The market is called Jungle Jim's. Everyone had a different idea of what this place was going to be, but we didn't tell them. I think kal was the most surprised when it turned out to be a huge market... and not a jungle gym. It's 200,000 sq ft of food shopping. They had food from everywhere! Food you didn't even know existed!
We ride in style with a car cart that the kids don't want to sit inside, just on top or hang off the sides. I love the looks I get for that. This place was crazy busy so I really didn't care how the kids held on...as long as they didn't get lost!
After an hour drive to get there everyone needed to go potty. We weaved our way through gobs of people and couldn't find it. For those of you who have been to Stew Leonard's, Jungle Jim's is kind of like Stew Leonard's on crack. That is, imagine Stew's was organized by someone on crack. Now you've been to Jungle Jim's. Now try to find the bathroom. Then Christopher says he saw something that looked like port-a-pottys, so we head that way.
I'm not kidding. This is it.
(Chris will hate this pic...sorry babe).
The port-a-potty doors actually lead into a monstrous bathroom!!! I was going to take a picture, but even I have standards....so I took a picture of the outside :) By the way, these are award winning restrooms. Just like some people put up a plaque to announce their place in the Guinness Book Of Records, these guys had one for their first place privy from the American Restroom Association. You'd think they'd have thought up a "punnier" acronym.
After our longer than planned potty break, we decide to check out this store. Ben is immediately a fan when his beloved Peeps appear around the corner.
Really does anyone need to sell this many Pez dispensers????
Then you had your standard Elvis singing bear..
And way too many items that z could reach..
And then of course samples..
And then Andrew's favorite area...the seafood area..
They had lobsters, bass, catfish, crabs, trout, tilapia and more. He was so excited when he realized tilapia was only $6.99! He had that much! He was so excited to finally have his very own PET. When we explained it was $6.99/lb. and that they weren't pets...but dinner...he looked like this...
Poor kid was sick that people actually buy a living thing and then eat it. This despite the fact that he's been fishing... and eaten it. I guess it just didn't seem sporting this way. I felt so bad for him!
After a few meltdowns we were done with Jungle Jim's. We headed out to the car and the kids stopped dead in their tracks when they saw this...
UMBRELLAS!!
Of course they all had to pick one out, open it, spin it around, hit people who were walking by with the pointy top, ask for help on how to close these things, then proceed to walk around like a distinguished gentleman with an umbrella for a walker. (Kallie was done with umbrellas after getting her skin caught while opening it). They were one of Jim's specials that day, so we bought three for $5.00 each. They were thrilled.
When we got to the car I realized my gross mistake. I only bought three...I have four kids...so after some tears from a tired and hungry Z, I promptly went back and made it right by buying a fourth. Ugh.
Lunch was at an Ohio favorite that we can't figure out why it is so popular. Imagine IHOP and Denny's and crappy diners everywhere. Then bring it down 3 notches. Welcome to Frisch's.
Apparently, Cincinnati made itself famous by making crappy chili. Imagine normal Texas chili, then take away everything but the water and ground beef. Pour it over spaghetti and pretend like the rest of the U.S. still thinks your normal. Now you're a mid-Westerner.
Yep, they have chili and spaghetti. So of course I think you can either get chili OR spaghetti for the same price. The waitress informed me that is it actually spaghetti served with chili ON TOP. It's an Ohio specialty and people here love it and are proud of it. When we get the guts to try it out I'll let you know what we think.
After bombing on lunch Christopher and I decide to surprise the kids by going to the famous ice cream shop close to our town house. By this time the kids were not really trusting our judgement as to what qualified as a good surprise...so they were grumpy until Andrew yelled out "ice cream!!!!"
When these guys make chocolate chip ice cream they don't just throw in chocolate chips. They chip chunks of chocolate off a block of it. The boys weren't fans because they're not very cultured yet. Kallie loved her cookies and cream...and Christopher and z shared a "peanut butter lover's dream." Christopher promises it had enough protein in it to be on his diet.
Z didn't eat as much as Christopher thought he would, so Chris ended up on sugar overload. I could see it come over his face. We quickly took him home and let him sleep while I took the kids to a really jungle gym.
More water, sticks, and mud and we had some pretty happy kids. All in all a great Saturday.....until bed time. That's the next post. That's a story all on it's own.
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