Food + Festival = Fun (ie. leaking money)

The kids are off track (yes, I know, school just started) and in an attempt to be "fun mommy" I've been trying to supplement our daily activities. I am bound an determined to keep them on jobs/workbook/piano schedule in the morning, but I am also trying hard to add in more trips to the library and other fun outings.

Last weekend was the Greek Festival in Salt Lake. I'm not sure why I've never taken part in the this local institution and this year the call of Greek food was too much to miss. Friday morning I headed downtown with Andrew, Sarah and Jenna. Right off the bat, I make a few cardinal mistakes as a mother; no stroller, shoes that were too small for Jenna and bad time of day. No sooner had we found parking, paid for parking, paid the entrance fee and joined the mile long line for the food (along the with rest of the SL workforce on lunch break), Jenna complains that her feet hurt. Being "casual mommy" I say fine, take your shoes off. As we are winding through the line, her socks get more and more black with each step. Oh well. While waiting in line, I did buy a tyropite to share....mmm....bring on the calories! We finally reach our destination to find each food item price a la carte. A scoop of rice, $2.00??!! I  frugally put food on two plates of all of us to share. A bit pricey (especially with kids) but mmmm.....delicious! As we were eating the pastry line in right behind me...and besides, I do have a few more dollars just begging to leave my possession. We end lunch with baklava and some sort of powder sugar covered cookie. Wow! I think I've just fulfilled my calorie in take for the week. So good! The kids had a great time trying the Greek food and I loved giving them the opportunity. We were disappointed that there was no Greek music of dancing while  we were there (the bad timing part of the trip...I should have known that most of the dancers are kids and are in school). Not wanting our Greek experience to only consist of food (but that is the best part isn't it?) we head over to the cathedral for a tour and brief introduction to the Greek Orthodox faith. Sarah exclaims as we walk in, "This is the most beautiful church EVER!!!!" I so clumsily say, "Well, yes it is...but, not as beautiful as the temple, right???"  Yes, I know....totally lame response. I momentarily let "hyper mommy" think that just because she thought this building was so beautiful it somehow weakened her testimony. Dang, I've got a lot of work to do with my mothering skills. In attempt to not completely throw off our cultural experience, we stick around a bit longer talking about the art and the infant baptismal font. All in all a fun field trip. Expensive, yes...but fun!

PS...these pictures crack me up...Jenna-no shoes and Sarah's "I'm so full I could puke" face after eating!