Zoo Day
The Girls kept busy this weekend. It started Friday night with a My Little Pony movie extravaganza. Zana gave the girls a dvd of the MLPs and once Piper found out it existed there was not stopping it from finding its way into the player. Missy had let her watch it earlier in the week as well but I think that was only a taste, or at least a wetting of the appetite. Interestingly enough Piper has only been recently interested in the ponies. We picked her up a few, along with a small barn and accessories, but until she watched the movies about each pony I don’t think there was any real understanding with what they were – Princesses – Pony Princesses!!! Now, after making the connection, she is all about them. All of the sudden toys long dead in the play room have a new purpose.
Saturday was an early start as we went over to the Thompson’s for another playdate. This time though we got to see Ansley and her new sister Calli as well, a rare treat for the girls indeed. I know Piper enjoyed the company because she talked about it for the remainder of the day once we left post lunch (thanks Zana!!!). Her and Whitley get along great and have seen much of each other recently but playing with Ansley outside of school is rare and it was good to see the three of them hang out and have fun. There was even a time when the three of them went up stairs and played in Whitley’s room – amazingly there seemed to be no conflict, no musical dress swapping and no real drama to speak of. The other three, Riley, Violet, and Calli played downstairs with each other. It is fun to watch as they are significantly different in age and the interaction varies from actual playing, to tug of war over something, to chasing, to wrestling, to trying to do what the older girls are doing, wash-rinse-repeat.
Sunday started with a favorite of Piper’s and something we can only blame ourselves for introducing her to – Donuts and Chocolate Milk. She doesn’t get them often, but would eat them every day if we let her. Both of the girls had a few donut holes and half a donut each before we set out to meet Whitley and Riley at the Zoo. We were dressed for the cold as it started in the thirties but quickly warmed to something more comfortable. Even the girls, once we started walking around took off their jackets, well at least while they were in the sun. We have been to the Zoo countless times but this was the first where I didn’t bring a stroller for Violet. She would have probably stayed in it just fine but the time has come for her to be given the chance to walk around with the others. Surprisingly she wasn’t so rough to keep track of. Having the older girls to follow, and Riley to hang out with, she for the most part mosied along with everyone. Every now and then, she required some course corrections and thought it a great game to go the complete opposite way of that which daddy was wanted her to go. By lunch time Piper was pretty fussy, having fallen earlier, she never quite recovered – not that she was hurt – the fall just changed her mood and it never really got better. We rode the train, the highlight for all them all. According to Piper, the train was our destination from the moment we arrived. She sat with Whitley and had a great time. On the way out we stopped by the playground for a few to burn off the rest of the energy reserves and headed home. My reward was a pair of three hour naps and a Venti Caffè Latte from Starbucks – well worth it.
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3 hour naps! That is unheard of in our house and all I got was a pair of wimpy cat naps in the car. I did, however, squeeze in a drive-through Grande Mocha from Starbucks and checked some e-mail on my blackberry in the Whole Foods parking lot – luxury! Great time at the Zoo – it will need to be a repeat.