Parker's Maple Barn Year 2

 

Oscar Night!  Samantha takes a cue from Beyonce, Madonna, and Lady Gaga by rocking the "no pants" with my ballet slippers look. Elliot finds her best red carpet gear.  Both gals purses are by Stuart Weitzman. 

And now, this is not really from Parker's, but from Island Java in the Bahamas.   I felt I needed to make up for the picture of Sammy in just her diaper.  Plus, these donuts were amazing!  And now for the previously scheduled post:

It's maple sugar season.  Our annual pilgrimage to a sugar shack and big breakfast.  The CJos found us Parker's Maple Barn last year, and only over an hour outside of Boston into New Hampshire, it's a winner.  Our girls still get up so early, we just planned to wake, jump in the van and be there when they opened at 7:30 am (otherwise there are very long lines).  The reality was, we woke, then decided, maybe a quick shower, and oh yeah we should get directions, and pack up all the sleepover gear (we had Alex & Zoe with us) and then hit the road!  Oh wait, Ben wants coffee.  Stop at Starbucks 1:  doesn't open until 7AM.  Drive on.  Stop at Starbucks 2:  Open.  And Oh. My. God.  My 9 year old niece and nephew have an order for Starbucks "steamed milk with caramel".  We wait in the car while Ben goes in.  I have to dig around to find an outlet so the 'tweens can plug in their laptop.  Elliot asks if we are at the maple barn:  we have not even left Cambridge.  Ben comes to the car with a drink carrier FULL of lattes.  6 of them.  2 adult ones and 4 kiddie drinks in little kiddie Starbucks cups.  Are you kidding me?  But we are happy to learn that the little kiddie steamed milks in their little cute kid cups are about half the price of those organic chocolate milk boxes we have been getting for the girls.  So there.  I guess my 3 and 2 year olds now have their own orders at Starbucks too.  Ben puts the car in drive.  Elliot spills her cocoa down her front, but "that's ok!" and then Ben notices the van is out of gas.  We pull into the gas station.  Anyone keeping track out there?  This is our THIRD stop and we have not even left Cambridge. 

But right, this was supposed to be about Parker's Maple Barn.  It was worth the trip.  The breakfast is awesome (though, surprisingly, the pancakes are not great - which is fine)  Note to me next year:  get the French Toast - deep fried.  They have it and it looked awesome.  Also, if one nephew asks for a cinnamon roll, order one for the niece too to avoid disappointment. 

Walking back from the sugar shack, and toward the gift shop and a year's worth of maple syrup, we found a stack of these boxes.  Good lord, what are bacon jugs?  So many connotations.