we’re goin’ to the zoo

Two days after Christmas, Sarah, Oscar, the boys and I decided to make a trip to the MN Zoo. I think I was around 7 the last time I was there. I really didn’t remember much of it. It was a cold day, so we saw mostly the indoor exhibits/animals.

The snow monkeys were a highlight. Eli especially liked the baby monkeys riding on their mommies’/daddies’ backs.

Eli taking a snack break on a turtle’s back.

More monkeys…

Some pink flamingos.

Eli found a friend who liked his tattoo.

Eli played in water…

and with his aunt and uncle…

We found a neat place to take a rest.

Eli got inside a shark's mouth.

This is where the trip got a little interesting…the look on Eli’s face may tell you something isn’t right…

We decided to ride the monorail for a chance to see the outdoor animals without having to brave the cold day. We bought our tickets and had about 30 seconds to decide which car to ride and board. We all jumped into the least crowded car, and I immediately smelled a dirty diaper. Unfortunately(for them), a few more people quickly joined us in our car just as the doors were closing. I determined that not just Eli, but Silas also had smelly pants. Thankfully, his wasn’t too bad, and he was in the sling so it was kind of contained. Eli, on the other hand, proceeded to jump around the car….sitting, standing, running, and flopping around the car. I was embarrassed, but at this point there wasn’t much to be done but wait until we were back and could get off. We did see some cool animals on the ride, but they were quite a ways off in the distance.

The bison weren’t moving much.

The camels didn’t look cold.

It was a fun day, and of course Eli didn’t want to leave. Silas spent the day people watching and napping. Eli has been talking about the zoo since, so I guess we’ll have to make another trip with Dad in the summer. Thanks for coming with us, Sarah and Oscar…..I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you.

christmas fun

I'm going to back up to Christmas. We spent Christmas Eve at Sarah and Oscar's in Robbinsdale. Mom and Dobie were there too. Sarah and I decided it looked like a great day to get out and enjoy the MN-winter day. Eli(and I) loaded up on some sugary goodies before getting all bundled up for sledding. Here he is ready for some fast hills.

Silas stayed inside with Grandma Pat.

We walked across the park to a small hill. Eli didn't get too excited about the sledding....Sarah and I had fun, though. It has been a few years since I've been sledding, and I forgot how much fun it is. Eli played on the playground equipment for a bit, and we headed back inside.

After all that sledding, Eli needed a nap. He LOVES 'The Wizard of Oz' after seeing it on T.V. recently. He found Sarah's 'Wizard' magnet, and studied it until he fell asleep. Looks like a cozy winter's nap.

Silas did a little unwrapping(and falling, by the looks of his head) while Eli slept.

We walked to church across the street from Sarah and Oscar’s on Christmas Eve. It was a cold night, and so nice not to have to drive somewhere. The children put on a Christmas program which was really cute.

Eli ran up the center isle for the children’s lesson. He stood right next to the pastor and patiently looked up at him. After a few minutes the pastor showed Eli where to take a seat. The children’s lesson was about the barn, animals, Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus. At the end of the lesson, Eli didn’t want to come back to his seat. He was very upset that the real animals didn’t show up. All that talk about the barn and animals, and then it’s over? There were some tears and aunt Sarah had to take him out for a breather, but he cheered up quickly and joined us back in our pew.

We returned home and ate a great supper. After supper was time for a few gifts. Eli opened his first gift of the night, and would have been happy with just that. He loved his animal set, and played happily with it until we persuaded him to open more.

Sarah and her cat, Tigger sporting her new Christmas present.

Christmas morning we opened gifts from Santa. Eli got a game, a Wizard of Oz calendar, candy, and a new toy trumpet. He knows how to buzz his lips to play a real trumpet, so this was kind of hard because this trumpet doesn’t work when you buzz your lips….he got it to work after a little practice.

Silas enjoyed a little Christmas tree tasting.

Christmas Day we spent in Avon with Mike’s family. It was a great day with wonderful food(as always) and more family time and gifts. I left my camera in the car, so no pictures of Christmas Day. I love my new camera, but it’s larger than I’m used to which means it doesn’t fit in my diaper bag. It was a great Christmas spent with both our families. We missed Uncle Alex, but hopefully next year he’ll be home. It was such a joy to watch the boys get excited about Christmas. Eli knows Christmas is baby Jesus’ birthday, and will tell you that Jesus’ mommy is Mary and daddy is Joseph. Christmas night when I put Eli to bed he said, “Santa come and bring candy and toys?” I told him that we have to wait another year for Christmas again. A pretty tough concept when you’re 2.

welcome

One of my New Year's resolutions was to start a blog. I'm doing this not only to help me remember, but also as a journal for our children. I don't journal otherwise, and find myself trying to remember the funny things Eli says and cute things the boys do. Now that Silas is crawling, I want to capture the boys' interactions and memories as they grow. I enjoy reading other blogs, and with that came the inspiration to start this one. Feel free to check up on us, and I'm going to try to keep up with this the best I can.