Quite Possibly The Best Tuesday Ever

Today, our day was jam-packed with fun.

First, we spent the morning at our friend's house for home(pre)school co-op.

Second, we spent the afternoon at the public library. There was a free showing of The Wizard of Oz on the big screen - with the sing-a-long subtitles. There were more adults than children in the audience, many of them retirees, and it was so sweet to hear everyone singing.

Third, my four year old earned her 10 hour independent reading prize at the library - an inflatable guitar and a gift certificate for a meal at a restaurant called Rosti.

Fourth, we walked home from the library to discover people setting up for National Night Out in the Santa Monica Civic Center parking lot.

(If you're unfamiliar with National Night Out, it's a free event designed to promote neighborhood spirit, a positive police-community relationship, and crime and drug prevention.)

We dropped our newly-chosen library books at home, and then headed over. To top it all off, we ran into friends and got to hang out with them all evening!

There was a bouncy slide, a bouncy obstacle course, an inflatable rock climbing wall, bungee trampolines, a fire truck, a paddy wagon, police motor cycles, police horses, hot dogs, cheese pizza, snow cones, cotton candy, popcorn, a craft table, booths for everything from the Big Blue Bus to D.A.R.E. to the police forensics doing finger printing, carnival games with prizes like glow-stick bracelets and balloon punching bags, free stuff from all the booths like pencils and key chains and temporary tattoos, loud music, and a raffle.

And guess who won the very first raffle prize?

It was me! And I never win anything.

My prize was a $50 gift certificate to a gastro pub called Ashland Hill. I've never been there, but after winning the gift certificate, I googled the menu. Their signature hamburger is described like this: red onion bacon jam, sharp white cheddar, paprika aioli, watercress, & herb Parmesan fries. I love food, so I'm looking forward to trying something new.

Could we possibly have packed more fun into a single day?