MONDAY IN THE PARK

What do you do at 9:00am on a bright and sunny summer day? Well, today we went to Stinson Park where JA and LE played in the water and ran in the grass while JE supervised and I took photos. JA was quick to remind me that we were here, doing this very same thing last summer. He's 4-years old and like a small encyclopedia...

JE decided that we'd get our ice cream at Mid-Town Crossing before lunch, for convenience, rather than after for proper nutrition. No complaints from the peanut gallery. Both kids opted for cotton candy, which shares the color blue with the Smurf kingdom. I had a lick, and while not tempted to indulge in a full scoop, I can definitely see the attraction if you're two-years old or even four-years old.

The good news is that we're home in time to Skype with MK and the little girls in Bratislava. It's been weeks since we've seen the girls in action. Photos are great, but there's nothing like a little electronic interaction to appease the pangs of longing. LG and KF frolic and dance for us, while NJ squeals as loudly as she can while sticking her face as close to the camera as possible. It's abundantly clear, that she will never be over-shadowed by her older sisters. She will be noticed! She already knows how to demand attention. So, so cute, too.

DM's family is just days from moving from their lovely home in Chorvatsky Grob, Slovakia. Today is the last day we benefit from the Vonage phone line. Having the ability to call freely for a minimum cost has been such a blessing. Between Skype (or Face Time) and the Internet phone lines, we've managed to keep a much closer family connection than any of us could have imagined even 10 years ago. When DM first went to live in Europe, we were just thankful for phone calling cards and the discounted rates they afforded us.

The afternoon glides by. While CA takes in a College World Series baseball game at the T.D. Ameritrade stadium in Omaha and MA is at work, LE and I nap. JE tries unsuccessfully to nap because JA fights back against his rest time. Everyone is tired, but not everyone is ready to give up!

For dinner we go to Blanc Burgers + Bottles for the first time. The food is yummy. JE and I share a BLT salad and a turkey burger, LE gets her favorite mac and cheese, JA asks for his cheese grilled, MA gets a bleu cheese-stuffed burger, and CA opts for one topped with a fried egg. We share some French fries and sweet potato fries dipped in a homemade ketchup and chipotle dipping sauce. When it's time to wait for the check, JA, LE, and I walk up the block to Delice to peruse the cookies. After quite a bit of discussion, JA chooses a white-chocolate dipped cinnamon-almond cookie and LE points to what turns out to be a very large Italian butter cookie, filled with nutty cream and then dipped in chocolate. JA ends up sharing his small cookie with LE because she abandons her selection after just a few licks. The real pleasure here, obviously, was in the selecting rather than the actual imbibing...