International Saturday

Today was the spring bazaar at the Polish Home.  Last year, I bought the shredded beets to try them. They were the best beets EVER. I had to go back and get another jar for this Easter. It was important!  Lon wanted to come with me, so after lunch we went!  I wanted to make sure I ate before I left. All I had was 20 dollars in cash and wanted to make it go as far as possible.  We found great parking, about two blocks away. Which for a Polish Home event is spectacular. Lon had a great time, walking along with me, pointing out the flowers and cracks in the side walks.

Lon at the Polish Home in front of the flags.  The smells were amazing coming from the kitchen. They had a peirogi sale, but they were flown in from Chicago. I have one package of my homemade ones in the freezer. Perhaps I will eat them on Good Friday. mmmm. Found out they are having a Perogi, All You Can Eat, Festival on May 7.  That might be a fun way to celebrate Mother's Day! At least for me it would be fun.
We went upstairs to the bazaar. Looked at the amber and the pottery. It was all lovely. I got the beets, and a Wedel chocolate bar. Then I looked around to see if there was anything else. I had to get a red t-shirt that in white letters said: Got Peirogi? Really, how could I pass that up?

I like the little crepe paper flower sticks. Maybe Lon and I can learn to make them.
Also, up stairs, we talked to the Polish Language School instructors. They had some rummage sale items too. Lon was drawn to them because they had a box of legos. Yes, we got those. I went to talk to them because my next big life goal is to learn to speak Polish. I would love to be able to do that, it would also help with my family history research. The classes are on Monday nights, from 6 pm to 8:30pm. It would not be fun to get there for us. The commute is still going on at 6pm and they will have a big toll on the bridge.  Perhaps we will look into Rosetta Stone or find a class we can take on this side of the lake.  A class has advantages as it is social and has some pressure to study. Rosetta stone has no pressure, but the whole family can use it as much as they want. It is something to think about

Being silly in front of the egg tree (we are putting ours up tomorrow--yes, I am really really late this year)
Yes, there were lots of ladies and gentlemen in traditional Polish costumes. Which was SO cool to see
We could have gone straight home after this or...

We could go down to the waterfront and to Penzey's spices.  I thought, really, it is still not tourist season, it is kinda cold. How bad can this be? If I EVER decide to go to Seattle on a Saturday, please slap me till I come to my senses.  The closer we got to the market/waterfront area, the more congested traffic became. It was not really all that fun. To help make it fun for Lon I let him use my little camera and take photos of  things he saw out the window. He thought Hammering Man was really nifty. He wanted me to go around the block to see it again. Um, no, son, that is just not going to happen.

Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe. We will go back there someday, probably in the fall. On a weekday. NEVER again on a weekend. Really. (I know deep down I am going to break that *rule*, but not any time soon)

He liked the boat on top of the shop.  I am getting photo software this week.
We parked at the waterfront/market garage, the one with the elevator. There is no longer any attendant, and you no longer get a ticket. You put your credit card in the machine, it spits it back out at you. You park. Then on the way out, up at the top of the elevators, you put that same credit card in again, it tells you how much it is charging you for parking. Then you go directly to your car, and to open the parking gate you have to put that same credit card in again and it opens the gate and lets you out. You can not pay cash, you can not use a debit card. You have to use credit. It is really odd.
Lon forgot to get the camera out of the car when we ran through the market to Penzey's. I thought that going the best spice store ever would be good, since I was almost out of vanilla and almond extracts.  Shipping those 16 ounce bottles is not an inexpensive thing.  I did get two vanilla and 1 almond. That is about the rate I use them at. I got a little bit more curry powder, we have been using that alot lately.  We had a tiny bit more time till we had to be home, and I wanted to stop at Delaurenti's Italian Market. The smells in there were amazing. I could have spent hours in there. The store was crowded, the whole market was crowded. Lon did great! He held my hand the entire time. He did not try to pull away like he used to. He kept very close to me. I did tell him how proud I was of him for following directions and being such a good boy.  We  got some Lemonta to drink on the way home and an imported Italian Easter Egg, wrapped in shiney paper. I loved those when we were in Rome.  I told Lon we had to save that for Easter and he said, I know Mommy. No fuss. And it was CHOCOLATE!  I also found raw, shelled pistachios! Yay!  I have some cookies to make with those!

More photos from the way home. We got back to our car, and I was thinking no problems we will be home well before 5. We might just make it before 4. Well, that was not to be.I headed to I-90, and we got stopped by a train. Sitting on the tracks. Sitting and sitting and sitting.  We waited. Lon liked looking at the train for a bit, but soon he got antsy about when it was going to move. The baseball game was either just going to start or about to let out (not sure which) and I knew I did not want to get caught in that traffic rounding Safeco Field on the way to the freeway. We did finally make it, just as the first policemen were starting to direct traffic. We got home at 4:35.  Ruhul, Prachi and Reyansh were coming over at 5! I had just enough time to get our treasures put away and the floor swept.  It was good to see them even if it was a short visit. Reyansh wanted nothing to do with being away from his own house. Not having it, not wanting it and he wanted to go home NOW.  He made it very clear as only a one year old can that it has to happen NOW NOW NOW
 Mark worked hard while we were out playing. The guest room got caulked and his tools got sorted. We have more than we think we had.  He suggested we go out! I, of course, said YES!  We went up the hill to La Corona Mexican Restaurant Lon did not want rice or beans. I actually remembered, and asked the waitress to leave them off his plate. He was so happy with his bean less quesidilla and Roy Rogers.

Lon was a very good boy all day today. He did everything we asked of him, he did it nicely.  There was only on whine this morning. But that was before breakfast.  He ate his food well, he was super fun today! 
It was a great day!