lazy three day weekend...

it has been a lazy three day weekend
no real agenda
definely no firm plans
just winging it

winging it can be a tough route to choose when you are a parent
kids need structure
without structure you get anarchy
you would think that kids prefer freedom
when really the children enjoy themselves when there is some assemblance of order

this weekend has been without order
being a three day weekend we are now roughly halfway through

yesterday involved the Expo and the skatepark
today was a lacked so much as a tentative plan

early risers with no direction found it approaching 10 am without the dog being walked
no one was clothed
no one had breakfast

after a short hike
something just long enough for brutus to poop
just long enough for me to finish my coffee and I was back home
back home after retrieving a Yu-Gi-Oh! card from one of dean's friend's who could not resist borrowing the White-Horned Dragon card
personally I favor the Elemental Hero Burstinatrix
the missing card is a different incarnation of the same character


more time before we able to dress the boys
our aim of killing time by going out for breakfast morphed into going out to brunch
by the time we were in the Element headed for the Parkway Deli it was more like lunchtime
but I think that they serve breakfast all day at the Parkway Deli

as expected there was a wait
lisa went into check on the duration of the wait
I took the boys to the bicycle shop next door
some nice bikes
a small number of 29ers
but it is a small shop that leans more toward road than mountain

after a few minutes and the growing frustration from trying to get my boys to stop trying to ride the bikes we went to get into line
I guided the boys
they moved like drunken monkeys
even after pre-emptive instructions they each grabbed food that was stored at their eye level
cheetos and sometype of cookie were put back on the rack as fast as they were taken
with the reminder that we were at the restaurant to buy lunch not chips and cookies

we immediately ordered the Matsaball soup
even if it is not a cold winter day it is still a great bowl of soup
the soup was split four ways as we waited for individual orders and a side order of baby corn
my chilli dog hit the spot
filling the void that a failed trip to Ben's Chilli Bowl of the day prior

on the drive back we wished for our younger son grantman to fall asleep
as this was clearly not going to happen I had stopped the car
the boys agreed to hike back the rest of the way
while lisa took the car to make a trip to the grocery store
the hike was a slow paced dogless meandering
there were many stops for discussion of rules and such
we were pirates on a treasure hunt
there were names and there was rank
I played along with a few attempts at mutany

a few imposed breaks occurred as their were requests to be carried that I was not willing to comply with

ah...
another wonderfully globally warmed day
right now we are settled in watching The Princess Bride
well, Dean is watching, I am blogging, and grant is at my side reclined tempted by sleep
maybe if nap the process of suggestion will get him to nap as well

this post has me thinking of doing a quick draft free post on my ten favorite places to eat in the dc area