Yesterday, kept the kids busy all day and had a fun 'family day' at a minimum of cost.
- Morning at the climbing gym (we have a membership for one kid that gives one free pass per month to take the other kid). The annual pass cost us $100 at a special rate, vs. the normal price of $32/session/kid. So far, we've gotten a total of ten visits in three months, so I can't complain too much.
- Home for homemade lunch after DW had to stop by work (which is adjacent to the climbing gym) - grilled cheese sandwiches and some odds and ends/snacks purchased at Aldi.
- Afternoon hike in a nearby nature preserve that we'd never been to. I had decided to stop whining about the lack of outdoor opportunities nearby (buried in the concrete jungle of LA County) and seek out what we do have. Managed to get us outdoors in the hills, where we didn't see another person for 2+ hours. Kids were loving it; it reinforced how much fun they can have outdoors with the simplest of things (dirt, rocks, sticks, climbing hills).
- Made dinner at home in the Instant Pot. Yummy greek chicken/rice/veggie dish.
- Watched half a movie on Blu-Ray at home with the kids.
Spent a bit in gas to make this day happen, perhaps 1.5 gallons, but all in all was a success, and seemed to get into DW's head how nice it might be to be retired with the kids still young; truly convincing her to FIRE is an ongoing process, so this is a personal win.