaac sat and looked up at the light coming through the upper windows, and I sat on the floor beside him and quietly tried to explain what a church is for.
Back in the sunlight, we headed for lunch and ended up in a sushi restaurant because I was determined to get some vegetables into him. Neither of us could eat sushi, but I'd seen tempura on the menu and was hopeful. The server looked skeptical when I walked in with a not-quite-2-yr-old, and I was a little surprised by the white tablecloths and general hushed atmosphere inside. It was an oasis away from the sun and crowds of Church Street, but practically empty and maybe not the best pick for a (usually) squirmy and overtired toddler. But with a little entertaining effort, it was a wonderful lunch date. We shared a big glass of ice water and dined on miso soup, brown rice and veggie tempura. Isaac tried all the veggies just once, except the sweet potatoes, which he devoured - I had to order a second plate just for him. So I was happy.
We wandered around Church Street for a bit after lunch, until as we were leaving, we passed a sunglasses shop with a little toy car parked in the window. It was a retro Ford station wagon, green and wood, with a surfboard on top. Isaac went nuts. He loves cars, he was exhausted, and he wanted that car more than anything. I had to pick him up and carry him away under my arm, while trying to explain that I can't give him what he wants when he's crying. But actually, I thought the car was really cool - it would be great airplane entertainment and a nice memento of our day together - though I doubted it was for sale, as this was a grown-up store, not a toy store. When I put Isaac down, he pushed off of me and ran stumbling and crying back to the little car, 3 storefronts and 1 restaurant behind us. I went after him and tried to tell him again - "What do you do if you want Mama to do something nice for you? You have to ask nicely. You have to show me a nice face." Isaac wanted the car so much, that at those words, he cut off the crying, looked at me, and gave me his cheesy camera smile, which never fails to make me laugh. He had followed my request so perfectly that, in spite of my reservations, I told him we could go in and ask if the car is for sale.
The owner was so kind to us, smiling at Isaac and explaining that he'd picked up about 5 of the cars and he could sell us one at cost - $5. He brought out the others so we could pick our favorite color. Isaac picked the teal one, we both thanked him, and we were on our way. Afterward, whenever I asked Isaac where he got the car, he said "Man." No mention of Mama...oh well.
And now onto the actual subject of this post (sorry for the long digression, but this is the only way I'll remember all this, years from now). We were meeting up with a friend that night, who happened to be going to an outdoor concert at beautiful Shelburne Museum just south of Burlington (and just minutes from our B&B). And the concert just happened to be bluegrass/country/folk, hands-down our family's favorite music. And there would be a group of people which included a little girl just weeks older than Isaac.
We had just enough time to pick up some food to contribute to the picnic, relax in our room for a few minutes, and then it was time to grab jackets and head over to meet everyone. Isaac was cranky and exhausted, but once we got to the pre-party (a house across the street from the museum) and Isaac met little Sage, his mood rapidly improved. I think he was overjoyed to finally see someone his own age again, and after a few minutes, he was attempting to give her hugs and kisses. In the first picture, above, you can see a happy Isaac sitting on the picnic blanket with Sage and her parents. Below, a little smile on his face as he takes in the sounds of Emmylou Harris, Patti Griffin and friends, the picnic food, the mountain views, the cool summer night, the voices of children everywhere, the smell of grass, the cute toddler beside him...Heaven.
Once Isaac was full of cheese, bread and fruit, he was running for the rest of the night, it seemed. For a while it was combined with lots of dancing (big smiles and pumping arms) while passing back and forth in front of the stage. Then he began inserting himself in older kids' games, plopping down in their circles and grinning at them or running headlong into a moving pack and trying to steal a soccer ball. Below, there were moments of stillness too, as he stood mesmerized by the musicians on the stage.
You can see Patti Griffin singing below, with Emmylou Harris next to her. Isaac caught the eye of both of them at times, as he stood alone in front of the stage, eyes wide, sometimes grinning at them and dancing, sometimes just staring. The security guards watched him with fatherly affection and insisted that I follow him freely around the venue.
Eventually his circle of exploration widened, and he found a new friend. The little boy was with, I think, his young grandmother, and the four of us wove through the field as the boys rolled on the ground and ran gleefully through the grass. More hugs and kisses followed, as Isaac woke up more from his deep fatigue and remembered how amazing life can be.
I tried to convince him to get a free Ben&Jerry's ice cream with me, but he couldn't slow down long enough to wait in line.
Instead, on to the next activity - hunting down empty chairs in the crowd and sitting in them, taking in the view for a few minutes, and moving on to the next one.
We almost lost Dog that way, but luckily a very kind person called after us when he noticed the abandoned creature on an empty blanket next to his group.
At the end of the night, we said goodbye to our Burlington friend and our new friends, and then Isaac and I climbed into the back of the rented SUV (parked at the top of the grassy field in the makeshift parking lot). We opened the hatch and watched the sun set over the Adirondacks in the distance. The night quieted as people pulled away and the field emptied.
