Santas were in town

Our Saturday starts with the most annoyingly edited kids show Doodlebops on CBS. Taiyo loves to watch the strange but catchy music show of two boys and a girl, who got outrageous hair-dues and crazy colors and big fingertips. Stories are childish and stupid, and it is so amazingly badly edited- almost every cut is about a second or two. But Taiyo would be bouncing around playing his instrument. Then we watch Busytown Mysteries, which I like. It's more classic looking cartoon of a town inhabited by all kinds of animals and other creatuares. It's cute. But since we normally only watch Channel 13 for kids shows, I'm always amazed by the commercials that plays on network. How many plush slippers and glittering sneakers kids need? What's the deal with that wobbling ugly bald dancing baby doll with a big belly button? Maybe I'd buy it for someone I don't like.

In the afternoon we went shopping at Pearl River on Broadway. This is one of the greatest store ever for Taiyo. Lots of little water fountain with sparkly balls turning, all kinds of windchimes to mess with, so many cool wind-up toys, cute little Japanese erasers of different shapes from fruits, animals, to cakes! We picked out the coolest wind-up toy with many legs- kind of a robotic insect? Then Taiyo picked up a postcard of Manhattan night skyscraper and said, "New York." I wasn't sure if he said it because he was familiar with the view or he read the print on the corner. Probably both. There was Santacon going, and we came across many Santas on the street heading to this strange and fun bar hopping event. Taiyo said "Hi Santa" to each one of them. We didn't actually run into the Santacon, unfortunately, but maybe it was better for Taiyo for his first impression of Santa is not to be of ones getting drunk everywhere.

We stopped for lunch at Thai Angel on Grand between Crosby and Lafayette. Entry was fairly easy with a stroller, and we were offered a bright table near the doorway. The place wasn't very busy, which is more comfortable for me. It was impossible to find not busy eatery a few blocks up near broadway earlier on the trip. Taiyo first got busy scooping up little ice cubes from his glass. His motor skills are getting refined he didn't spill much water. Service was very friendly and fast, and food was not amazing but quite decent. Price was good too. Taiyo happily enjoyed Ka Nom Jeeb dumplings, curry puffs and pad thai. Then he ran around the restaurant and amuzed the waiter and other diners. He also greeted people walking into the door. He really liked the place it was hard to get him to leave. Recommended.

We usually don't have horrible dining experience because my aim is to have the best dining experience ever than to fight the impossible beast. If the place was too crowded or the clothed tables with neat table settings were placed too closely together, I may avoid it. Fancy busy restaurants may not want to have a two-year-old hopping from one empty seat to another. This is why sometimes I would compromise and end up in a diner. Remedy Diner on Houston street, which I have written about in the past, is actually Taiyo's favorite. They would pretty much allow Taiyo to jump around on every empty booth, until I'm too embarrassed and have to stop him. But food is seriously bad.

This was their lasagna. It was surrounded by peach colored salty goo, and had two-inch-thick meat layer (have they not been selling enough burgers?) had pasta sheets with cruncy overbaked corners, and generous amount of cheese as if they wanted to cover the evidence. It was so thick and inside was cold. Taiyo ate some of it, and he thought crumbling saltine crackers into mushroom barley soup was the greatest idea ever. And waiters who are all latinos are usually quite enchanted with Taiyo. So we probably go back there again.