Happy Mother's Day!!

Remember me mentioning our trip to the Children's Hospital for Charlie's study?  Well, each of the kids was allowed to choose gift from the toy closet (they like to keep siblings happy).  Joseph chose this lovely snorkel and mask set... and wore it home, just as you see it.  All through downtown Boston.  On all our trains.  On the bus.  He was perfectly happy.

 These are the toe-up, two at a time socks I made for Charlie.  I think I like toe-down better, but both were fun.  These were originally tight enough that he couldn't get them off on his own, but after a few hours he figured it out.  Now they last all of 5 seconds, just like every other pair of Charlie socks.

His favorite game?  Climbing Joseph's stool and dancing.  But he doesn't like to get down, so then he starts screeching.  Yesterday he figured out that he could go from the stool to the table.  Poor kid.  Now the stool is folded unless we are eating.

This is Lil'Nathan's idea of getting fresh air.

The kids did a brain study at MIT yesterday.  (Lil'Nathan and Mary)  We arrived at 9:30, right on time, and without getting lost even once.  (Two miracles since it involved getting into Boston/Cambridge.)  We were there until 4pm.  Nathan took Joseph to the produce market and then they met us at the study, where they picked up Charlie and then went to Boston Science Museum for the rest of the day.  While the kids were doing study stuff, I listened to Librivox recording of Pride and Prejudice and crocheted doll clothes.  (Not exactly the NH Wool Festival like Mother's Day Weekends past, but certainly less tempting... and therefore less expensive.)

Here are their MRI scans:  Mary's two are first, Lil'Nathan's two follow

Lil'Nathan's favorite picture is center row, left.  He calls it his "alien" picture

Being in the scanner was their favorite part of the day. (Okay, that and the pizza lunch MIT provided.)  I don't know if it was the space ship sensation, or the movie they got to watch while they were in there.  At the end of the day, they each got to choose a brain-themed game and received a $50 Amazon gift card.  When the researchers asked if they wanted to come back for a second day, they both jumped at the chance.  So, I guess we'll be doing it again.  (I told them they don't get paid for the second day, just to see what they would say.  They both said okay, they still wanted to do it.  Lil'Nathan said he'd do it just for pizza.)

Does that mean I can keep the next set of giftcards?