One day the Summer Jar told us to take the bus to Portland, and it was really very typical of many Summer Jar activities, in that it gave us something to do, but that something was kind of random, and somehow we managed to find serendipitous things along the way.

Waiting for the bus. The boys felt very Responsible holding on to their bus money (or, well, holding on to my bus money in Eli’s case, since his ride is free).

When we got into Portland, we discovered a belly dancing show in Monument Square, so we got some hot dogs and sat down to watch. Henry finished his hot dog and said he wanted another, so…

I made him go back across the square and order and pay for the hot dog himself. Good Summer Jar activity: order and pay for something yourself from a street vendor, while Mom watches from 50 paces.

I love Portland.

And here the boys play on a crumbling wall next to a decrepit building. Big city! I felt the need to have some reason to go to Portland, so we schlepped all the way down to the bike store to pick up Dave’s bicycle tire that had been repaired. Which meant, of course, that then I had to schlep all the way back to the bus stop with an enormous bicycle tire.