The Longmont Public Library has a summer reading program for kids 0-2 years, 2 years - 5th grade, and 6th grade - 12th grade. Their theme is Around the World, and your child can win "fun and delicious prizes" through completing their reading logs, participating in library programs, and sending postcards to the librarians. We are participating in this one, and Spencer is enjoying coloring in his progress on the tracking sheet.
The Boulder Public Library is also offering a summer reading program. They are teaming up with the Rio to offer free kids' nachos as a reward for completed reading logs. The food at the Rio is nice, but their margaritas are legendary...
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Thomas and Friends Live
We took Spencer to the Budweiser Events Center to see Thomas and Friends Live. It was a huge hit. We don't watch the tv show; I think the characters are too grouchy and not very nice to one another, and Spence emulates everything he sees onscreen. But he has a train table that he plays with daily, and has plenty of Thomas paraphernalia, and knows the names of the engines, so it seemed like it would be a hit.
He chose his favorite Thomas t-shirt and carried an engine out to the car and we drove off to Loveland. Parking was free and pretty easy, and getting into the event was also a breeze. They took a quick peek inside our backpack (not sure what for), but didn't really look much - just said, "stuff for the kid? OK!" Spencer informed them that we had water with us, and they said, "shhh!" So we had no trouble bringing in our drinks and snacks and whatnot. In our experience so far at many, many children's shows, this is generally true - they don't deprive you of the snacks and assorted drinks that will keep your child quiet and happy for the next 90 minutes. I don't think this is the general venue policy, so I wouldn't rely on it, but I have yet to go to a kid event (two Elmo shows, the circus several times, Thomas, etc.) and have them take away our supplies. Whereas when attending adult shows, I have been routinely deprived of my water bottle or granola bar.
The show started right on time, and was extremely high energy. Even sitting way up where we were, Spencer was extremely engaged, and all of the characters did a great job of getting the kids wound up - singing, clapping, dancing, making train noises, etc. Spencer's eyes were like saucers. They brought out Thomas right away, and Percy not too long after. Diesel also made an ongoing (grouchy) appearance. Sir Topham Hat and his grandson and some woman (?) did a lot of singing and dancing. There was a mine accident, a lot of opportunities for Thomas to save the day for the Lantern Festival, and a lot of joyful train noises. Spencer was really in heaven. If you're trying to decide if this show is worth it, and your child likes Thomas even a little - I'd say go for it. The tickets aren't cheap, but they really put on a fantastic show.
Also, in direct contrast to every other kids' show we've been to, there was no hawker during the intermission. No $20 Thomas balloons or $15 commemorative snow cone cups or $10 bags of cotton candy or popcorn. They had concessions and Thomas stuff for sale in the lobby, but no one wandered the aisles tempting my toddler, and that was fantastic.
As for those ticket prices - do a little searching around. The Events Center gave the Luna Moms a discount code (GSTICKETS) that took off a little. We bought our tickets before we had the code, and I think we managed to find a code online that also helped. Worth searching around, anyway.
He chose his favorite Thomas t-shirt and carried an engine out to the car and we drove off to Loveland. Parking was free and pretty easy, and getting into the event was also a breeze. They took a quick peek inside our backpack (not sure what for), but didn't really look much - just said, "stuff for the kid? OK!" Spencer informed them that we had water with us, and they said, "shhh!" So we had no trouble bringing in our drinks and snacks and whatnot. In our experience so far at many, many children's shows, this is generally true - they don't deprive you of the snacks and assorted drinks that will keep your child quiet and happy for the next 90 minutes. I don't think this is the general venue policy, so I wouldn't rely on it, but I have yet to go to a kid event (two Elmo shows, the circus several times, Thomas, etc.) and have them take away our supplies. Whereas when attending adult shows, I have been routinely deprived of my water bottle or granola bar.
The show started right on time, and was extremely high energy. Even sitting way up where we were, Spencer was extremely engaged, and all of the characters did a great job of getting the kids wound up - singing, clapping, dancing, making train noises, etc. Spencer's eyes were like saucers. They brought out Thomas right away, and Percy not too long after. Diesel also made an ongoing (grouchy) appearance. Sir Topham Hat and his grandson and some woman (?) did a lot of singing and dancing. There was a mine accident, a lot of opportunities for Thomas to save the day for the Lantern Festival, and a lot of joyful train noises. Spencer was really in heaven. If you're trying to decide if this show is worth it, and your child likes Thomas even a little - I'd say go for it. The tickets aren't cheap, but they really put on a fantastic show.
Also, in direct contrast to every other kids' show we've been to, there was no hawker during the intermission. No $20 Thomas balloons or $15 commemorative snow cone cups or $10 bags of cotton candy or popcorn. They had concessions and Thomas stuff for sale in the lobby, but no one wandered the aisles tempting my toddler, and that was fantastic.
As for those ticket prices - do a little searching around. The Events Center gave the Luna Moms a discount code (GSTICKETS) that took off a little. We bought our tickets before we had the code, and I think we managed to find a code online that also helped. Worth searching around, anyway.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Kanemoto Alligator classes
I read somewhere that it isn't safe to expect a child younger than 4 to really, truly be able to swim unaccompanied. I have personally seen children younger than Spencer who are true swimmers - but their moms and grandmas were swim instructors, so maybe they were a special case. There are various (extremely expensive) places around here where they do immersion classes and teach babies as young as 6 months to swim. I have heard from moms who loved these classes, but said it was hard to watch their children crying and sobbing through the early sessions, and I have heard from moms who think these classes are the next thing to irresponsible parenting, if not child abuse. Personally, we don't have a pool or live near a body of water, and Spencer will not be in a position where he could be in the water without me for quite some time, so I am not really concerned with whether or not he can actually swim. I am concerned with teaching him to have fun in the water and not be afraid, and to push his comfort zone while still being safe. So for me, the Longmont swim classes are great. The instructors are always kind. Some of them have more skill with young kids than others, but they are all kind, and since lesson periods are not extremely long, he has generally gotten a new instructor every session - which means he is exposed to many teaching methods for the same things. I think that is healthy. Each time, he moves further along. He will put almost all of his head underwater voluntarily now and will do whatever the teacher asks during class; he plays any game, tries anything he is asked to do. He isn't spending any time thinking about whether or not that activity might make water go up his nose, for example. In his last Alligators class, he went underwater all the way and stayed down there for several seconds, and wasn't upset or scared, but he won't do that on his own yet. This is his third time in Alligators, and I feel good about that. We'll just plan to stay at this level for awhile.
This round of classes is at Kanemoto pool. The lessons are in the early evening, which is nice - no need to slather the sunscreen, it isn't so blazing hot, etc. It is nice to get in a little more exercise for him before dinner, bath and bed (although he always comes home completely wired). On the other hand, last summer, we had our Water Explorer classes before the pool opened, and could then stay and play for awhile after class. This time, unless we wanted to sit around in a wet swimsuit for half an hour, we couldn't even go swim before class. Last year, there was no charge for a child to play at Kanemoto, Sunset or the Longmont Rec Center after their swim class. This year, it is full price. I feel that that detracts from the value of the lessons, honestly. It wouldn't hurt the pool or rec center to allow admission to be included with lessons, and it would make the lessons more affordable to me. It would also mean a lot more pool time, since I know I'd be saying, "well, why not," and coordinating our days to go swimming a lot more often. As it is, we have not yet been to the pool for a swim day this summer, but we have been to the free splash pads in Boulder and Longmont several times. We do like his instructors and feel like he is progressing in the class, and he seems to love the classes,so maybe that's enough.
This round of classes is at Kanemoto pool. The lessons are in the early evening, which is nice - no need to slather the sunscreen, it isn't so blazing hot, etc. It is nice to get in a little more exercise for him before dinner, bath and bed (although he always comes home completely wired). On the other hand, last summer, we had our Water Explorer classes before the pool opened, and could then stay and play for awhile after class. This time, unless we wanted to sit around in a wet swimsuit for half an hour, we couldn't even go swim before class. Last year, there was no charge for a child to play at Kanemoto, Sunset or the Longmont Rec Center after their swim class. This year, it is full price. I feel that that detracts from the value of the lessons, honestly. It wouldn't hurt the pool or rec center to allow admission to be included with lessons, and it would make the lessons more affordable to me. It would also mean a lot more pool time, since I know I'd be saying, "well, why not," and coordinating our days to go swimming a lot more often. As it is, we have not yet been to the pool for a swim day this summer, but we have been to the free splash pads in Boulder and Longmont several times. We do like his instructors and feel like he is progressing in the class, and he seems to love the classes,so maybe that's enough.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Deli Cioso
I spent most of the afternoon purging unneeded items - specifically, my giant and mostly unread stacks of magazines. I have found that most of my clutter comes from good intentions. Someday, I will read that magazine, implement its wonderful suggestions, and have a happier life. I can't get rid of the magazine, because I have not yet read it or used its great tips, and so it must sit, waiting, until I get around to using it. I haven't brought myself to let go of some magazines, mostly food related, that are unread, but I am letting go of anything fashion or fitness related, since it will be quite awhile before I will be paying a ton of attention to either of those items. I haven't counted up the magazines that I am donating to the library (many sadly never opened), but the stack is easily 3 feet high.
After all that work, and hoisting around of big packs of paper, and the 90+ degree day, I was not in the mood to cook. I really wanted a good burrito, so we went out to Deli Cioso on South Main Street (by Big O Tires). I had been to another location previously, and while my husband swears that I wasn't impressed with them, I remember liking them. More importantly, their kids' meal #1 includes both a crispy taco and a burrito, and Spencer absolutely loves getting both options. I hadn't been to the South Main location, and I was very pleasantly surprised. I liked the location; it had a laid back Southwestern feel to it, with maybe a touch of diner. It was nice and cool but not overly air conditioned. They brought Spencer's food quickly, and his burrito and taco and immense cup of milk were all $3. One thing about Deli Cioso's burritos is that everything is a la carte. You order basically the style of tortilla (regular, fried, etc.) and the meat, and then decide what toppings you want. Each topping varies in price (generally about 60 cents or so). The menu didn't specify this, but my burrito came with beans and rice and green chile over the top. Everything was delicious. John had the carne asada steak tacos with potatoes and posole, and it was all really yummy. We'll definitely go back.
After all that work, and hoisting around of big packs of paper, and the 90+ degree day, I was not in the mood to cook. I really wanted a good burrito, so we went out to Deli Cioso on South Main Street (by Big O Tires). I had been to another location previously, and while my husband swears that I wasn't impressed with them, I remember liking them. More importantly, their kids' meal #1 includes both a crispy taco and a burrito, and Spencer absolutely loves getting both options. I hadn't been to the South Main location, and I was very pleasantly surprised. I liked the location; it had a laid back Southwestern feel to it, with maybe a touch of diner. It was nice and cool but not overly air conditioned. They brought Spencer's food quickly, and his burrito and taco and immense cup of milk were all $3. One thing about Deli Cioso's burritos is that everything is a la carte. You order basically the style of tortilla (regular, fried, etc.) and the meat, and then decide what toppings you want. Each topping varies in price (generally about 60 cents or so). The menu didn't specify this, but my burrito came with beans and rice and green chile over the top. Everything was delicious. John had the carne asada steak tacos with potatoes and posole, and it was all really yummy. We'll definitely go back.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Oskar Blues Liquids and Solids
We met a friend and his baby at Oskar Blues today for lunch. We have been here several times, and while we generally have a good experience, they are very, very slow. Slow as in we got there at 12:20 and immediately ordered a kids' pizza (with mushrooms and asparagus) for Spencer, and finally received his pizza at 1 p.m. Later, we ordered a kids' ice cream ($2.29). While immense and impressive, covered in whipped cream and two nilla wafers, it also took 20+ minutes from when I ordered it for it to arrive. 20 minutes is a long time with a toddler who has already used up most of the toys in my bag and who has finished eating his food. Kids' meals include grilled cheese, hamburgers, corn dogs, rib baskets, pizza with two toppings, and mac and cheese. (They may have another few choices too - I can't recall.) The menu says that all the meals except the pizza come with a side of veggies (usually carrots, I think), fruit or fries, and juice or soda. Our waitress brought us a cup of strawberries with our pizza and milk for our drink at no extra charge. I did have to ask her to correct the bill, as they had charged us 75 cents per topping for our pizza, but when I pointed out the "2 toppings included" on the menu, they corrected the bill.
The restaurant can be fairly noisy. At lunch, they are not quite noisy enough to cover up a rowdy small child, but at dinner, there is often a band in the loft area, so the inside dining room can become very, very loud. This might bother a child with sensitive ears, but will also drown out any whining.
We love to eat outside here. They have a boccie ball area full of sand, and there is rarely anyone playing ball there, so your kids can feel free to dig away. However, if there are no patio tables available, they won't put a high chair in the gravel, so if that's a concern, don't plan on being outside. There is also a very tempting and fun water feature outside that they would like your children to leave alone. They do have a fold-down changing table in the handicapped stall in the ladies room.
One issue this time around was that they put five of us plus a high chair at a 4 top table, and that was awkward and crowded. I didn't speak up, though, so that's my fault. They also placed us right in front of the tv and then left it on soap operas during lunch, which means that I looked up to see what was so engrossing to my son to find that he was watching a violent shootout, with a bleeding woman, followed by a sex scene on the kitchen counter. When we asked them to turn it off or change the channel, they did, but a few minutes later, someone turned it back on again. We asked again (since no one was watching it) for them to either change the channel or turn it off until we left, and they did. I still think Spence got quite an eyeful, and they could have been a little more thoughtful (and quick about it - they were sloooow to help). But I'd still say it was a good experience, and I am sure we will be back.
The restaurant can be fairly noisy. At lunch, they are not quite noisy enough to cover up a rowdy small child, but at dinner, there is often a band in the loft area, so the inside dining room can become very, very loud. This might bother a child with sensitive ears, but will also drown out any whining.
We love to eat outside here. They have a boccie ball area full of sand, and there is rarely anyone playing ball there, so your kids can feel free to dig away. However, if there are no patio tables available, they won't put a high chair in the gravel, so if that's a concern, don't plan on being outside. There is also a very tempting and fun water feature outside that they would like your children to leave alone. They do have a fold-down changing table in the handicapped stall in the ladies room.
One issue this time around was that they put five of us plus a high chair at a 4 top table, and that was awkward and crowded. I didn't speak up, though, so that's my fault. They also placed us right in front of the tv and then left it on soap operas during lunch, which means that I looked up to see what was so engrossing to my son to find that he was watching a violent shootout, with a bleeding woman, followed by a sex scene on the kitchen counter. When we asked them to turn it off or change the channel, they did, but a few minutes later, someone turned it back on again. We asked again (since no one was watching it) for them to either change the channel or turn it off until we left, and they did. I still think Spence got quite an eyeful, and they could have been a little more thoughtful (and quick about it - they were sloooow to help). But I'd still say it was a good experience, and I am sure we will be back.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Sushi Leo, BW3
My 3-year-old and I have had a tough day. He's testing limits and boundaries, enjoying the thrill of being deliberately naughty, and definitely not listening well. It's beyond frustrating. Days like today make me grateful that I didn't have children when I was younger. (Not that I'm ancient; I'm 32.) I cannot claim that I am the most patient person ever, but I am more patient than I would have been at 25, and that still small voice that says, "take a breath, lower your voice, he's only a little boy," is a lot louder now too. Thank god for that. 3 is so much better than 2, but at the same time, when he is naughty now, it is completely intentional, and that is hard to handle.
We had a wonderful interlude at the park. We have worked very, very hard on learning to be a good friend. We have practiced how to play with other people; role played about what to do when frustrated (such as things to do instead of hitting or kicking or biting). We have left playdates and parks when he couldn't control his choices. And today, he did great - he played well with the other kids, didn't throw sand, didn't throw fits, didn't take anyone's toys or cry, came to me when I called him, enjoyed playing with whatever group was near him, and even managed to follow the big kids around without getting in their way too much. It was a really nice time. I'm glad for both of us that we had it.
Once we got home, we had very rough battle over staying in his room for naptime, and then an ok trip to the store, and then another difficult time before my husband came home. By the time John came in the house, I was completely drained. When we decided to go out for dinner, Spence didn't want to go, and began to throw an actual tantrum in the car on the way there. I don't remember him ever doing that before, so that was frustrating. When we got to the parking lot, I was dreading the meal to come so much that I was ready to just hide out in the car. (Of course I wouldn't have really done that.) My husband walked to my side of the car, handed me the book I am currently reading, and told me to go try out Sushi Leo while he and the little guy went to BW3. I was astonished and thrilled. And I had a lovely, delightful, relaxing meal, just me and my book, no stress, no kids, and when I went to meet my family at their restaurant, Spence was thrilled to be eating chicken and drinking his second cup of milk while watching basketball on an enormous screen. I was so grateful.
Sushi Leo's owner and chef used to be at Sushi Tora in Boulder. The restaurant was nicely filled, but not crowded, and most of the tables were speaking Japanese. The waitress was quick and friendly and responsive. She brought a hot towel to clean my hands, took my order, nicely managed the pace of my dinner, and was quick to wrap up my leftovers and bring the check. It was completely delightful and relaxing. The salmon roll was really tasty. The other food was not absolutely the best thing I'd ever had, but was really nice, and the atmosphere was relaxing. The portions were generous. The tempura was a little on the greasy side, but not inedibly so, and the options included with the veggie and shrimp tempura were nice. (I think it was eggplant, kabocha squash, white yam, asparagus, and two giant shrimp.) There were lots of kids, and while I didn't see a kids' menu, there were plenty of high chairs and a tolerant and laid back staff, so it would be worth going back with the family (once Spencer was in a friendlier mood).
At BW3, the kids' meals were $4.29, which included milk or drink and fries/carrots/fruit cup. The giant tv screens are everywhere and are noisy, and the commercials are of course not screened for kid friendliness, but if your kiddo is feeling noisy, he won't disturb anyone here, and the portions seemed decent for the price.
We had a wonderful interlude at the park. We have worked very, very hard on learning to be a good friend. We have practiced how to play with other people; role played about what to do when frustrated (such as things to do instead of hitting or kicking or biting). We have left playdates and parks when he couldn't control his choices. And today, he did great - he played well with the other kids, didn't throw sand, didn't throw fits, didn't take anyone's toys or cry, came to me when I called him, enjoyed playing with whatever group was near him, and even managed to follow the big kids around without getting in their way too much. It was a really nice time. I'm glad for both of us that we had it.
Once we got home, we had very rough battle over staying in his room for naptime, and then an ok trip to the store, and then another difficult time before my husband came home. By the time John came in the house, I was completely drained. When we decided to go out for dinner, Spence didn't want to go, and began to throw an actual tantrum in the car on the way there. I don't remember him ever doing that before, so that was frustrating. When we got to the parking lot, I was dreading the meal to come so much that I was ready to just hide out in the car. (Of course I wouldn't have really done that.) My husband walked to my side of the car, handed me the book I am currently reading, and told me to go try out Sushi Leo while he and the little guy went to BW3. I was astonished and thrilled. And I had a lovely, delightful, relaxing meal, just me and my book, no stress, no kids, and when I went to meet my family at their restaurant, Spence was thrilled to be eating chicken and drinking his second cup of milk while watching basketball on an enormous screen. I was so grateful.
Sushi Leo's owner and chef used to be at Sushi Tora in Boulder. The restaurant was nicely filled, but not crowded, and most of the tables were speaking Japanese. The waitress was quick and friendly and responsive. She brought a hot towel to clean my hands, took my order, nicely managed the pace of my dinner, and was quick to wrap up my leftovers and bring the check. It was completely delightful and relaxing. The salmon roll was really tasty. The other food was not absolutely the best thing I'd ever had, but was really nice, and the atmosphere was relaxing. The portions were generous. The tempura was a little on the greasy side, but not inedibly so, and the options included with the veggie and shrimp tempura were nice. (I think it was eggplant, kabocha squash, white yam, asparagus, and two giant shrimp.) There were lots of kids, and while I didn't see a kids' menu, there were plenty of high chairs and a tolerant and laid back staff, so it would be worth going back with the family (once Spencer was in a friendlier mood).
At BW3, the kids' meals were $4.29, which included milk or drink and fries/carrots/fruit cup. The giant tv screens are everywhere and are noisy, and the commercials are of course not screened for kid friendliness, but if your kiddo is feeling noisy, he won't disturb anyone here, and the portions seemed decent for the price.
decluttering challenge
I was inspired by this mom's blog and have been trying to follow her path, although I have not been photographing my outflow, and sometimes I have forgotten to count it, too. Mostly I have been counting things in terms of bags, as in "threw away 8 bags of suspicious bulk bin items that I could not remember purchasing and suspected might have gone rancid." Yesterday, I got fed up with my packed-to-the-gills car and cleaned it out. I had finally made my home the happy, clean place that it deserves to be, and therefore there was a place to put a minivan worth of stuff. I have enjoyed sorting and cleaning that out; my husband swept out the car; I bought and labeled two crates for things that are going back in (like water toys, sand toys, blankets to sit on - things like that). It feels so much nicer in there, and now when someone helps me carry heavy bags of groceries and such, I won't cringe when I open the car door. I am proud to note that there was only one grocery bag worth of miscellaneous trash, and none of it was of the gross fast food variety - mostly the free paper that my son likes to pick up from our driveway, or half-done art projects from Discovery Days - things like that. Clean trash.
After the big cleanout, I had a big Hefty Jumbo Bag full of donations (shoes, clothes, tablecloths, etc.), and on our way to a park playdate today, we put it in the charity drop bin. It was such a good feeling to get all that stuff out of my house and onto its next stage. All of it was in good shape - just unneeded. I also didn't realize, until I was trying to put things in bins, how many sand toys we had. I made an initial pass to try to clear things out and realized that we had 12 shovels and 4 rakes in that bin. Who needs 12 shovels? How did I acquire all that without noticing? I didn't donate those, since I didn't see someone else passionately desire a scratched and used plastic shovel. I left one in the sand toy bucket and moved the others to our outdoor toys here. I won't be buying shovels for years and years... I have stopped being able to take sand toys to the park since Spencer has such a hard time sharing them, and we are pretty much always at the park with friends or with the Luna Moms, so sharing is a required activity. I am debating about putting them in the car at all; maybe that is just wasted space? And the water toys could just go in when we know we are going to the pool... I am debating. There is not endless space back there, in spite of what I might think.
We have set our c-section date - our new baby will be here on August 4 at 7:15 a.m., barring complications. That's not very far away; I am 30 weeks pregnant today; and I have a lot of things to get rid of and work to do before the baby gets here or there won't be room in the house for him. It will be an adjustment, but of course it will be fantastic. And we could clearly stand to have a lot less stuff anyway.
After the big cleanout, I had a big Hefty Jumbo Bag full of donations (shoes, clothes, tablecloths, etc.), and on our way to a park playdate today, we put it in the charity drop bin. It was such a good feeling to get all that stuff out of my house and onto its next stage. All of it was in good shape - just unneeded. I also didn't realize, until I was trying to put things in bins, how many sand toys we had. I made an initial pass to try to clear things out and realized that we had 12 shovels and 4 rakes in that bin. Who needs 12 shovels? How did I acquire all that without noticing? I didn't donate those, since I didn't see someone else passionately desire a scratched and used plastic shovel. I left one in the sand toy bucket and moved the others to our outdoor toys here. I won't be buying shovels for years and years... I have stopped being able to take sand toys to the park since Spencer has such a hard time sharing them, and we are pretty much always at the park with friends or with the Luna Moms, so sharing is a required activity. I am debating about putting them in the car at all; maybe that is just wasted space? And the water toys could just go in when we know we are going to the pool... I am debating. There is not endless space back there, in spite of what I might think.
We have set our c-section date - our new baby will be here on August 4 at 7:15 a.m., barring complications. That's not very far away; I am 30 weeks pregnant today; and I have a lot of things to get rid of and work to do before the baby gets here or there won't be room in the house for him. It will be an adjustment, but of course it will be fantastic. And we could clearly stand to have a lot less stuff anyway.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Fusion Restaurant
We had a gift certificate from Best of Longmont to use up, so we went to Fusion restaurant last night. It was a gorgeous night, so we asked to sit on the patio. Our waitress took us through the restaurant and let us sit anywhere we liked. We discovered was that most of the patio was the smoking section, and that it was also where most of the happy hour was happening. We sat at a table that seemed to be in a non-smoking section (just a handful of tables for that) and ordered. My husband chose the buffalo meatloaf, I had the club sandwich, sweet potato fries and tomato soup, and my son chose the chicken tenders kids' meal.
The portions were enormous - really, really huge. Vast. I could have fed three people on that club sandwich and fries, and when we took home my son's leftovers, they overfilled the container provided. Also, the tomato soup was really, really delicious. Much tastier than I was anticipating. The kids' meals are $4 and include a drink and an ice cream sundae. Since the kids' menu is not listed on their website, I'll note that the choices include grilled cheese, buttered or cheesy noodles, steak, hamburger or chicken tenders. The sundae was of course a huge hit with my son, and was pretty tasty. (And enormous.) The ice cream might have been just a touch freezer burnt, but not so that my son wouldn't eat it. All of the food was tasty, but the sandwiches might be the best value.
The one down side was that we ended up having to ask the other tables to watch their language - lots of shouting and screaming of f-bombs. Spencer almost got a whole new vocabulary. ("Mommy, what's an asshole? What's a fucking bitch?") Fortunately, he was distracted by a new toy, and it seemed to go over his head. (Nothing else seems to, these days, so I am thankful for that.) That isn't the fault of the restaurant, of course, and next time, we will sit inside and let the happy hour crowd enjoy their child-free time on the patio. We don't make a habit of asking anything of other diners, but there is a time and a place to scream obscenities at your friends, and 6 p.m. when sitting next to a toddler is not that time.
We will definitely go back, but probably on Thursday for their burrito special. (Apparently they have enormous, very tasty burritos with green chile and a beer for $3.)
The portions were enormous - really, really huge. Vast. I could have fed three people on that club sandwich and fries, and when we took home my son's leftovers, they overfilled the container provided. Also, the tomato soup was really, really delicious. Much tastier than I was anticipating. The kids' meals are $4 and include a drink and an ice cream sundae. Since the kids' menu is not listed on their website, I'll note that the choices include grilled cheese, buttered or cheesy noodles, steak, hamburger or chicken tenders. The sundae was of course a huge hit with my son, and was pretty tasty. (And enormous.) The ice cream might have been just a touch freezer burnt, but not so that my son wouldn't eat it. All of the food was tasty, but the sandwiches might be the best value.
The one down side was that we ended up having to ask the other tables to watch their language - lots of shouting and screaming of f-bombs. Spencer almost got a whole new vocabulary. ("Mommy, what's an asshole? What's a fucking bitch?") Fortunately, he was distracted by a new toy, and it seemed to go over his head. (Nothing else seems to, these days, so I am thankful for that.) That isn't the fault of the restaurant, of course, and next time, we will sit inside and let the happy hour crowd enjoy their child-free time on the patio. We don't make a habit of asking anything of other diners, but there is a time and a place to scream obscenities at your friends, and 6 p.m. when sitting next to a toddler is not that time.
We will definitely go back, but probably on Thursday for their burrito special. (Apparently they have enormous, very tasty burritos with green chile and a beer for $3.)
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