Gray and Rainy in Darien

Ron and Vickie with the Hepatia, Emmie, and Aida

We like other people's dogs

Mitch Making Chocolate popcorn

A rainy day here in Darien as I am up early, about 5:30, with Rami.  He just took off for the city, about 6:15 after getting home last night around 7:30.  I don't know how he keeps up this pace, home late, off to work early, the life of a banker in NYC.  Mitch is up now, taking a shower, and I just woke up Tyler. Both have to be off for school by 7:10, Mitch to the bus, Tyler to the train for Fairfield Prep.  Tyler, too, gets home late, about 7:00, eats dinner, then goes straight upstairs to do his homework, coming down when it's down to watch some TV.  All the kids are busy, Marisa with soccer and dance, Mitch with his pottery, and Tyler of course, with crew.  I guess if you were involved in sports back in the late 50's, you were just as busy, not getting home from practices till 6:30 or 7:00, with games during the week as well as every weekend.  But we had none of this business until high school.  These kids start their sports and activities in the 2nd or 3rd grade and it continues, as long as they stay interested, until high school.

We had a great dinner last night, shrimp marinated in chipotles, olive oil, and cilantro, grilled and either put in tortillas, or on rice, along with black beans, a green salad, and all the condiments.  Yum.  We then relaxed with the kids, as Marisa read upstairs for quite awhile before going to bed.  She is becoming quite the reader as a third grader.  

I assume we will be off to our favorite  grocery store this morning, Stew Leonard's in Norwalk, a landmark here, still looking like it did 30 years ago, like a huge deli, as you wind your way through the store, past the bakery, the dairy, the fish, meat, and vegetables.  You can only go one way, never back  pedal, or you upset the other shoppers.  It's kid friendly as well, with wood marionettes above the stocks, playing songs and singing.  I assume they have been there for ages.  Anyways, it's a great shopping experience, amazing food, especially take outs, manned entirely by minorities I think, mostly Hispanic and Black.  We love going there, picking up some of their coffee, bagels, and specials.

Well, we went to Stew Leonards, picked up a prime rib for tonight since it's the only night we all will be together.  We also stopped at Penzey's to pick up some spices that we needed for home, no doubt some we did not need.  Then, we came home, had lunch and while I stayed home and read and napped, Evie and Beth went out shopping at TJ's and other stores.  Since we are going into the city tomorrow to have dinner with some of my Robert College students, she wanted some new and nice to wear and they were successful.  Now, we are sipping a merlot, the prime rib is roasting, Marisa has buttered the popover pans, and now we have to wait for Tyler and Rami to get home.

The Girls at Trouts in Maine