Chicago Adventures

Yesterday we had a great brunch at the retirement community where Pamela's Grandma lives - it was a top notch buffet, without huge lines. Isaac was a total maniac, running miles and miles down the hallways of the community, giggling the whole time. He exhausted 3 adults in the process, and showed no signs of tiring when we strapped him back into the car to go home.

The Chicago-style food love-fest continues: We did Portillo's on Saturday, and I'm convinced that my ticket to fame will be to open the first in Edina... it will be amazing. Tonight we'll do a pizza joint with the whole family.

This morning we headed off to Woodfield - best mall in the world. We got Isaac and Bella some new shoes: Isaac's first "big boy" shoes: With them on, we got an amazing show as he tried to work out how to walk with heavier shoes with actually grippy soles: He was walking stiff legged like Frankenstein, lifting his feet almost up to his ears to overcompensate. Of course within a half hour, he was sprinting again, completely adjusted to the new feet.

Of course we visited the Lego store (the new Millennium Falcon model is insane - it's 3 feet long and wildly detailed), the Apple Store (I love love love the Air), and the Sony Store (the new OLED TV is so bright and compact....)... The only problem was when Bella ducked into the BuildaBear store and really really wanted a wolf. For some reason I put my foot down (they're expensive, she has a million dolls, including 2 webkinz got just yesterday!) and dealt with many tears.

I've been enjoying downtime with the new book by Charles Stross - Halting State. Of all of my favorite Sci Fi writers, he's the one I most want to go out and have drinks with - you can tell the ideas just flow effortlessly from him, and you KNOW he'd be a riot in a conversation. Reading his books directly stimulates my pleasure center, and the world disappears into the margins: I can't say he's a writer for everyone, but he's one of the best writers in the world for ME!

It's a lazy afternoon - Bella's having mac and cheese with Scooby Doo, Pamela and Isaac are napping, and I'm about to start doing a little more reading. All is well in the world.