Can I get a cleanup on aisle nine?

For me summer ended today and so I must get "back to school" and back to the blog. And so, here it goes . . .having returned from all summer vacays and required appearances, and having confirmed that lil Baby O is up for pretty much anything and finding ourselves all at home together this past weekend, we managed to pack the last two days with activity.

Friday night found us at a local summer Catholic parish festival. Until I moved here three years ago, I was unfamiliar with such an event but here in the Nati they take their church festivals very seriously. There is a festival every weekend from Memorial Day through Labor Day, and they are such a big deal that each fall there is a summit during which the parishes hash out who takes which weekend for their festival. You see there can be no two festival the same weekend because how would we be able to decide which one to attend? So what is a parish festival, you ask? Well basically it is like your PTA-sponsored school carnival--a few rides, games, dunking machine, food stands that include funnel cake (delicious), "walking tacos"(that's taco fixins in a bag of Fritos), soft serve; and tweens as far as the eye can see. The only major difference from the parish festival and the school carnival of my youth is the amount of drinking (so much beer) and gambling, serious gambling. Seriously, there was not only a the festival hall full of the "bid and buy" (think silent auction) but there was an outdoor tent which housed a hopping casino. It was out of hand. Baby O, in attendance with her BFF Lil S and her parents, A and C, had a fantastic time watching all the other kids and trying to figure out where all these people came from. I enjoyed the funnel cake.

On Saturday O hit the courts and watched her first professional tennis match when we traveled out to the ATP Tournament. Mauresmo lost in the third set which, if you ask me, was full of bad calls. It was incredibly sunny and the ladies in front of us were not happy about our talking during the match but O, Lil S and all the parents had a good time. It was adorable to watch A with Lil S. A, a good and avid player, is already hoping that Lil S will pick up the game in a few years. He spent most of the match explaining the intricacies to her. So cute! Me, I am hoping O will take up the guitar (I want her to rock) and maybe hit the pool.

But Sunday was the big day . . .O's first trip to the grocery store in which she got to ride in the cart and she loved it. She smiled at the cans of veggies and tried to grab everything in sight. M finally handed her a box of Jello pudding "to play with" during her ride. We ended up paying for it as O managed to gnaw the paint off the corner of the box. Responsible parenting, I know. O also managed to notice the gumball and toy machines. I see her working this down the line. Anyway, she was so tired that she had to take a juice break before leaving the store. All-in-all O had a kickin weekend. Next Saturday: the Zoo.