Happy Friday, all of you lovely people!  I can’t believe that this our last Friday of summer.  Summer goes by quickly each year, but for some reason this one went super fast.  John starts first grade on Tuesday and will be going on the bus this year and Conor starts preschool in October.  This mom is getting teary eyed just thinking about all these changes.  I’ve so enjoyed lazy days with my guys – cuddling on the couch, building drippy castles, exploring nature.  So we’re trying to pack these last moments of summer with tons of fun.

The other night we went over to Hull, a neighboring seaside town.  We had a fantastic dinner at Hull’s Kitchen.  This brightly colored yellow beach hut faces the glorious view of Nantasket Beach.

Hull’s Kitchen

I sipped a frozen margarita while the kids had pineapple juices and Luke had an ice cold beer.  Ceramic lizards crawled up the exterior of the building and in many ways I felt I could be away on St. John.

John & Luke

Beautiful tropical flowers surrounded us with the sound of the tide crashing on the beach.  The chips and salsa were so yummy with just the right amount of lime and cilantro:

The fish tacos were delicious.  Lightly breaded fish topped with crema and guacamole on a corn tortilla.

Fish Tacos

Our next stop was the Paragon Carousel.  This particular carousel has been operating at Nantasket Beach for over 80 years.  It was built in 1928 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company.  It is one of a few “grand” carousels in the United States and reminds all of the Golden Age of Hull, when the shoreline was teaming with glittering rides, a roller coaster and a board walk.

My boys, especially Conor, enjoyed a ride on this historic carousel.  I wish you could have heard his laughter:

My boys on the Paragon Carousel

The boys also tried mini golf for the first time and we got a big laugh out of it.  Conor did get a hole in one on his very first go!

mini golf, or crazy golf – as they say in England!

It was such a wonderful night.  Close to home and not too expensive.  I sure will miss these times together once school starts.