Ella's Deli, Paw Partol, and the Price Is Right

 Best summer parenting tip so far:  WATCH THE PRICE IS RIGHT WITH YOUR KIDS.  It's our best hour of the day (not really b/c that sounds super sad, but kinda because there's no fighting, and we're totally hanging out.)

Last week, I wrote a whole bunch of posts in a row and scheduled them, but I wasn't totally happy with that because they were all just kind of meh and not really connected to our life.  But this week, I have had zero time to post anything, and that's not ideal, either.  So, who the hell knows.

I do know that my work/life balance is off and skewing all to the LIFE side.  Which is troubling because we need to do things like PAINT THE BASEMENT.  Also, I need to work on my book and my HUGE spring class prep and finish fall hiring, etc.  I am going to have to actually go to the office after the 4th.  But!  The thing I am actually working on right now-- teaching my summer class- is going great and I am using all of my work time for that, which is not necessarily a bad thing.  I just need a few extra hours in my day.  Every day.

On Sunday, Ben did some light yard work (he is obsessed with trimming the bushes in a non metaphorical way) and some BASEBALL because everything we do is baseball these days, and I took the little kids on an east side adventure.

 We NEVER venture east of the capitol, so everyone was excited.  And by everyone, I mean me.

 First stop: kosher deli with crazy ice cream drinks and a carousel.

 Dorothy opted to ride on the bench because merry go rounds still freak her out.  BUT she was all super brave and rode behind me, which was huge.

 LOVE seeing a fire extinguisher in the middle of a rickety old wooden carousel.

 The restaurant itself is a bit of a hot mess, full of all this weird stuff running on cables overhead.  THEY LOVED IT.

 Also the food!  Perfect for kids and parents who care not for nutritional standards.

 Jack was torn between chicken noodle or matzoh ball and then realized he didn't have to decide.

 My bagel and lox came with a soup bowl of french fries (?)

 The cotton candy drinks were the highlight of Dorothy's meal-- maybe life so far.

 After lunch, we rode the carousel again, and Dorothy thought she was brave enough to try the pink horse, which was clearly scary as hell.

 She held my neck the whole time, so I got to do some squats as the horse moved up and down-- multi-tasking.

 Seriously, this was a successful stop, and I haven't been here since Harry was a baby.  I promised the kids we could go back for the last day of summer break, which Dorothy has confused with the last day of swim lessons, so I look forward to that tantrum soon.

 Next, we went to a Paw Patrol Meet the Pups event at a bowling alley and the bowling alley had an awesome lady bowler hall of fame wall that reminded me of the sorority composite pictures that used to hang (and I mean still do hang) in the Chi Omega house at Bradley.

 The Paw Patrol hour was a lot of fun.  The kids saw the pups up close and personal

 There was even a story time,

 and they played games.

 Plus! Dancing!

 And it closed with the all-important photo op:

 We needed to make a super crucial stop for angel food cake on the way home, and Dorothy rammed the shit out of everyone's ankles with a tiny cart.  We also listened to a bunch of NPR's Wow in the World, and the kids LOVE it.  I highly recommend it next time you are in the car and sick of screaming at everyone to shut up.

 In other news, I continue to be totally obsessed with Aldi and am sad that I ever shopped anywhere else.  I ran in for just a few things the other day and then suddenly found myself struggling to push a bursting car to the checkout line, and ALL OF THIS STUFF, which included 3 bottles of wine, organic produce, dairy, and snacks, and forty-four cent local eggs (plus so much junk that a random dudebrah asked me if I was having a 4th of July party.  Twice.) was only $160.  WHAT THE HELL?!

 You guys!  We are slaughtering the library reading program.

 And it has been su[er cold here (like 50s and 60s), so we had a FIRE.

 Ben is great at FIRE.

 Cooper and Dorothy were just in it for the s'mores.

 Harry got a lil sticky.

FIRE.

 I cannot remember if I have already complained about this or not, but the heater broke at our pool, and the weather is so crappy that the water is too cold to swim in, so we have no events (besides The Price Is Right) to anchor our days.  So, we are religious about our commitment to story time.

 This week, they came home from the library, grabbed ice cream cones, and immediately read their books.

 And they were still into their books the next morning.

 Jack made dinner last night, and it was THE CUTEST.

 He also made chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter cups in the center and PB frosting.  They were so good that Beatrix licked the wrappers in the garbage while I cleaned the kitchen.  To which I said SOLIDARITY, SISTER.