Tuppence a Bag
Some girlfriends and I took our kids out to a slightly too fancy restaurant for lunch. It was a restaurant where, if you’re lucky, a large sea lion will squash your car while you eat.
Picture a classy restaurant overlooking the Puget Sound, full of business women and men and one table that had been accidentally transported in from Chuck-E-Cheese.
3 moms, six kids aged 3 and under, a combined bill of over $70. The kids were boiling over onto the other tables, asking why they couldn’t have sippy cups and why the napkins weren’t made of paper. Crackers and grapes were strewn everywhere and they just wanted to get out and touch the water. I think everyone in the restaurant wanted to grant them that wish.
After the meal, we took a short drive and a little walk out onto the cement boardwalk. One friend had spent a dollar on a bag of bread so we could feed the seagulls. Not only was this the highlight of our day, but possibly the highlight of Laylee’s life (she has a very short memory).
The greatest things in life truly are free, or at least cost less than $70.
They gather.
Out comes the bread.
Hold on to your hats and let the good times begin.
Mine…mine….mine. Those Nemo filmmakers really did their seagull research. Holy crazy-attack-birds batman!
Laylee seems unfazed, an angel with wings.
Jumping for joy.
Birds, shmirds. Dude, where’s my nap?
10 points if you can see the Space Needle. Go Seahawks!
She feeds them in a strange bowling motion…
…..then laughs uncontrollably.
And the kick is GOOD!
All gone bread. It’s okay. The seagulls are about to explode and we really don’t want to witness that….
…so let’s turn our attention to the….. monolith. This is apparently the birthplace of Seattle. From what I hear, it was a messy experience, no epidural, and no indoor plumbing.
Real estate along the water is sold at a premium. Several brand new condo and apartment complexes rise into the sky. Amazingly, in between them are sprinkled smallish houses, some much more rundown and tinier than this one. I wonder who held out to keep their property when I’m sure the offers ran in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions.
If this were my grandma’s house, would I keep it for the memories after her passing or sell it to the highest bidder? I’m really not sure.
Heather Says:
I want Ellie to feed the seagulls. She freaked out so much today over the “biwds” she could see outside the car. That much joy might have stopped her heart!
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Posted on January 27th, 2006 at 12:42 am
blackbird Says:
That is really not a very attractive monument.
I often wonder about having a teeny tiny valuable house like that…tempting to never sell it…maybe for a million.
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Posted on January 27th, 2006 at 5:10 am
Regina Clare Jane Says:
Laylee looks so happy! The angel (bird) wings pic is adorable!
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Posted on January 27th, 2006 at 5:27 am
Liz Says:
I’m loving the jumping for joy pic
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Posted on January 27th, 2006 at 6:01 am
Shannon (sentimental) Says:
What a cute capture of the experience you got there hon! The pictures do it well and even though that house is smallish, it is kind of cute and I betting the view is worth everyone living on top of one another.
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Posted on January 27th, 2006 at 6:02 am
momrn2 Says:
I enjoy Seattle. I wish I could drive over today, but since I can’t, I’ll just enjoy your pics!
Your trip to the restaraunt reminded me of our recent dinner with my Aunt and Uncle and some of their good friends. They took us to the type of place where you have more than one fork. My daughter loudly proclaims,” Mom, I only need one fork!” and begins put the other ones in front of me. Since we had now become the object of everyone’s attention I said as confidently as I could, “At McDonalds we don’t even use any forks.” Sometimes kids in those types of places are just… well, not near as fun as McDonalds would have been from the very begining. tee hee hee
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Posted on January 27th, 2006 at 7:03 am
mom Says:
The pictures were great! Even if the restaurant was too expensive, you can’t fault the interactive entertainment! I’m so glad you had fun.
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Posted on January 27th, 2006 at 7:03 am
Rachelle Says:
Great pictures! I love the one where it looks like she has wings!
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Posted on January 27th, 2006 at 8:02 am
Pam Says:
Oh man, wish I was there. What cute pictures. Glad you got to get out, even if it wasn’t as cheap as McD’s.
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Posted on January 27th, 2006 at 8:12 am
Stephanie Says:
Okay, so who’s idea was it to go to the fancy restaurant?
And if you keep posting stuff like this, I am going to get REALLY homesick. (more than I already am).
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Posted on January 27th, 2006 at 8:26 am
Caryn Says:
Glad you had such a good time. The pictures of Laylee are adorable–especially the one in which she has wings.
Oh, and ten points for me! I saw the Space Needle.
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Posted on January 27th, 2006 at 8:57 am
hlh Says:
ok is she really wearing the snow white dress under her pink coat?! Too funny!!!!
We’ve done a version of that in S. Cal. We feed the seagulls french fries, they will actually catch them mid air, if you throw them up. It makes my children giggle uncontrollably too!
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Posted on January 27th, 2006 at 9:04 am
MommyMaki Says:
Oh, I so miss living near water. My kiddo would have loved the birds also. Great pic’s.
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Posted on January 27th, 2006 at 10:03 am
MommyMaki Says:
Oh yeah, maybe I’m heartless, but I’d sell the house to the highest bidder. I think grandma would love it that she sent the kids to college and some
Then I would get an artist to do an oil painting of grandma so I can forever remember her kindness in my home everyday
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Posted on January 27th, 2006 at 10:10 am
Karen Says:
(sigh) another morning of laugh and love reading your blog. Please bring Laylee and Magoo back to my house soon. I need to squish them again.
Table transported from Chuck E. Cheese. Where do you get this stuff?? You kill me!
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Posted on January 27th, 2006 at 11:12 am
Susan Says:
Mmm, Salty’s. I love that place.
We used to ride the ferry to Vashon and feed the seagulls French fries. And by ‘we’ I mean my husband, as I have an almost paralysing fear of birds. Good times!
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Posted on January 27th, 2006 at 11:12 am
Liz Says:
PS I did see the space needle too but I forgot about it in seeing all the adorable other pictures.
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Posted on January 27th, 2006 at 11:41 am
Carrie Says:
You just made me more than homesick. I want to ball my eyes out. I know exactly where you were. Many volleyball games and teenage cruising was done at that beach. My first date with my husband was at a restaurant at that beach eating about the best Fish and Chips in the entire world and watching ferry boats go by. I grew up just a few minutes from there. It is one of my favorite places in Seattle. It looks like you all had a lot of fun.
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Posted on January 27th, 2006 at 12:00 pm
Sadie Says:
Carrie, you said best fish & chips–would you be talking about Spud’s? I’m several states away now, but the other Spud’s, at Greenlake, holds very fond memories for me.
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Posted on January 27th, 2006 at 12:35 pm
Katy Says:
These photo essays will be the basis for some of your best memories later on. I always find when I’ve taken a series of pics like this, close together, that I can remember exactly everyone’s mood and what the kids were saying, etc. SO much fun! Your kids are adorable!
Katy http://www.fallible.com
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Posted on January 27th, 2006 at 12:40 pm
surcie Says:
So jealous. Oh, how I love Alki. And Salty’s, too! My family has had lots of wedding receptions and other meaningful get togethers there. My relatives live in West Seattle and my Grandma lived on Alki until her death last year. I don’t get to visit that area as often as I’d like, living on the East Coast as I do.
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Posted on January 27th, 2006 at 1:23 pm
Carrie Says:
Sadie, it is Spud’s. This is my very favorite place to eat when we go to Seattle and visit our family. I just love walking on Alki Beach. I love Greenlake, too. We went to the Spud’s there a couple of times and I like to take the kids and walk around the lake when we are in town and get a chance to go.
I did not see the link to Salty’s either when I first read the post DYM, so I did not know that is where you ate. They have wonderful food there, too. The scenary is the best, as long as you do not have sea lions on your car when you are done.:)
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Posted on January 27th, 2006 at 2:51 pm
Theresa Says:
I loved the pictures of your get together!!! How fun!!! I remember the first time I tried to get Liz to feed the ducks and geese at the Columbus Zoo, and she was so scared, that everytime she saw a feather she started screaming. (She was 3, I think she may have outgrown that by now!)
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Posted on January 27th, 2006 at 5:39 pm
The Daring One Says:
It seems like everybody has lived in Seattle at some time or other. Maybe I’ll do a Tip Tuesday about what to do in the Puget Sound area for fun.
I’m loving all of your stories. This has been a really fun comment day.
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Posted on January 27th, 2006 at 5:45 pm
emlouisa Says:
My relatives are constantly wanting to take my kids to fancy restaurants. Not only fancy, but romantic FONDUE restaurants. After 7pm, even. I can’t even imagine the havoc my 2 year old would reak on a place like that. Especially that close to bedtime.
You are a brave, brave woman.
I’m loving your blog.
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Posted on January 27th, 2006 at 9:17 pm
Shannon Says:
Was that a Snow White costume I saw?
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Posted on January 28th, 2006 at 2:49 am
Julie (rarely-home mom) Says:
Oh my GOODNESS you are BRAVE! At this minute, I have only an 18 month old, and even going to a fast food joint with him is work. Too much work!
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Posted on January 28th, 2006 at 11:34 am
RGLHM Says:
I would sell the house and buy a nice reminder of my grandmother with the money. After all that is what she would have wanted us to do right?:-)
Love the pictures. I’m a visual learner so I love photo- documentaries. Ah, to be near the water…
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Posted on January 28th, 2006 at 6:22 pm
Sadie Says:
Oh. My. Thanks to Carrie’s comment on the prior entry (Tuppence a Bag) I still cannot get Spud’s Out Of My Head. Here I sit, two states away, landlocked. And still, I crave the fish, and assorted vinegars, and the chips. I should be PAID by these people, forheavenssake…
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Posted on January 29th, 2006 at 6:28 pm