McBlogging: Art and Ice Cream

I'm speed-McBlogging tonight because I want to get back in time for Project Runway. For those of you that are watching--who are you liking/disliking? I was happy to see that guy in the shorts go and I'm loving Stella purely for entertainment value--not so sure about her clothes yet. I love how much she loves "leathah"!

We are having so much fun on this vacation! Today was a great day. As usual--lots of swimming and eating. I won't tell you about lunch yet because I'm saving it for Restaurant Adventure Saturday--though it was hardly an adventure--but the best I could do.

Today we went to a fantastic art gallery. Don and I love to collect art--we don't have the biggest collection, but I adore the stuff we have. This gallery was very cool and is showing an amazing artist--we bought two of his sculptures. We can't take them home yet since they're part of the exhibit--but we're going back on Friday and I'll try to get some pics. One piece is a group of figures made out of heavy wire and the other is an crazy sculpure made out of rolled-up book pages. The basement of the gallery had a lot of "found objects" as art which I am very interested in. We got these:

They're antique (made in Germany) scientific drawings of a frog and a fly. OMG I love them! they're very large and I'm not sure where we're going to put them--but I'll make room!

We also got this:

It's a "potato basket" and I think it makes a beautiful art object. I'm going to put it on my dining room table! Maybe I'll find something kooky to put under it?

Pickle dropped her doll and doll bottle on the floor and Don and I thought if we put a price tag next to it, it could have passed as sculpture!

The gallery also has a separate little house across the street filled with vintage quilts--it was closed today but I looked in the window and they've got some beautiful things. When we go back on Friday, I'll be sure to get some pics (and maybe buy a quilt!?). I took these pics of Gooser outside the house. I can't wait to get in there!After that we took the kids to a "Fun Park" which they could not have been more excited about. They could play there all day. It has...

Go-carts! Let me just say that there is nothing in this world a boy loves more than a go-cart!

Even Gooser got to ride a "junior" go-cart. He crashed a couple of times--but he was still into it!
I think this was a little more his speed though:

They also have bumper boats:

and bumper cars:
and basketball in one of those inflatable things:

Meanwhile, Pickle had a Push-Up...

Even though Pickle just had ice cream, we headed off to our favorite pig-themed ice cream place next.The whole place is covered in pigs!
Even the parking lot!

And they have amazing ice cream:

McDonald's is very chaotic tonight! They're having a major leak in the ceiling and water is just pouring out. The employees are running around with buckets and those yellow slippery floor signs. Never a dull moment at McD's!

I'm going to race back now for Project Runway--let's dish about it!

McBlogging: Beach Day!

Point blank: the beach is exhausting!! It's so much fun for the kids--according to them way more fun than the pool--but, OMG, I need another vacation just to recover from our day at the beach!

The schlep through the sand is killer--carrying the baby, the beach bag, the chairs, the buckets, the umbrella...Then the set-up--applying the sun block alone is grueling! Then the vigil over the kids in the water. I think I'm going to need something a little stronger than my McCafe tonight!

But the schlep through the sand back to the car is the worst. By now your core body temperature has reached critical danger levels and the sand is so hot it's melting the Crocs and the beach bag weighs about fifty pounds more than it did on the way down to the water! And then it's like "Where's the car? Which lane did we park in?" The feeling of actually getting to the car is like nirvana!

For me, the best part of the beach is that moment when you're all in the car with the air conditioning on and you're driving away. I think it's safe to say I'm more of a pool person!

But we did it--we got through the dreaded beach day and the kids are happy as clams--I have the pics to prove it!

Pickle had so much fun playing in the sand.

She was hogging most of the buckets though...
A pensive moment.

But she loved the water more than anything! I've never seen a baby take to water like she does--she has no qualms about putting her face right in!
I like these pics of Gooser running:
Here are the three big boys:
And Teddy holding Pickle:
"No paparazzi, please."

Oops! They're actually kicking me out of McDonald's! I closed the place down tonight!

McBlogging: Day Three

Things are really jumping at McD's tonight! Sirens in the parking lot! People running to the window! I hope there isn't a shoot-out or anything--although that would make for some fascinating blogging.

Other than the potential shootout, this had been a pretty mild-mannered day.

LOTS of swimming--I'm trying to swim laps for an hour every day to get some form of exercise. I have to admit, I'm enjoying it a lot more than my regular workouts.

We made blueberry pancakes with our freshly-picked fruit:

Note: Gooser is still in the skull scarf--even while wearing pajamas!

We went to an outlet mall nearby that's also become part of our summer tradition. "C'mon kids! Let's all go to the outlet mall!!" Actually, I was excited because they have a new Crocs store there--Crocs as far as the eye can see...

And a whole wall full of Croc "jewelry":

Some of the kids got new shoes and some just got new decorations:

Unfortunately, Don sneaked off at the mall and bought himself some sandals--knowing full well I have an aversion to men in sandals. We've been married for 16 and he's never so much as looked at a sandal--I'm not sure what's come over him--except that his feet must have been really hot? But there it is-I married to Sandal Man. Let's just hope he doesn't start wearing them with socks...

We had a very nice dinner and I had a couple of fresh mango margaritas! Delicious!!

I was holding one of Pickle's dolls during dinner (she makes me "rock' them) and three different people came up to us thinking it was a real baby.

Sigh--That really got me thinking that I would really love to have just one more baby--but Don says no go. It wold be so great to have a sister for Pickle! Or a fifth brother! (lol) If anyone has any brilliant ideas for getting him to change his mind--please share them with me!

McDonald's has quieted down a lot now--I'm the only customer left.

Oh great--and the shift key just fell off my laptop. I guess it's time to go!

McBlogging: Nightmares, Blueberries and Old People

I'm enjoying McBlogging! If you don't know what I'm talking about, read yesterday's post. I have a cozy booth in the corner and McCafe isn't half bad! I got in "trouble" last night though when I got home--I guess I was at McD's for a really long time. Time flies when you're McBlogging!

So today's update:

First of all, when I got back last night, Don told me that Gooser woke up screaming and having a terrible nightmare. This has never happened before--once that kid is asleep you don't hear from him until the next morning--but Don said he was having a nightmare about Land of the Lost.

Remember that show? That campy masterpiece with the dinosaurs and the Sleestaks and the three moons? THIS:

I used to LOVE that show although it did terrify me. My sister and I would watch it every Saturday morning and set up little tents and things to hide in with our dolls because it was so scary. So I recently bought the box set of the dvds for my kids and they've been watching it non-stop in the car. Apparently, it's as scary as I remember--or at least it is to a five year old--because he was freaked out!! Don said he was shaking in fear for about an hour. The first thing he said to me this morning was this long, disjointed ramble about the Sleestaks and the crystals and they were frozen in a cave...Poor kid--he still wants to watch it though!


Anyway, today was more jam-packed, non-stop fun! We spent the morning swimming.
Notice that Gooser is still wearing his skull scarf from yesterday--he won't take it off! And doesn't Pickle look fetching in her swim suit?
After that we decided to go to a "Greek Festival" that's being advertised all over town--but when we got there, it was a banquet hall filled with old people and some dried-up looking gyros--so we left!


We decided to go to this cool outdoor restaurant. The tables are surrounded by sand and all kinds of outdoors games--volleyball, basketball, etc. so the kids can run and play when they're not eating--it makes for a peaceful lunch!


There was a neat old boat there that the kids loved playing on:
I don't know why there were so many balloons, but it made a great backdrop for pics!
The whole restaurant is surrounded by old doors. Kind of cool!
And they had a purple pig:
After that, we decided to go to an "ice cream social." My mom had seen a sign for it awhile back and insisted that it was going to be the most fun ever! OMG--it turns out it was on the lawn of an old folk's home and it was a bunch of old people sitting in folding chairs and listening to a guy sing melancholy patriotic songs. Here, look:
The kids were like--what are we doing here?? They did have some makeshift ice cream:
But it was a real downer! You know that funny bit they do on SNL with the folk singers doing songs about toddlers, jars of beer, spaceships and Model T cars? That was exactly was this singer was like!

So then it was on to blueberry picking! This is something we do every summer and it's always fun.
Pickle absolutely loved running around and eating bleberries non-stop.
I took these pics of Pickle and Gooser from behind--I like the way they turned out!
I spotted this old wagon-looking thing and I was like "Climb on kids and let me get your picture!" OMG--the thing started teetering and tipping back and forth and the kids were screaming and falling. But I balanced it with my foot and got the pic anyway! They're smiling--but they're actually terrified!
I'm being harrassed via iPhone to stop my McBlogging and get on back! Thanks for tuning in!