Daniel has been working outage, which means he was working 12-hour shifts every day. Luckily, he got a day off, so we sent the kids off to school, packed up Teddy, and ran off to Science City to play. Since it was a weekday, it was pretty empty. Teddy had a wonderful time running around and not having to wait for anything. We made some art, he climbed all over this structure, and while I watched Teddy climb, Daniel explored and found something really fun.
He found this laser room!
I tried to take a picture inside the room, but it was not having it! Teddy and Daniel ran through the different options several times. They had a blast. Afterwards, I was famished, so we tried Harvey's. Teddy did not transition well, but Bluey came in clutch! Once I let him watch, he was willing to sit down and eat a little of his pizza. Daniel had ordered a cup of jambalaya as his side, but the waiter forgot and brought fries, which Teddy made quick work of. He did get his jambalaya in the end, though. We went to the last school-sponsored Rink Ratz, and Teddy took part in the limbo challenge.
We finally were able to drop off the set pieces, and since I had to take Teddy with me, he got to sit in the front for the first time. He was thrilled. As we waited for Lizzy to come out of the school, I showed Teddy how I like to eat Skittles; I smash them first and then eat them. He decided to take it a few steps further and made a smashed Skittles tower.
He was later distraught that Lizzy sat in the back because there were no seats there. She is tall enough to wedge herself between the wheel covers. You win some, you lose some.
You may have noticed this clock gracing our wall in recent pictures; I would be remiss if I didn't tell you about it. Mary, a management member at Daniel's work, decided to make the divisions: Management, Operations, and Maintenance have a food challenge. This turned into a problem; Daniel won his bout with a Peruvian chicken. This dish won him the clock!
Then Mary, who had been gone for that week, decided they needed another bout to declare a winner. Daniel was picked again to compete for his team. There are only three members on his team anyway, so it made sense. The theme for this one was Italian, and Daniel took a loose interpretation of this and made BLT Pasta Salad. I'll add the recipe if you want to try it. It's really good. My friend Natalia shared it with me.
BLT Pasta Salad
6 Slices Cooked Bacon
1 Tomato, Sliced
1 Head of Romaine Lettuce
1 Package Tortellini
Dressing:
½ Cup Mayonnaise
¼ Cup Sour Cream
1 Tbsp buttermilk or vinegar
1 Tbs Ranch Powder
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Directions:
Cook and drain the bacon, crumble when cooled, and set aside. Chop the lettuce and place in a large bowl. If you are using cherry or grape tomatoes, add them to the bowl; if using a larger tomato, slice and add to the bowl. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix up the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Add the pasta to the bowl with the bacon, and add the dressing. Mix until all incorporated. Serve immediately. Optional: use cherry tomatoes, add sliced cucumber and red onion. Notes: If you don't have Ranch powder, substitute 1-2 Tbs ranch dressing, omitting the buttermilk. Use 1-2 cups bacon pieces instead of fresh bacon.
While everyone liked Daniel's dish better, several did not want his to win; it came out as a tie, and then the engineer had to do a coin toss 3 times to make sure he didn't win. He remarked that he didn't want Daniel to win. To add salt to the wound, Mary had these shirts made up to commemorate it. The main boss declared that he did not approve this. He agreed that Maintenance should have won.
Teddy and I had fun at the library. I tried to take him to the story time, but while he tolerated the welcome song and bubbles, he was not having any more of that, thank you very much. So we went out to play instead.
We have had some epic thunderstorms lately, but the sun was shining, so I had the bright idea to take the kids to the park. I forgot completely about the oversaturated ground.
After a bit of wavering, the kids jumped in and really embraced the wetness. So not too bad overall, I guess. We did have to dry their shoes for 2 days, but worth it. I took Teddy back to the space park for a little play time too.
Teddy made this magnet sculpture and then ran at me to destroy it, over and over again. It was so funny.
We also made a fort. There's something so fun about a fort. It brings me back to rainy days and playing inside. Blankets overhead, pillows underneath, such a comfortable little cuddle cave.
That's all for now.
