All in the family
With the parents in town for graduation and Mom ready for the star treatment this Sunday, it's time for parent-friendly Boston
For mom and dad
Commencement. What a glorious time of the academic year. Exams are over and done, and Mom, Dad, Grandma, Uncle Chuck, and possibly someone else you hardly know have all come to celebrate your special day. After you've completed the 15-second tour of your apartment, show the folks Boston beyond your humble abode. It'll give the folks something to do (besides nagging you to apply to law school). BROWNSTONES AND BOXES
If you've ever wondered what it looked like inside Back Bay brownstones in the 1860s, stroll on into the Gibson House. Wealthy poet Charles Gibson began roping off rooms to preserve them two decades before his death, and much of the house's Victorian furnishings are originals, from the wallpaper to the fire-heated irons in the laundry. The voluble guides are happy to answer any questions about mid-Victorian Boston life, from the fates of the Gibson's Irish maids to the sinking wooden pilings supporting Back Bay homes. Gibson House Museum, 137 Beacon St., Boston. 617-267-6338. Tours at 1, 2, and 3 p.m. Wed-Sun. $7. gibsonhouse.org/index.asp.
Modern-minded visitors might prefer the Gropius House, built and inhabited in 1938 by Walter Gropius, the founder of Bauhaus architecture. His house is a white box once called "The Big Marshmallow" by neighbors, but it's a beautiful box, with delightful views of the woods and a delicate Japanese garden. Gropius carefully designed every detail, including the coat rack and heating grates. Much of the Bauhaus furniture is familiar, but somehow, when Gropius arranges it, it looks much, much better. Gropius House, 68 Baker Bridge Road, Lincoln. 781-259-8098. Tours hourly from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat and Sun through May 31; Wed-Sun from June 1-Oct. 15, $7. historicnewengland.org/visit/homes/ gropius .htm
TAKE ME TO THE RIVER
You may have genuinely enjoyed that 4 a.m. trek from Harvard Square to Comm. Ave. last February, but odds are your judgment was somewhat impaired at the time. Take your folks on a more relaxing tour on a Charles River Sightseeing Cruise past MIT, Boston University, and Harvard. The guides narrate the history of the passing scene and will also answer pressing questions such as, "Did Officer O'Malley really 'Make Way for Ducklings' right there?" Charles Riverboat Co., 100 Cambridgeside Place, Cambridge. 617-621-3001. Tours every 75 minutes from 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sat and Sun through Memorial Day; then every day through September. charlesriver boat .com
IT'S ALL IN YOUR MIND
If you majored in math, you probably already know about Games People Play and Eureka. If you didn't, it's time you had some left-brain fun. These stores sell grown-up toys including jigsaw puzzles, board games, cards, odd chess pieces, and fiendish three-dimensional puzzles you can take apart but can't put back together. Buy one a week in advance, then impress your parents by picking one up and solving it right there in the store. If that doesn't work, you can always console yourself by picking up a new Twister set for the next party. Games People Play, 1100 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. 617-492-0711. Eureka Puzzles, 1349 Beacon St., Brookline. 617-738-7352. eurekapuzzles.com
FAMILY TREE CLIMBING
Many parents enjoy regaling their children with lengthy tales of distant relatives the children have never even heard of, much less met. Indulge your folks' favorite annoying behavior with a trip to the New England Historic Genealogical Society Library on Newbury Street. For $15, your loved one can spend the whole day digging up dirt on your ancestors through more than a million manuscripts on past lives. Who deserted his regiment? Who gave birth out of wedlock? Maybe you'd better listen to those stories this time. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 101 Newbury St., Boston. 617-536-5740. newenglandancestors .org
PASS THE BILL
When was the last time you ate dinner under a naked woman and a stuffed pheasant? Your parents did if they ever went to Locke-Ober, and they still will if they walk in to Boston's 130-year-old grand dame of a restaurant. Come to this palace of old wood, shiny tureens, and separate waiters to clear each piece of flatware from your immaculate table. From the delicate lobster bisque and choice grilled meats to the decidely refined Indian pudding, Lydia Shire's tasteful dishes will make you feel proper -- and very well fed. You'll eat in an elegant room where the soft light makes everyone look younger, and your parents can reminisce about their dinners here when they were too young to afford the place, too. Locke -Ober, 3 Winter Place, Boston. 617-542-1340. locke-ober.com
For Mom
Way back when, it was easy. Your teacher would hand you a pile of popsicle sticks, a tube of glue, and a jar of paint and say, "Here, much-loved offspring, make a decorative picture frame for Mother's Day!" Well, you're older now, and Mom is, too, and she'd rather spend some quality time with you than any object, no matter how homely. Put away that glue gun and tell Mom that you want to spend Mother's Day with her. GO KAYAKING
Picture yourself all snug in a boat with your mother, watching the sunlight dance over the water and the spring blooms on the bank pass by as you try to remember how to steer. For $16 an hour, you can rent a double kayak at Charles River Canoe & Kayak in Newton and paddle together. Alternately, you can splurge and pay $120 for a private lesson for just the two of you and actually learn how to control the thing. Charles River Canoe & Kayak: locations in Allston, Newton, and Natick. 617-965-5110. pad dleboston.com
TAKE A BATH
Technically, Dillon's is not a Mother's Day destination; Monday is ladies' day at this determinedly single-sex establishment. However, Dillon's is an exceptional mother-daughter bonding experience. After you're underwhelmed by the parking-lot entrance and 1970s rec-room lounge, go to the lockers with Mom and take along your towel to sit on in on the steam bath. You'll be surrounded by women of all shapes, sizes, and ages, which means that you and Mom can just relax and feel good about yourselves. After all, it's what's inside that counts. Dillon's Russian Steam Baths, 77 Chestnut St., Chelsea. 617-884-9434. Women's day Monday 4-9 p.m., $20. dillonsbaths.com
GET DRESSED
Ah, the free-for-all spirit of the original
HAVE A DRINK
Sometimes, it's nice to just sit and chat with Mom over a cup of tea. Tealuxe on Newbury Street serves more than 70 different kinds in cozy rooms or at cafe tables on the sidewalk at an exceptional people-watching location. Teas, teapots, and various hot liquid paraphernalia are onhand for last-minute gifts as well. Chocoholic mothers will thrill to the hot chocolate at L.A. Burdick; the stuff is semi-solid and can be diluted to create at least four cups of conventional cocoa. You can clear your palate with delicate pastries like Luxemburger macaroons or go for the gusto with chocolate mousse cake. You can also buy chocolates to take that sweet taste home -- or at least to the nearest T-stop. Tealuxe, 108 Newbury St., Boston. 617-927-0400. tealuxe.com. L.A. Burdick, 52-D Brattle St., Cambridge. 617-491-4340. Closed for renovations May 14-July 14.
SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW Your Mom's house could use a certain special something, but what? Sometimes it's more fun to let her pick things out herself. On a stroll down Charles Street in Boston, you'll find more than three dozen antique stores housed in charming Beacon Hill brick row houses. Stop in to buy almost anything made in olden days, including vintage costume jewelry, Chinese bronzes, and garden art. Buy Mom an exquisite porcelain teacup and a silver spoon to go with it.
SEIZE THE CHOCOLATE
When you can't stand going into one more Charles Street antique store, lead your mother around the corner into Beacon Hill Chocolates for a break. This small, charming store sells sweet little boxes that you can fill with plenty of smooth, dark, imported Belgian chocolates. Choose a lid with a picture of the Public Garden, or the State House if Mom is more legislatively minded; then select from truffles, artisan chocolates, or caramel sushi. What is caramel sushi, you might ask? If you have to ask, you really ought to try it.
Beacon Hill Chocolates, 92B Pinckney St., Boston. 617-725-1900. beaconhillchoco lates .com
LIGHT HER FIRE
Diptyque is one of those rare stores where you can truly concentrate on a single sensation: scent. Walk your mother down into this quiet, elegant cave, and stand before the display of dozens of candles arrayed in perfect rows, all smooth columns of white. Clients sample candles in fragrances such as hawthorn, saffron, and quince, as well as familiar aromas including cinnamon and rose. Once your mother has decided which suits her best, go to the counter and pay for hours of a fragrant home that reminds her of you. Diptyque, 123 Newbury St., Boston. 617-351-2430. diptyque.tm.fr 
