Sunday Fun - Asian Food and the Roof 2017

At our favorite Asian market/foodcourt. Unfortunately, the supermarket seems to be struggling, downsizing to more staples- less fresh food options. I attribute this to the assimilation of the Asian community BUT fortunately this supermarket still exists for the basics of my Asian cooking. 

 Every time we come her, we see the locals waiting in long lines at one establishment for these loafs of "bread"? You can see the rather impressive pile on the couples table above. We have been curious about this food item for quite a while so Emmerson and Ada jumped at the chance to try some. So I sent my explorer girls off  to stand in line to wait in the ever present long line at the puffy bread loaf place to buy a sampling. 

Successfully navigated the long line and excitedly presenting their puffy bread. 

 Bowl of Vietnamese good stuff and puffy bread. 

And here we are with our full on lunch at the Asian market food court - bread item and all.

A better pic of the items - looks like a bowl of Vietnamese rice noodles with various condiments, pot stickers, fried rice and the puffy bread product .... the puffy bread tasted like ..... puffy bread. 

And then we got home and I needed to get the leaves off the roof and the girls talked me into letting them explore the roof and my memory of me as a kid kicked in of all the things I did as a kid including roof things so I let them have at it. 

On the back porch roof. 

Helping daddy clear the gutters. 

Exploring - careful girls .... 

On top of the roof.

And made it to the other side - nicely done girls. 

And celebrating ... Ada with a fantastic "freeze jump in the air pose" and Emmerson with a full on hair flow.  

Renaissance Fair and School 2017

Oh my ... the Renaissance fair adventure ........................

Some Renaissance folk.

Yes, there is an elf ear booth - of course. 

Legolas made an appearance. 

Not sure what an Indian henna tent is doing at the Renaissance Fair - but perhaps there was some henna being done amongst some folk enjoying the interaction between an awakening Europe and the Mid and Far East during the Renaissance. 

And school begins .... my SILCS

Bell's in Town Tyler off to College 2017

Ardis, EC and Tyler were in town on the way to bringing Tyler to college at Ohio Wesleyan. We took the train downtown an had lunch at our go to place - the Chicago style hot dog place in the West loop. 

Then we took the boat taxi to Michigan Ave and to the Water Tower mall and the American Doll store. 

And it just so happened that the practice run for the air show was going on so we got a preview of it without all the crowds that would ensue on the weekend as we were there on a Friday. 

Chicago police taking in the practice session on their phones. 

Nice.

Octopus looking creation .... 

And onward to the Lincoln Park Zoo. This critter was posing well. 

And our cat critters posing well.

My only capture of the eclipse from the sun roof of my mini van ..... 

Nana in town - backyard barbecue.

And a solid rainbow driving back from soccer practice on 294.

Drinking Heavily of the Midlife Crisis Kool-aid - Getting Kitted out ...

Yup, did it - bought a cyclo cross bike and the kit to try and get another type of exercise going. Road a lot this summer - 20 mile jaunts but with the beginning of school and soccer season - not a lot of riding. Will hopefully get back into it once soccer season is done.

Yup!

Butt pants and all. Cleated boots and bindings the coolest part as you really need to figure it out - and a bit of a risk factor if you don't.

Emmerson killing time at Dick's sporting goods whilst I looked for soccer boots for Ada and considered getting a ping pong table for the basement. 

Ada goofing with some tiny tot boots - but it did not register until compared with the proper size boots below. Ada's are on the right.

Emmerson doing one of the things she does very well. Power off, Emmerson, power off ... 

VBS and Random Summer

Vacation Bible School at the Invention Station which I watched over. Kids with their bears.

Emmerson was in charge of watching over these critters.

Ada was involved as a support team - here she is in a skit about something .....

And Emmerson was given her first outside of the house job. Our neighbor hired her to tend to her yard whilst they were on holiday. She did a great job.

Grumpy that I made her pose whilst doing her job.

They like to climb trees and here they are showing off their tree climbing skills. 

Emmerson is up there somewhere.....

There she is!