Last night I sang you a special song all about spending your 2nd birthday at the zoo. After all, you said “Bus!” so I knew exactly which tune you were requesting. Then you said “Choo choo!” and “Fraff!” And just like that, I changed the words to honor what a fun day we had with you! (I think The Wheels on the Bus may forever be stuck in my head!) Earlier in the day, we hopped in the car to venture downtown Indianapolis to visit the zoo. It was just one surprise we had in store for your special day. During our drive, we mentioned all of the animals we hoped to see…bears, elephants, lions, ha’s (monkeys)…and your favorite one of all, giraffes!
The weather was perfect! Sunny and cool! And it felt like we had the whole zoo to ourselves since it was a Monday! We saw the sea lions, a polar bear, and some jolly walruses before checking out the underwater dome where the dolphins darted happily around us.
In the distance, we heard the whistle of the train. We knew we would definitely ride the train! We opted for the TAP (Total Adventure Package), which allowed us all-day access to rides, animal feeds, and the dolphin show (we’ll have to check that out next time!). We boarded the train and got a behind-the-scenes look at the zoo. From there we rode their newest ride, the Skyline, overlooking the new orangutan center! Very cool! Even your new little dog, Brownie, got to go for the ride!
It’s crazy to me that we have 2 toddlers in our house! Remington will be 2 in September, which I can hardly believe… And Lucy just turned 3 in June! Dogs count as toddlers, right?! Well, rather than planning another birthday party for Lucy… Yes, yes, you read that correctly. I’ve had birthday parties for Lucy, just one actually. Granted, aside from myself, the only other guest was our cat, Lola. It was for her 1st birthday. I blame it on being pregnant and stir crazy! Last year, Remington and I sang Happy Birthday and took her for a walk. So this year, we were even more low key about it all. Even though she’s not allowed on the furniture, I did include the very chair that we bought the day we found Lucy. And gosh, she has changed since some of her earliest photos at 8 weeks old! I still remember when she used to curl up on my shoulder and snooze while I edited photos! It was so sweet! Little did I know that she would show me a tiny glimpse of what it might be like to be a mother, with a tiny, precious being cuddled up in my arms. And now these two are great friends! Remington likes to chase her more than she would prefer, but it’s just because he loves her so! Her antics make him giggle and screech, which in turn makes her bark…which in turn makes him laugh even more. Although it’s nap time in the house right now (Lucy and Lola nap when Remington naps!), I can still hear their giggles and arffs echoing in the living room. And it makes my heart full.
Happy (belated!) Mother’s Day to all moms, moms-to-be, grandmothers, great-grandmothers, all those who serve as a mother to someone in this world, and those we remember in our hearts! You are the best! And I hope you got to spend some time with those you love!
We traveled to my parents’ house to visit with my Grandma and my Uncle Mike, who traveled from Florida to spend time with his Mom! It was so fun! We enjoyed a delicious lunch with our family’s favorite pizza (Pizza King!), salad, breadsticks, and a carrot cake that I baked for dessert. We took Lucy along as well, and she enjoyed playing with Uncle Mike! I had also packed my camera to get a few snapshots of our day.
Hasn’t the weather been just lovely lately? We enjoyed some family time over the Easter holiday weekend, as well as tackling some projects around the house! Well, maybe I should clarify that Reggie tackled some projects around the house – shelving in the garage! I didn’t photograph that, however, I did take some photos while we painted Easter eggs the night before and then when we visited my parents. Remington loved chasing Lucy around the backyard, finding Easter eggs, and smiling in the sunshine! And I’m happy to say I’m checking off one of my goals for 2014, which is to take more photos while with family!
As many of you know, my husband Reggie is a super-talented and creative guy. He loves working on BMWs, as well as special interest cars, like old GMC and Chevy trucks, vintage MGs, cars of all kinds. Some of you have seen his sculptures over the years too. We used to have a table made from an engine block that ran for the last time at the track during a driving school. It will soon be for sale, since it’s not the most toddler-friendly coffee table around! He’s also made a taller cocktail type table, a cat, a dog …all out of recycled BMW parts that he keeps around at his shop. They are all so cool and so unique! Well, this Christmas, I unwrapped a camera box, which he found in the basement, and inside was another one of his hand-crafted pieces…a camera! I couldn’t believe it! I was totally surprised and totally flattered by this one-of-a-kind work of art, complete with a rotating lens!
