Busy

Since our grandchildren moved west, things have been BUSY. Not just with them, but we also have welcomed our friend Jeanne and her dog, Johanna, for a few days. Jeanne is great fun, up for any adventure, and far more energetic than either of us. We left the dogs to keep each other company while she accompanied us to the Bay Area Discovery Museum when we took the Grands there to get them out of the way while another garage sale was in progress; we figured the 3-2 ratio of grownups to children evened the playing field in our favor.

If you haven't found the museum, and you have charge of small children, there is no better place for them to run and play and explore and climb and investigate and splash and make music and use their imaginations in safety.  We felt free to let go of their hands and just follow along, making sure they didn't do crazy things. They loved the freedom to explore at their own pace. When Mia surged ahead on her long legs, I followed her and we kept in touch with My Beloved and Jeanne, who were overseeing Owen's slower progress, by cell phone.

We considered having lunch at Murray Circle, which would have been a fine reward for the grownups, but decided the children might not think that was much fun, so we opted for lunch at the Cantina in Mill Valley. Owen knew what he wanted without even consulting the menu - he said "rice and beans" and "milk" to the waiter and followed it up with an angelic smile. She was putty in his hands after that.

Mia decided on a quesadilla plump with cheese and a glass of lemonade. The children's drinks came in cups with lids and straws sticking out, so when one of them was tipped over, no spills occurred. Very smart. Clearly, it's a place that "gets" children.

A big basket of light, crisp, warm tortilla chips kept us all from starvation (it was a close call!) until the food arrived.

My Beloved chose beef fajitas, which were plentiful and delicious. Jeanne ordered a taco salad with shrimp; it was so plentiful, she brought the rest home for the next day. I enjoyed their shrimp tacos, which were full of at least eight plump shrimps. They come with rice and beans but it's all just too much to finish, so I focused on the delicious tacos. Jeanne showed the children some deconstruction videos she had taken with her phone to fill the time between ordering and serving, so peace reigned at our little table outdoors in the garden.

We delivered the children back to their parents in good rig, full of lunch and ready for afternoon naps. We drove home sharing little tidbits and stories of the day with each other to be greeted by two ecstatic dogs. A little walk for them and we were all ready to lie down for naps of our own.