The Pinecrest diaries, part 2

Monday

After lunch we head over to “Yogurt for a cause” and an Australian man approaches our chatty Annabel. Over the course of our stay introduces him as the owner of the place. It is slowly revealed that his wife has a highly powered international career and travels a lot. Feeling intellectually under-stimulated by his hired minions he recognizes in Annabel a wise soul that can quench his thirst for intellectual recognition. He introduces her to his fish tank that is a marvelous and exact replica of the world of Nemo - you know, like the PIXAR movie? Well, if you don’t, shame on you. A lot of people’s continued livelihood depended on you watching that (and every other) film. The aquarium is truly a work of wonder and its habitat is perfectly balanced without any chemicals. A work of art performed by a charismatic gentleman who is kind to kids. And gives all the proceeds of his yogurt to a good cause. Google “Yoghurt for a good cause”, give the man some intellectually stimulating company and save a small percentage of the world population.

End of entry. Get in your car, go eat yogurt!

Tuesday

A night filled with liquor and passion blends into an early morning with Seba waking up seething with tooth pain. Ibuprofen and breakfast out of the way, we head to Bergen Park to enjoy the food stands, which are nowhere to be seen. Hungry and demotivated we decide to  buy some bread and then take the train. Yes, there is the cutest little children’s train that makes its way around the parking lot. Annabel and Lorenz really want to go, and they take Anna and Sebastian in tow. The train is ran by an adventurous spirit who likes to ride in circles, missing parked cars by a mere inch with every turn, much to the hilarity of Lorenz and Sebastian. After what seems like the length of a Trans-Siberian train ride, we arrive back in the place we departed from, more or less disheveled but with happy kids. We buy some vegetables that later that week are condemned to a miserable, sweaty death in our fridge, get Annabel a tattoo (a paint-on one, what kind of parents do you think we are???) and go back home for lunch and nap time for the kids (or freedom as we call it). We conclude the day with dinner at the Whippletree where Lorenz orders crab cakes but (probably because of his hilarious British accent) actually receives crap cakes.

Wednesday

The kids don’t sleep. Long night for Anna, who is up at 2 with Annabel and then again at 6:45 with Sebastian and 7:15 with Annabel. They always seem to sleep in with Lorenz, and Anna starts to wonder how he achieves this.

We go out for a lovely lunch at Creekside Cellars, where wine makes up for the arduous morning, followed by an emergency diaper run at Safeway. Ah, the joys of parenthood.

The kids take good naps, the owed us this because of their early rise.

Tammy comes to water the plants and we innocently suggest Annabel should help her. We are left for 20 minutes enjoying the bliss of 2 parents for 1 child. Sebastian goes crazy, not knowing what to do with all the attention.

We conclude the day with dinner at the stagecoach, where Lorenz breaks a Guinness world record eating copious amounts of food - it unfortunately goes unnoticed by the world.

Thursday

Lorenz is on duty, the kids wake up at 6:06 (Annabel) and 6:58 (Sebastian) - breaking his winning streak.

We go eat at Da Kind soup after breakfast and play. The meal is wonderful and it is a joy to see Lorenz eat so little for a change. Got to come back here more often to keep that man trim and lean. Anna loved her wonderful soup and grilled sandwich.

Back to “Yoghurt for a cause” to hand off Annabel to our Australian babysitter who introduces her to more of his wondrous Nemo world while talking to a graphic designer who helps him create a neon-sign billboard (unbeknownst to the Australian from clip art, a fact that does not escape Lorenz).

Seriously, go eat at “Yoghurt for a cause”. Save some starving children while being entertained by a charismatic Australian. It’s a win-win.

FRIDAY

Click to enlarge

Everyone sleeps in. Meaning past 7. Lorenz rediscovers his faith in God thanks to this unlikely event. Tammy drops off tickets for the Jefferson County fair and rodeo. There’s mutton bustin’ involved, which involves having your child race for gold on the back of a mutton. But it is too late to sign up Annabel, our 3 year old. Lorenz loses faith in God again.

In order to placate his dark mood, Anna treats him to breakfast at the Country Road Cafe, where he bests his Guinness world record at eating food. Even the waiter talks in lofty tones about the amount of food my man consumed.

We all ate so much we skipped lunch and instead head out for an obligatory visit to Evergreen’s crafters, tiring out the kids for a blissful nap time.

I'll leave you with a sign at Country Road Cafe: