To Market, to Market

I LIKE PIKE: After a couple hours of schooly stuff, we set out to do some holiday shopping. Destination: Seattle's world famous Pike Place Market.

We totally scored on a parking spot and headed for the excitement with no trouble. It was a glorious scene - still waters on the bay, ferries, the Ferris wheel - I'd love to share the beauty, but my camera lens malfunctioned for most of the morning. :/

We saw market pigs, of course. ...

And even a market bigfoot!

We made the rounds, and on our way back to the car, we made our way by Piroshky Piroshky Bakery, a market legend.

The kids pressed their red noses against the glass and looked at me beseechingly.

"Look at how long the line is," I noted.

"Sometimes you have to be patient," CJ pointed out.

Kids win.

And so, we waited in line, perusing their photo menu whilst we waited.

The kids had each picked out something, but when we actually laid eyes on the creations, I pointed out how friggin' HUGE they were and suggested they split something. Specifically, I suggested they split an "Oskar's Star," described as "a delicious buttery dough topped with chocolate, sweet cream cheese and sprinkled with hazelnuts" on their Web site (where it's spelled Oscar's Star, BTW).

They sat out at Victor Steinbrueck Park, enjoying a phenomenal view.

 But I don't think they noticed the view. ;) They were too busy digging in.

They *did* notice the birds, however. Many, many birds. Pigeons and seagulls who wanted to share their bakery treats. 

And these birds were brazen, as they're used to tourists (and so locals, no doubt) sharing morsels with them. The kids managed to keep them at bay by flapping and kicking.

We did enjoy watching this seagull perched on the fence overlooking the sound.

I am thrilled to announce We are Officially Done Christmas Shopping! Woo-hoo!

But we're not done baking. ... Tonight we cranked out a couple dozen more Seahawks Santas for Rick's co-workers, and put the finishing touches on a few more pairs of pom pom gloves. Tomorrow, there's packing, wrapping, baking and more in store. 'Tis the season.