The Pictureless blog.

I forgot to bring my camera with me when I went to The Providence Children's Museum yesterday, therefore I get no credit. Fabio and I decided to split the boys and spend quality time with each of them. Owen and Fabio went for a bike ride and Enzo and I were planning to go to The Children's Museum.

First, I had to go to AAA to get some New England Road Maps. Not for these activities, but for the future. When I came back, Fabio told me that my father had come over to our house to announce that he was walking to the Noon Mass. The Church is just across the Providence College campus, which is a half a block from our house. My father also wanted to see if Fabio needed the keys to his house for "whatever reason."

I asked Fabio if he gave my father a ride to Mass. He said "No. Should I have?" I am like, duh."Was there a pause between his two statements?" He said, "Actually, he came back to ask me about the keys." I know that my husband cannot read minds, but this practically screams, "May I have a ride to Mass?"

So Enzo and I drove over to pick him up. He was thrilled to see me in a car. His feet have been hurting a lot lately. I used to walk across campus with him while the boys rode their bikes,lately I have been driving him. I was telling him about our plans for the day. I said , "so Enzo and I are going to Wickenden Street for Pizza, then downtown to a furniture store and then to the Providence Children's Museum for 3 hours. Do you want to come?"

Never in a million years did I expect his, "That sounds great. Would you mind if we just let Eddie out first?"

We had so much fun. We ran into a couple in their late 60's. They were there with their grandchildren. The woman walked up to my father and said, "Are you Owen McGowan?" My father looked so surprised. He kind of blushed. She said, "I am MaryLou Viverios.I was so sorry to hear about Pat" She and her husband had lived a block away from us in Fall River,Massachusetts when I was growing up. I was in grades 4 through 8 with their son Brett. They were watching Brett's kids!

My dad was having the greatest time. It was almost as if he was a child. He enjoyed each new display more than the last. He didn't get on the floor and start playing or anything. He was certainly intrigued. He kept saying this: "I can see why a child would like this Museum. I even like it!" He must have said that same statement 8 or 9 times, with equal enthusiasim each time.

An hour after meeting couple number one, we met couple number two. This time it was Christine, Clyde, and their daughter Sarah. They used to live 4 houses away from my parents in Somerset, Massachusetts.

When Fabio and I first moved back to the mainland from Honolulu we lived in Somerset with my parents. We had the front half of their 1750's home on the water. It was gorgeous. Our half was two stories. It had a little kitchen, 2 full baths, 2 bedrooms, a dining room and a living room. Each room was tiny but charming. Really charming. Great views.

Somerset,Massachusetts has got to be the most boring town on planet earth. It is full of (perfectly lovely) folks all between the ages of 70 and 90. Its culinary delicacies include over breaded Chinese food served by Portugese immigrants. It just doesn't work.

We lived in Somerset until we found the perfect house (in Providence ,RI). That ended up taking 11 months. One day my husband, kids and I were playing in the yard when a young woman strolled by with a baby in the baby carriage.

We flagged her down and started talking. We told her that we had just moved from Hawaii a month earlier. She said, "My husband is from Hawaii" Shut up! Fabio knew him. Not well, but c'mon! Clyde used to work for a dentist friend of Fabio's. Clyde makes teeth. He is really good at it. They have a friend named Gino in common too. Nuts.

And they were at the Children's Museum yesterday. Small town, small world. Teeny tiny.