We got up late today, which was nice. I'm still not feeling great with poison ivy covering a lot of my body! One arm just burns and my neck and jawline are itchy. I found some new spots on my shoulder/back and leg. When will this end?! I did have a headache again today and still feel tired. I guess it's from the poison in my body.
After lounging around we decided to just hit Compo beach so I could rest. The beach was the most crowded I've ever seen it, but it was still fun. We saw friends there, too. The kids had a ball with their new boogie boards. I bought them months ago when in the Poconos at Five Below. Oh, how I wish we had a Five Below around here! If you haven't been, you're missing out!
We had the food from the beach concession, which isn't the healthiest, but is convenient. I will say I got a big thing of carrots and celery and made the kids eat that before they got anything too junky!
We went home and rested through the afternoon. Then we decided to try to find a water restaurant for dinner. I had seen one in So Norwalk when I was at Klaff's recently. This is the place:
http://www.sonoseaportseafood.com/sonodining.html
Unfortunately, it was very crowded with an hour wait for the patio and 20 minutes for indoors. We opted to leave and check out the place across the bridge that a friend had told me about. The place turned out to be Overton's and was the kind of little local place we love!
http://www.overtons-seafood.com/index.html
Ok, so the kids could only eat the chicken nuggets and my dinner of fried shrimp and onion rings and slaw tasted like it could have been about anything fried, it was still a fun place to eat. Oh, and the chocolate milkshake tasted like vanilla. I have to have a really chocolatey milkshake. Still, though, it's a fun place if you like fried seafood.
Here is another waterfront restaurant that is located right next to Overton's:
http://www.harborlightsrestaurant-ct.com/index2.htm
So, we have two waterfront restaurants that we want to try before the summer is over! The tricky part is that we're toying with the idea of trying a gluten free/caseine free diet with Grace. That's really going to cramp our eating out style!
Well, off to try to make a dent in the last part of The Ten Year Nap. Book discussion on Monday!
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Poison Ivy
I've really just not been in the mood to blog this week! With low energy and a nice bout of poison ivy and a broken computer, I've just sat out for several days! Of course, some days I wonder why I bother. Does anyone read this anyway?! If you do, please drop me a comment.
We went to the DE Water Gap over the weekend and had a really nice time. Somehow I got poison ivy. I walked between our campsites with shorts and don't have any on my legs. Somehow I got it on one arm. It has now spread to the other arm and to my jawline. Ugh! I hate to see where it shows up tomorrow!
I took my car for it's 30K maintenance this week. They forgot to change the thingy that tells you how much oil life you have left. If you have a Honda Odyssey (non-Touring edition) I have a trick for you! The guy told me how to fix it, which is usually hush-hush. First use the button that changes the odometer to temp and oil life and trip counters. Push it and hold it til it flashes. Once it flashes, push it once and it will re-set the oil life to 100%. This wasn't the first time this has happened. I was happy not to have to drive to the dealer for them to do this little trick!
Here is something cool that is happening this weekend:
www.betsyk.com/events.html
We went to a really great pediatric dentist today. Her name is Dr. Viera and she's in Norwalk. She had three full-size old video games in her office. I played Centipede like in the old days! The doctor spoke with us through the glass to say "hello" and how cute the girls were. Then she took a long time with both of them to explain everything. She actually did the cleaning! She was very loving and nurturing. I really feel fortunate to have found her. Our old ped dentist in Allentown called a friend of hers in CT who referred us to Dr. Viera. We have issues with the girls' teeth and now I feel confident that we'll keep them under control.
I've been looking for a dentist for a year now who takes our insurance and who has been referred by someone-anyone! Rich's doctor has a patient who's late husband was a dentist. She referred two dentists and one is on our plan. So, through this most circuitous route, I've hopefully found my new dentist. I must now call to see if I can get an appointment!
Camp finishes up for Grace tomorrow. Big sigh. I'm looking for fun for the next weeks leading up to school starting. Monday we'll be at the mommy book club in the morning. Maybe hit the Westport Library storytime on Monday afternoon. Tuesday a fun children's concert at noon in Trumbull is where we'll be with Moms EMT. Here's the performer:
www.amyrogell.com
Wednesday I'm meeting a friend in the city. Woohoo! If you have any ideas for fun places to go or things to do, let me know!
Thursday is playgroup. I'll also be waiting for this group to pick up a bunch of donations:
http://www.pickupplease.org/vva/veterans-donation.aspx?gclid=CMLOpcCH7ZsCFUdM5QodO1I5-g
Friday we're heading to Vietnam Culture Camp at Rowan University for the weekend. This will be our 4th culture camp! It's a wonderful way to be with families like ours and to learn about Vietnamese culture. The kids have a blast and learn a lot and make lasting friendships. The very wonderful group that hosts culture camp is Catalyst Foundation.
http://catalystfoundation.org/
While we're talking about very worthwhile charities, did you know you can donate to Paul's Kids and send two children in Vietnam to school for a year for just $100! We've been sending kids to school for the past two years now and just signed up for a third year. It feels great!
http://paulskids.typepad.com/home/welcome.html
Went to Bobby Q's for dinner tonight. We go because it's ultra kid-friendly. However, every time I go I think how the food just isn't that great. Oh well. At least I didn't have to cook!
We went to the DE Water Gap over the weekend and had a really nice time. Somehow I got poison ivy. I walked between our campsites with shorts and don't have any on my legs. Somehow I got it on one arm. It has now spread to the other arm and to my jawline. Ugh! I hate to see where it shows up tomorrow!
I took my car for it's 30K maintenance this week. They forgot to change the thingy that tells you how much oil life you have left. If you have a Honda Odyssey (non-Touring edition) I have a trick for you! The guy told me how to fix it, which is usually hush-hush. First use the button that changes the odometer to temp and oil life and trip counters. Push it and hold it til it flashes. Once it flashes, push it once and it will re-set the oil life to 100%. This wasn't the first time this has happened. I was happy not to have to drive to the dealer for them to do this little trick!
Here is something cool that is happening this weekend:
www.betsyk.com/events.html
We went to a really great pediatric dentist today. Her name is Dr. Viera and she's in Norwalk. She had three full-size old video games in her office. I played Centipede like in the old days! The doctor spoke with us through the glass to say "hello" and how cute the girls were. Then she took a long time with both of them to explain everything. She actually did the cleaning! She was very loving and nurturing. I really feel fortunate to have found her. Our old ped dentist in Allentown called a friend of hers in CT who referred us to Dr. Viera. We have issues with the girls' teeth and now I feel confident that we'll keep them under control.
I've been looking for a dentist for a year now who takes our insurance and who has been referred by someone-anyone! Rich's doctor has a patient who's late husband was a dentist. She referred two dentists and one is on our plan. So, through this most circuitous route, I've hopefully found my new dentist. I must now call to see if I can get an appointment!
Camp finishes up for Grace tomorrow. Big sigh. I'm looking for fun for the next weeks leading up to school starting. Monday we'll be at the mommy book club in the morning. Maybe hit the Westport Library storytime on Monday afternoon. Tuesday a fun children's concert at noon in Trumbull is where we'll be with Moms EMT. Here's the performer:
www.amyrogell.com
Wednesday I'm meeting a friend in the city. Woohoo! If you have any ideas for fun places to go or things to do, let me know!
Thursday is playgroup. I'll also be waiting for this group to pick up a bunch of donations:
http://www.pickupplease.org/vva/veterans-donation.aspx?gclid=CMLOpcCH7ZsCFUdM5QodO1I5-g
Friday we're heading to Vietnam Culture Camp at Rowan University for the weekend. This will be our 4th culture camp! It's a wonderful way to be with families like ours and to learn about Vietnamese culture. The kids have a blast and learn a lot and make lasting friendships. The very wonderful group that hosts culture camp is Catalyst Foundation.
http://catalystfoundation.org/
While we're talking about very worthwhile charities, did you know you can donate to Paul's Kids and send two children in Vietnam to school for a year for just $100! We've been sending kids to school for the past two years now and just signed up for a third year. It feels great!
http://paulskids.typepad.com/home/welcome.html
Went to Bobby Q's for dinner tonight. We go because it's ultra kid-friendly. However, every time I go I think how the food just isn't that great. Oh well. At least I didn't have to cook!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Disappointment
I had a busy day trying to clean up around the house and get ready for our weekend camping trip. (We're going to Delaware Water Gap in PA.) I also had to go to Rich's work to get a paper notarized, which led to lunch.
Needless to say, dinner was an after-thought! I gave Rich the option of leftovers, take out or The Beach Cafe. He chose the cafe, but didn't get home til well after 6. We hustled over to make our reservation and found it not to be crowded at all. In fact, our kids were the first there for movie night. Finding Nemo was playing. For some reason Lola had no interest in staying upstairs with Grace to eat and watch the movie.
I should have seen it coming. The whole idea is to get a nice dinner without the kids, but that wasn't to be tonight. Not much good came out of this evening.
Rich ordered the French onion soup to start. It was very salty and featured two bay leaves. I told him at least that means he'll have good luck! Then I tried my fish tacos. The first time I was there I had them and liked them. This time they just weren't very good and I couldn't even eat it all. Rich's lobster roll was poor. He mentioned that Stew's lobster rolls he had last night were so much better. Tonight's were $20 for one vs. the $10 for two at Stew's.
By the way, even though we enjoyed last weeks' meal there, Rich said the meatballs weren't good with the spaghetti and meatballs. I don't eat meat and wouldn't know. How do you mess up spaghetti and meatballs?!
The service tonight was really poor, the food was poor and the price was double what it should have been. They even charged us $3 for the chocolate milk that Lola had upstairs when she went up briefly-after already charging for it downstairs.
So, Rich has declared that The Beach Cafe is off our list. Darn. It was a great idea!
To top it all off, Rich had to drive to Waterbury tonight to get our Airstream from the "shop." Too bad there is now a thunder and lightning storm! I hope his trip goes smoothly!
Needless to say, dinner was an after-thought! I gave Rich the option of leftovers, take out or The Beach Cafe. He chose the cafe, but didn't get home til well after 6. We hustled over to make our reservation and found it not to be crowded at all. In fact, our kids were the first there for movie night. Finding Nemo was playing. For some reason Lola had no interest in staying upstairs with Grace to eat and watch the movie.
I should have seen it coming. The whole idea is to get a nice dinner without the kids, but that wasn't to be tonight. Not much good came out of this evening.
Rich ordered the French onion soup to start. It was very salty and featured two bay leaves. I told him at least that means he'll have good luck! Then I tried my fish tacos. The first time I was there I had them and liked them. This time they just weren't very good and I couldn't even eat it all. Rich's lobster roll was poor. He mentioned that Stew's lobster rolls he had last night were so much better. Tonight's were $20 for one vs. the $10 for two at Stew's.
By the way, even though we enjoyed last weeks' meal there, Rich said the meatballs weren't good with the spaghetti and meatballs. I don't eat meat and wouldn't know. How do you mess up spaghetti and meatballs?!
The service tonight was really poor, the food was poor and the price was double what it should have been. They even charged us $3 for the chocolate milk that Lola had upstairs when she went up briefly-after already charging for it downstairs.
So, Rich has declared that The Beach Cafe is off our list. Darn. It was a great idea!
To top it all off, Rich had to drive to Waterbury tonight to get our Airstream from the "shop." Too bad there is now a thunder and lightning storm! I hope his trip goes smoothly!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Around Town
I should really write down during the day what I plan to write at night. When it's late and I'm tired I tend to forget what I was going to blog about!
After camp drop off, we headed to Fairfield for an errand. We first stopped into the McDonald's in Westport. At 1:45 pm the place was a mob scene. Parking was a bear and the line inside was long. I told Lola I was sorry, but that we weren't waiting. In the year we've been here I have never been there because there is no drive through. I decided to treat her for her potty training efforts today. We ended up going to Arby's on the return trip because they have a drive-through.
Then we passed the Westport Inn. Turns out that Conte's will be opening there soon. They're new website is here http://www.contesmarketandgrill.com/ . They used to be on Saugatuck Ave and had closed not too long ago. I have a www.restaurant.com coupon for their old location and wonder if they'll honor it.
We stopped into the car wash on the way back from our errand and I wasn't really paying attention. I always just ask for the "regular wash." They often have the $9.99 outside wash deal, which is what I want. The guy said "you want the in and out, right?" I thought he was referring to a quick wash where you get in and out fast. After we walked inside I saw them trying to vacuum over the mounds of stuff in the car. I ran out to find that the "In and Out" is the $17.99 inside and out wash. Glad I stopped them in time!
After camp we went to Stew Leonard's again. Even after the bad seafood I got from there I purchased the lobster rolls for Rich's dinner. By the way, they're 2 for $9.99 and delicious, he said. He had the lobster roll from the snack shop at Compo beach one day and it was around $14 for one. He said it was very good, too. But, you can't beat Stew's price!
Oh, another thing I learned from a friend after my fish incident, was that Fjord Fisheries has excellent fish. I saw it today behind Pho Mekong (yummy Thai and Vietnamese food) on Post Rd. If I ever get brave enough to try to cook fish again, I'll try them. I've also heard from several people that the Rowayton Fish Company is very good and on the water. http://www.rowaytonseafood.com/home.html
We got a lot of stuff for our upcoming camping trip and then got the requisite ice cream that is free with over $100 purchase. I got Lola chocolate ice cream, which really wasn't very tasty. Grace wanted to try the tart yogurt. She actually liked it. We enjoyed visiting the animals. It was fun to see the guy again that takes care of the animals. He was on break and had just gone over to pet the baby goat. It's apparent that he really loves the animals. Last visit we saw him feeding the goat with a bottle. He said she drinks whole milk. One tip he offered is that if you want to pet them, go to the road-side of the pen and find some hay on the ground. You can reach over more easily and they'll certainly come if you have food!
Tonight we went to Levitt Pavilion for the first time. Princess Katie and Racer Steve performed. It was a cute venue and the group was really great. The kids had a ball and had no trouble going to sleep tonight!
There were fliers in the library parking lot for Robeks. They offer a nightly special from 6-9 pm at their Westport store for a 4 oz tart yogurt with three toppings. We'll have to check it out now that we know Grace is a tart yogurt fan!
After camp drop off, we headed to Fairfield for an errand. We first stopped into the McDonald's in Westport. At 1:45 pm the place was a mob scene. Parking was a bear and the line inside was long. I told Lola I was sorry, but that we weren't waiting. In the year we've been here I have never been there because there is no drive through. I decided to treat her for her potty training efforts today. We ended up going to Arby's on the return trip because they have a drive-through.
Then we passed the Westport Inn. Turns out that Conte's will be opening there soon. They're new website is here http://www.contesmarketandgrill.com/ . They used to be on Saugatuck Ave and had closed not too long ago. I have a www.restaurant.com coupon for their old location and wonder if they'll honor it.
We stopped into the car wash on the way back from our errand and I wasn't really paying attention. I always just ask for the "regular wash." They often have the $9.99 outside wash deal, which is what I want. The guy said "you want the in and out, right?" I thought he was referring to a quick wash where you get in and out fast. After we walked inside I saw them trying to vacuum over the mounds of stuff in the car. I ran out to find that the "In and Out" is the $17.99 inside and out wash. Glad I stopped them in time!
After camp we went to Stew Leonard's again. Even after the bad seafood I got from there I purchased the lobster rolls for Rich's dinner. By the way, they're 2 for $9.99 and delicious, he said. He had the lobster roll from the snack shop at Compo beach one day and it was around $14 for one. He said it was very good, too. But, you can't beat Stew's price!
Oh, another thing I learned from a friend after my fish incident, was that Fjord Fisheries has excellent fish. I saw it today behind Pho Mekong (yummy Thai and Vietnamese food) on Post Rd. If I ever get brave enough to try to cook fish again, I'll try them. I've also heard from several people that the Rowayton Fish Company is very good and on the water. http://www.rowaytonseafood.com/home.html
We got a lot of stuff for our upcoming camping trip and then got the requisite ice cream that is free with over $100 purchase. I got Lola chocolate ice cream, which really wasn't very tasty. Grace wanted to try the tart yogurt. She actually liked it. We enjoyed visiting the animals. It was fun to see the guy again that takes care of the animals. He was on break and had just gone over to pet the baby goat. It's apparent that he really loves the animals. Last visit we saw him feeding the goat with a bottle. He said she drinks whole milk. One tip he offered is that if you want to pet them, go to the road-side of the pen and find some hay on the ground. You can reach over more easily and they'll certainly come if you have food!
Tonight we went to Levitt Pavilion for the first time. Princess Katie and Racer Steve performed. It was a cute venue and the group was really great. The kids had a ball and had no trouble going to sleep tonight!
There were fliers in the library parking lot for Robeks. They offer a nightly special from 6-9 pm at their Westport store for a 4 oz tart yogurt with three toppings. We'll have to check it out now that we know Grace is a tart yogurt fan!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Moms in Weston
Had a nice day at Compo yesterday and today at the pond in Weston. Tonight I went to Southport Brewing Company with Mom's EMT friends. It's been a nice time talking with other moms this week.
Tomorrow night at Levitt is Princess Katie and Racer Steve. I hear they're good and just may go check them out.
Potty training is actually going pretty well. Lola has peed twice on the potty and made many more attempts. She's getting stickers, prizes, candy-whatever works!
Catherine of Bubbles n' Cups has started a mom's group in Weston. Check out the blog at www.westonctmoms.wordpress.com . Also find them on Facebook under "Moms in Weston."
After having been pres of my MOMS Club in Allentown, I entertained the idea of starting a chapter here. Fortunately, I put it off long enough and now have someone else doing all the work! Sometimes it's nice to be a follower instead of the leader! Thanks, Catherine! I do promise to help where needed, though!
Tomorrow night at Levitt is Princess Katie and Racer Steve. I hear they're good and just may go check them out.
Potty training is actually going pretty well. Lola has peed twice on the potty and made many more attempts. She's getting stickers, prizes, candy-whatever works!
Catherine of Bubbles n' Cups has started a mom's group in Weston. Check out the blog at www.westonctmoms.wordpress.com . Also find them on Facebook under "Moms in Weston."
After having been pres of my MOMS Club in Allentown, I entertained the idea of starting a chapter here. Fortunately, I put it off long enough and now have someone else doing all the work! Sometimes it's nice to be a follower instead of the leader! Thanks, Catherine! I do promise to help where needed, though!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Busy weekend!
We had such a fun and busy weekend! Ok, Friday night wasn't so great at Quassy, but Saturday we went to the Weston Farmer's Market. Grace enjoyed the storyteller very much. We then went to MacDaddy's Mac and Cheese Bar in Georgetown. It was pretty good, but nothing amazing for the price. Then we went to Westport and walked around the sidewalk sale, got ice cream at Ben & Jerry's and then went to the Bon Odori Festival. We enjoyed hearing the drummers and seeing the dancing and just hanging out with friends.
Then Rich and I went to the Saltwater Grille in Stamford. We had a nice meal overlooking a marina and then drove around Stamford, where we lived briefly back in '01. Yes, we were there during 9/11. Then we drove around Greenwich and then as we were passing through Darien decided to hit the Melting Pot for chocolate fondue. What an eating frenzy!
Today we went to the Stamford Nature Center. They have a farm with animals that the kids loved seeing. There were turkeys and guinea hens walking around-free range style. The observatory was open for public viewing of the sun. We went up to check out the telescope and see the big circle that was the sun. No sun spots today-darn! There was a guy giving exotic animal talks and we were able to see an iguana, ferrets, frogs, millipede and turtle. The kids had fun touching them-or not!
We topped the visit off with play in the really great playground. There is a large slide and a bird's nest and a big hollow tree to play in. From there we went to eat at Route 22 in Stamford. It was pretty good. They told us that on Sundays from 12-4 they usually have a kid's club where kids get to do fun things while the parents eat. Since they were slow today they weren't doing it. Darn, again!
After that we went to Wal-Mart for some potty training supplies. Lord help me! Anyway, a great weekend was had by all!
Then Rich and I went to the Saltwater Grille in Stamford. We had a nice meal overlooking a marina and then drove around Stamford, where we lived briefly back in '01. Yes, we were there during 9/11. Then we drove around Greenwich and then as we were passing through Darien decided to hit the Melting Pot for chocolate fondue. What an eating frenzy!
Today we went to the Stamford Nature Center. They have a farm with animals that the kids loved seeing. There were turkeys and guinea hens walking around-free range style. The observatory was open for public viewing of the sun. We went up to check out the telescope and see the big circle that was the sun. No sun spots today-darn! There was a guy giving exotic animal talks and we were able to see an iguana, ferrets, frogs, millipede and turtle. The kids had fun touching them-or not!
We topped the visit off with play in the really great playground. There is a large slide and a bird's nest and a big hollow tree to play in. From there we went to eat at Route 22 in Stamford. It was pretty good. They told us that on Sundays from 12-4 they usually have a kid's club where kids get to do fun things while the parents eat. Since they were slow today they weren't doing it. Darn, again!
After that we went to Wal-Mart for some potty training supplies. Lord help me! Anyway, a great weekend was had by all!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Quassy Redux
Today I had to go to Klaff's to take care of some plumbing issues. I realized we were so close to the aquarium that we should pop in since we are members after all. Lola actually loved Klaff's and all the pretty lighting and shiny bath fixtures!
I found a spot in the lot right by the aquarium and was lucky enough for the guy who was leaving to tell me the space was paid for all day. So, free parking it was! We ran around the aquarium and checked out the penguins for the first time. Lola had a ball. We headed back to camp to get Grace and Lola was asleep within minutes of beginning the drive back to Weston.
Tonight we went to Quassy for the 25 cent night. Well, the first time we went we had such a good time and it was a good experience. This time it was a zoo! It was so crowded that we stayed for an hour and left. The lines for rides and food were so long. While the kids were on the merry go round I got us cotton candy and then stood in the train line. I was almost to the front when the ride was closed because the train broke.
We decided to get something to eat on the way home. We stopped at Swanky Frank's in Newtown. It's your standard roadside grub with picnic tables outside. I had my yearly milkshake. So, not all was lost.
One thing we did do right was avoided the Merritt and took back roads. That saved us about 15-20 minutes driving north. On the way home we went the same way and I saw a racoon. So, we learned what route to take and to go to Quassy early in the season. We may try to go back again in the fall.
Tomorrow it's looking like we'll check out the Weston Farmer's Market and the new MacDaddy's in Georgetown. Yum-they only serve mac and cheese and salad. Interesting-wish I had thought of that! Then we plan to go to the Japanese Festival. Finally, we have a sitter tomorrow night and aren't sure what we're doing except relaxing without kids for a few hours!
I found a spot in the lot right by the aquarium and was lucky enough for the guy who was leaving to tell me the space was paid for all day. So, free parking it was! We ran around the aquarium and checked out the penguins for the first time. Lola had a ball. We headed back to camp to get Grace and Lola was asleep within minutes of beginning the drive back to Weston.
Tonight we went to Quassy for the 25 cent night. Well, the first time we went we had such a good time and it was a good experience. This time it was a zoo! It was so crowded that we stayed for an hour and left. The lines for rides and food were so long. While the kids were on the merry go round I got us cotton candy and then stood in the train line. I was almost to the front when the ride was closed because the train broke.
We decided to get something to eat on the way home. We stopped at Swanky Frank's in Newtown. It's your standard roadside grub with picnic tables outside. I had my yearly milkshake. So, not all was lost.
One thing we did do right was avoided the Merritt and took back roads. That saved us about 15-20 minutes driving north. On the way home we went the same way and I saw a racoon. So, we learned what route to take and to go to Quassy early in the season. We may try to go back again in the fall.
Tomorrow it's looking like we'll check out the Weston Farmer's Market and the new MacDaddy's in Georgetown. Yum-they only serve mac and cheese and salad. Interesting-wish I had thought of that! Then we plan to go to the Japanese Festival. Finally, we have a sitter tomorrow night and aren't sure what we're doing except relaxing without kids for a few hours!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
The Beach Cafe
If you have kids and need a break you've got to check out The Beach Cafe in Fairfield! www.beachcafefairfield.com
We made a reservation and got there right after 6. It wasn't crowded-we got a great corner table. Then the kids went upstairs for their dinner and a movie! The movie was Space Chimps and there is a sitter up there that takes care of the kids while the parents eat downstairs. The price is $8.95/kid plus tax and tip, which was a real bargain in our book. When we were done we went up to get the kids and they wanted us to go back downstairs! There was another movie starting and they were having a ball!
We're thinking of Quassy for tomorrow night! Love the 25 cent Friday nights!
We made a reservation and got there right after 6. It wasn't crowded-we got a great corner table. Then the kids went upstairs for their dinner and a movie! The movie was Space Chimps and there is a sitter up there that takes care of the kids while the parents eat downstairs. The price is $8.95/kid plus tax and tip, which was a real bargain in our book. When we were done we went up to get the kids and they wanted us to go back downstairs! There was another movie starting and they were having a ball!
We're thinking of Quassy for tomorrow night! Love the 25 cent Friday nights!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Magic Show and beyond
Today we picked Grace up from camp and headed to Nails and More on Post Rd in Westport. They were packed and we ended up waiting 40 minutes for a chair. They're packed for good reason Mon-Wed. They offer a mani and pedi for $25! Lola's class gave the teachers a gift certificate from there as a parting gift this year.
I figured I'd take the kids with me to get a pedi so I wouldn't have to pay a sitter. I figured it would be a wash. Well, that's not exactly accurate. The place asks you things like "do you want your calluses removed" and "do you want quick dry?" Of course, you say yes to both not knowing there is an upcharge for each additional item. Grace got a pedi and then got a mani-both with extras that weren't cleared through me. She got flowers painted on two toes and hearts on two fingers. Luckily the technician gave her those extras for free!
I didn't have time to get my mani and came out with a pedi. The girl did end up cutting my pinky toe with the file, which smarted! Everyone was really nice and we will go back, but knowing that the $25 special will likely end up costing $35 when it's all said and done. I spent $71 for both of us with tip. Would have been cheaper to leave the kids with a sitter! Grace was thrilled, so it was worth it this once!
We checked out the Learning Express because we had a birthday gift that was defective. They were pretty good about giving us a credit. I don't see me shopping there much as the prices are very high. But, if you want a quick stop birthday shopping experience, this may be for you.
We went to the Magic of Lyn tonight, which was changed from Levitt to Saugatuck Elementary School. It was a fantastic show! Friends had great seats and let Grace sit with them while Rich, Lola and I sat farther back with other friends. It was a nice night and really worth the price! The Good Humor Man was outside afterwards and the kids got treats. Lola went to bed with what looked like small hives on her cheeks from the Dora pop. I hope they're gone in the morning!
Tomorrow is playgroup, the pond and the piano tuner. Grace had her piano lesson today and did surprisingly well for no practice!
I figured I'd take the kids with me to get a pedi so I wouldn't have to pay a sitter. I figured it would be a wash. Well, that's not exactly accurate. The place asks you things like "do you want your calluses removed" and "do you want quick dry?" Of course, you say yes to both not knowing there is an upcharge for each additional item. Grace got a pedi and then got a mani-both with extras that weren't cleared through me. She got flowers painted on two toes and hearts on two fingers. Luckily the technician gave her those extras for free!
I didn't have time to get my mani and came out with a pedi. The girl did end up cutting my pinky toe with the file, which smarted! Everyone was really nice and we will go back, but knowing that the $25 special will likely end up costing $35 when it's all said and done. I spent $71 for both of us with tip. Would have been cheaper to leave the kids with a sitter! Grace was thrilled, so it was worth it this once!
We checked out the Learning Express because we had a birthday gift that was defective. They were pretty good about giving us a credit. I don't see me shopping there much as the prices are very high. But, if you want a quick stop birthday shopping experience, this may be for you.
We went to the Magic of Lyn tonight, which was changed from Levitt to Saugatuck Elementary School. It was a fantastic show! Friends had great seats and let Grace sit with them while Rich, Lola and I sat farther back with other friends. It was a nice night and really worth the price! The Good Humor Man was outside afterwards and the kids got treats. Lola went to bed with what looked like small hives on her cheeks from the Dora pop. I hope they're gone in the morning!
Tomorrow is playgroup, the pond and the piano tuner. Grace had her piano lesson today and did surprisingly well for no practice!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Lunch Bunch and Levitt
Today Lola and I went to the Lunch Bunch with Miss Joy at the Weston Library. We had gone last year when we first moved here and it was packed. Grace was all over the place and Miss Joy wasn't too pleased with us. Today it was a small group and Lola sat right with me and paid close attention. She didn't participate much, but did enjoy herself.
Miss Joy is extremely animated in her reading style, which holds the attention of young and old alike. She read several books, played recorded music and sang and danced to it and played a "movie," which was like the old film strips we used to watch as kids with audio.
http://bubblesncups.wordpress.com/ Here is a picture from Catherine at Bubble n' Cups showing Miss Joy and one of her many facial expressions!
We had a really nice time! It was topped off by a lollipop and bubbles to take home!
We then went to Trader Joe's in the torrential downpour. Lola is always a sucker for a balloon. Don't forget to ask for stickers!
We picked Grace up from camp and went to Bisceglie-Scribner park to play on the playground for a while. Then went home to play in the yard while I set up for dinner.
Tonight's creation was just fabulous compared to last night's fiasco with the disgusting fish. I've since learned not to buy fish or seafood from Stew's in Norwalk. Anyway, tonight I made the braised chicken legs recipe from http://www.notakeout.com/. The recipe is one from Alice Waters of Chez Panisse fame. I'm not a huge fan of dark meat, but it was just so delicious in it's tomato and garlic sauce. Of course, the kids didn't eat it, even without the sauce. Rich thought it was really good. Phew. Sometimes I wonder why I bother to make nice meals, but it's nights like these that I realize why-at least he and I can eat well!
Tomorrow night the Magic of Lyn is performing at the Levitt Pavillion. We just may go!
We actually are home this weekend! We are thinking of going to Quassy again on Friday night for their 25 cent night. Saturday and Sunday are wide open! A friend mentioned an Italian festival, but I haven't seen anything about it. We have a sitter for Saturday night, but no plans. I love thinking of what the weekend might hold! Any suggestions are always welcome!
Miss Joy is extremely animated in her reading style, which holds the attention of young and old alike. She read several books, played recorded music and sang and danced to it and played a "movie," which was like the old film strips we used to watch as kids with audio.
http://bubblesncups.wordpress.com/ Here is a picture from Catherine at Bubble n' Cups showing Miss Joy and one of her many facial expressions!
We had a really nice time! It was topped off by a lollipop and bubbles to take home!
We then went to Trader Joe's in the torrential downpour. Lola is always a sucker for a balloon. Don't forget to ask for stickers!
We picked Grace up from camp and went to Bisceglie-Scribner park to play on the playground for a while. Then went home to play in the yard while I set up for dinner.
Tonight's creation was just fabulous compared to last night's fiasco with the disgusting fish. I've since learned not to buy fish or seafood from Stew's in Norwalk. Anyway, tonight I made the braised chicken legs recipe from http://www.notakeout.com/. The recipe is one from Alice Waters of Chez Panisse fame. I'm not a huge fan of dark meat, but it was just so delicious in it's tomato and garlic sauce. Of course, the kids didn't eat it, even without the sauce. Rich thought it was really good. Phew. Sometimes I wonder why I bother to make nice meals, but it's nights like these that I realize why-at least he and I can eat well!
Tomorrow night the Magic of Lyn is performing at the Levitt Pavillion. We just may go!
We actually are home this weekend! We are thinking of going to Quassy again on Friday night for their 25 cent night. Saturday and Sunday are wide open! A friend mentioned an Italian festival, but I haven't seen anything about it. We have a sitter for Saturday night, but no plans. I love thinking of what the weekend might hold! Any suggestions are always welcome!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Bubbles and Stew's
Grace went to camp today. She's attending the Little Explorers Camp through the town of Weston. She came home with a bubble recipe I thought I'd share. I've made plenty of homemade play dough, but never homemade bubbles.
World's Best Bubbles (from The Ultimate Book of Kid Concoctions)
What You Will Need:
2 1/2 qts. water
1/2 c light corn syrup
1 c liquid dish detergent
How to Concoct It:
1. Mix water and corn syrup together until completely blended.
2. Gently stir in the liquid dish detergent.
3. World's Best Bubbles will store for several weeks in an airtight container.
Concoction Tips and Ideas:
Add a little color to your bubbles by stirring in a few drops of food coloring.
Create bubbles in many different sizes by dipping various items such as a plastic strawberry basket or wire whisk into the bubble solution.
Lola and I picked Grace up from camp and headed for Stew Leonard's today. We had no food in the fridge after our vacation. I grabbed a few printed recipes from www.notakeout.com and figured I'd actually go to the store with meals planned. The kids both fell asleep, which gave me time to write out a list before we went in. Since it was so late I let them have ice cream before we shopped. We then took it and headed over to check out the animals. We got to watch one of the workers feeding the baby goat with a bottle!
I saw a sign there that said Friday nights they have character visits from 6:30-7:30. And, the best thing I learned was that if you spend over $100 you get a free ice cream cone. Save your receipt as the freebie doesn't have to be used on the same visit and doesn't expire.
Getting through Stew's can take a long time. Since I don't know the store that well I ended up not getting everything on my list and didn't have the items I needed to complete even one meal! I did wing it when we got home. I grilled the sea bass and also grilled some veggies and made couscous. The sea bass was so disgusting noone would eat it. It was so fishy and rubbery. I don't know if that's what sea bass normally tastes like, was the quality of the fish or my cooking skills. But I know it will be a long time before I attempt cooking fish again. Yuck! Had some Frosted Flakes later while watching Two and a Half Men-makes me LMAO!
Grace had no interest in going to the Wilton Library for their drop-in craft today. We did make a soap craft at home tonight, though. She loves crafts, but isn't liking me deciding our outings.
Lola and I plan to go to the Lunch Bunch tomorrow at the Weston Library. Bring a blanket and lunch and meet us there at noon!
World's Best Bubbles (from The Ultimate Book of Kid Concoctions)
What You Will Need:
2 1/2 qts. water
1/2 c light corn syrup
1 c liquid dish detergent
How to Concoct It:
1. Mix water and corn syrup together until completely blended.
2. Gently stir in the liquid dish detergent.
3. World's Best Bubbles will store for several weeks in an airtight container.
Concoction Tips and Ideas:
Add a little color to your bubbles by stirring in a few drops of food coloring.
Create bubbles in many different sizes by dipping various items such as a plastic strawberry basket or wire whisk into the bubble solution.
Lola and I picked Grace up from camp and headed for Stew Leonard's today. We had no food in the fridge after our vacation. I grabbed a few printed recipes from www.notakeout.com and figured I'd actually go to the store with meals planned. The kids both fell asleep, which gave me time to write out a list before we went in. Since it was so late I let them have ice cream before we shopped. We then took it and headed over to check out the animals. We got to watch one of the workers feeding the baby goat with a bottle!
I saw a sign there that said Friday nights they have character visits from 6:30-7:30. And, the best thing I learned was that if you spend over $100 you get a free ice cream cone. Save your receipt as the freebie doesn't have to be used on the same visit and doesn't expire.
Getting through Stew's can take a long time. Since I don't know the store that well I ended up not getting everything on my list and didn't have the items I needed to complete even one meal! I did wing it when we got home. I grilled the sea bass and also grilled some veggies and made couscous. The sea bass was so disgusting noone would eat it. It was so fishy and rubbery. I don't know if that's what sea bass normally tastes like, was the quality of the fish or my cooking skills. But I know it will be a long time before I attempt cooking fish again. Yuck! Had some Frosted Flakes later while watching Two and a Half Men-makes me LMAO!
Grace had no interest in going to the Wilton Library for their drop-in craft today. We did make a soap craft at home tonight, though. She loves crafts, but isn't liking me deciding our outings.
Lola and I plan to go to the Lunch Bunch tomorrow at the Weston Library. Bring a blanket and lunch and meet us there at noon!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
We're home!
Phew-what a long week away! I won't go into details, but suffice it to say that I'm glad to be home!
Grace starts three weeks of camp in Weston tomorrow. I'll be spending the time doing laundry to catch up after vacation. Lola and I will have to hit the grocery store, too.
Wilton Library has drop-in crafts from 10-8 on Mondays. Maybe we'll go there before camp.
Looking forward to catching up with everyone!
Grace starts three weeks of camp in Weston tomorrow. I'll be spending the time doing laundry to catch up after vacation. Lola and I will have to hit the grocery store, too.
Wilton Library has drop-in crafts from 10-8 on Mondays. Maybe we'll go there before camp.
Looking forward to catching up with everyone!
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