Day at the Zoo

On Saturday we went to the zoo in Columbia, SC. I was thrilled because we all got in free since we had our FONZ card with us. It was a great day to go to the zoo - the weather was beautiful.

Chris' mom and dad.
The elephants weren't grey; they were red just like the dirt.

Lydia usually wants to ride in the stroller when we go to the playground or when Wesley rides his bike. If I ask, "Wesley do you want to go ride your bike?" she says, "I want to ride in the stroller." She goes into the garage, gets into the stroller and buckles herself in.

Amazingly, Lydia walked almost the entire time we were at the zoo. She rode in the stroller from the parking lot to the front gate and then for about 10 minutes while she ate some popcorn. The rest of the time she walked, ran, or jumped around. There was no stalling at bed time that night.

Wayne took this picture of Chris and me.

Here we are at the giraffe feeding area. They weren't hungry so the lady wasn't even trying to sell any of their food. It wouldn't have been fun to feed them.

The baby giraffe was so cute.

The lorikeets weren't very hungry either. They must have had their fill of nectar early in the day.The lorikeets are beautiful, colorful birds.

The kids enjoyed feeding the goats.

One of Wesley's favorite animals - the alligator.

We saw a group of people looking up at this tree and walked over to see what had their attention. It was a snake! The people who work at the zoo deemed the snake to harmless so they left it there.

The lion looking very regal.

The flamigo's had eggs in their nests.

Wesley liked the penguins.

Before leaving the zoo, we decided to check out the Aquarium-Reptile Complex. On the outside it didn't look like much but on the inside it was really nice and housed a lot of animals including this pointed nose snake.

Wesley loved this giant crab and he immediately started talking about eating crab legs. I think the crab made him hungry. Of course we didn't want her to kiss the komodo dragon.

Dianna and me. On the way out of the zoo, the kids posed for more pictures.

I told Dianna that she would probably see a lot of photos of Wesley in this outfit. I love the way it looks and it is easy to spot him in a crowd when he wears this orange shirt.

This sign was one of my favorite parts of the zoo. I am not sure that anything at our local zoo, the National Zoo, would acknowledge that it is God's world. But hopefully I am wrong about that.

Out Our Front Door - Wordless Wednesday

We saw this deer from our front steps this morning.

Spicing Up the Pizza Buffet

On Friday we drove down to SC to see Chris' parents. Normally we like to stop at Cracker Barrel but it was crowded so we went to the super cheap pizza buffet. It was okay. For the price I thought it was alright but I would have rather paid twice that and gotten better pizza.

The kids ate for free and Lydia ate very well (she only ate fruit at lunch). She loves putting red pepper on her pizza.
Like me, Lydia enjoys spicy food.

Wesley ate well at first until he discovered Sponge Bob on the tv against the wall behind him. The tv was probably 50 feet away and he couldn't hear it but he liked watching it. He has never seen the show except in restaurants. I can't believe how he is drawn like a magnet to that character. Last summer he kept choosing Sponge Bob ice cream when given a choice (it was really a popsicle).

On Chris' last trip up to the buffet he found they had just put out macaroni and cheese pizza. I really think Lydia was full at this point but once she saw two of her favorite foods combined, she ate a little more.

On the way home on Sunday we ate at Ralph's BBQ. I like it a lot better.

Friend Makin' Monday - Loving Summer

For Friend Makin' Monday, Kasey asked, "What do you love about summer?" That is an easy question for me.

I LOVE summer! It is my favorite season. I love almost everything about summer.

1. I love the long days!

2. I love the hot weather.

3. I love going to the pool.

4. I love fresh, backyard garden grown vegetables, especially tomatoes. (Btw, we have one tomato plant on our back patio this year so hopefully we will have our own tomatoes.)

5. I love taking my kids to the spray park.

6. I love how life is a little slower and more relaxed in the summer.

7. I love how the traffic lightens up around here in the summer.

8. I love going camping in the mountains where it is a little cooler and less humid than here.

9. I love wearing flip flops and that my kids can wear Tevas every day (and not having to put on socks).

10. I love not having to deal with jackets, hats, and mittens.

And..
I also LOVE the beach. We don't go very often but I love it!

Driveway Picnic

On Monday, the kids had a picnic while I planted flowers.
I dressed the kids in their swimsuits so they could play with their "water shooters" and buckets.

After I planted the flowers, Wesley helped me water them with the hose. He squirted himself and then he squirted me (which was okay even though I didn't have my swimsuit on). Lydia was pretending to take a nap during this but decided she wanted a turn once I brought the hose back in the garage. As I went to turn off the water, she squirted the garage ceiling and the light. It scared her because so much water came out at once. Now I think it is funny the way the whole thing happened. I wish I had thought it was funny at the time.

Neighborhood Pool Party

Our neighborhood had a pool party on Saturday. In the six years we have lived here, this is only the second pool party for the neighborhood. I am on the recreation committee just because I want us to have more events so I can get to know more neighbors.

Chris stood in the pool with the camera to capture these kids posed on the steps. More kids and their families came after this picture was taken.

The air temperature was very warm but the water was freezing. We were there for two and a half hours and I never got in. Lydia is doing well with the arm floaties but I want to get another backpack so she can try it. Vi and I bought the food and drinks for the party. We kept it simple - watermellon, cookies, and snack packs of chips. So what is the messiest food you can give wet little kids? Cheetos!
Chris convinced Wesley to try swimming without his backpack.

Friend Makin' Mondays...

Today, Kasey over at All That is Good is asking
people to share their tips on what makes every day life easier.

I have enjoyed reading everyone else's tips, especially the ones related to decluttering.

Here are some things that I do to try to make everyday life easier.

1. For the last six months or so, when I make a casserole (or lasagna) for dinner I don't put it in a 9 X 13 pan. I put it in two smaller pans. I usually freeze the second one or I take it to a friend. I also try to double some recipes so I can freeze a meal.

2. I am trying to teach my almost four year old that he is responsible for some chores. He puts away all the silverware from the dishwasher. He stands on a little step to help him reach the counter (where I put the basket of silverware) and so he can see where it is supposed to go. After I take the kids clothes out of the laundry, he matches up the socks (I fold them together) and he puts away his underwear and both his pajamas and his sisters. Both kids like to help load the washer and dryer and this only caused a problem once. Of course, we are always working on cleaning up the toys (sometimes I forget to tell them to do because I am thinking about getting them ready for naptime or bedtime so I have to do better with this one.)

3. The only way I can fit in (make time for) Bible study is doing it first thing in the morning, right after making a cup of coffee.

4. If you live in the Mid-Atlantic area (and maybe a little farther south), you can plant Winter Pansies in the fall that will bloom again in the spring. I love having a burst of spring color with no extra work on my part.

5. I read this in a magazine. “You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit.” I say this when he says, “I want the biggest piece” or “I want the green plate.” I can’t always give him the green plate because sometimes it is dirty and he can’t always have the biggest piece because Lydia is beginning to realize she is getting short-changed. So, in a feeble attempt to teach them that life isn’t fair, I tell them, “You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit.”