zoo

 This week is spring break. The weather has been nothing short of magical. And since I'm only about 5% bitter that Braden is gone on a week the kids don't have school, when the weather is perfect for all things outdoors, and I'm finally not pregnant, I decided to take the kids to the zoo to celebrate my 95% happiness. By the time I got them all ready (twice), and fed them all (twice), and cleaned out the car, and packed snacks and lunches and water bottles and diaper bags and strollers, I was tired. But since I'm embracing going crowded places with five kids alone, we forged ahead and had a good time.

 We had seen the giraffes, elephants, and rhinos and I may have been a little too excited about the savannah animals. Anabelle was trying to make a comment about that. What she was trying to say was, "Mom! You are really obsessed with African animals". What she actually said was, "Mom! You really have a problem with African Americans!". Two very different things. I'm just glad she declared this in a giant crowd of people. And animals. Both from African descent.

 Orangtuans are some of my favorites. They had a new baby that the girls got to watch for long periods of time while I fed Emmett. Twice.

 The girls all loved this slide. Anabelle was on Elise duty so she got to have even more fun because Elise wouldn't stop going. Maisey happened to scrape her ankle and then we had to endure crying of outrageous magnitude because she hasn't yet figured out how to live through "slobbers" as she calls them. Any injury= a slobber=weeping and screaming and probably a desperate need for healing via bacon or nutella.

 This girl is turning two tomorrow. That sort of breaks my heart wide open.

                                                                  She loved this otter.

 By this time everyone else who feeds their family legitimate dinners had gone home. Not us, we had the whole place to ourselves as we ate our PB&J's with front row seats to the sea lions.

 Maisey was lagging behind, due to the slobber. I was yelling (ever so gently) for her to catch up. Lila turned around to see Maisey crying and hobbling along. She ran back to her, linked arms, and the two of them giggled along together.

                                         This is how they respond to "look at me and smile".