timmy's first field trip

timmy's preschool went to the zoo yesterday. because friday is not a normal preschool day for timmy and ethan, i debated whether to go. my cousin vicki, who works in a kindergarten class, warned me that field trips are very different from family outtings. she said you have to zoom through everything at top speed.

she wasn't kidding! but first, we waited. and waited. at the gate, with the zoo stuff in sight. we waited for one of the teachers, i think. finally, after about 15 minutes (an eternity to a 3yo and a 4yo), ms. brooke gave up and we got to go in. ethan and timmy had busied themselves digging in the dirt, but i called out, "smile, guys!" ethan is always ready to have his picture taken. timmy? not so much.

i could share pictures of the boys looking at elephants, chimpanzees, gorillas, giraffes, otters, meerkats (love 'em!) and many other animals. but i couldn't take many. mostly because my little guy is used to strolling through the zoo in super slow-mo, reading every placard, getting to know each animal, drinking from each water fountain (shudder) and splashing through each and every puddle. but that's not how we do things on a field trip. vicki was right - we flew through each exhibit. causing many a tear and many a tantrum.

about halfway through, during a potty break, timmy had reached his breaking point. he informed me he just needed a little break.

much to the detriment of my back's health and happiness, i carried timmy most of the rest of the way until lunch time. please keep in mind, timmy (and ethan, for that matter, although he is such a compliant child that he rarely complained all morning) is unused to going so long without food and water. i usually give them one or two snacks between breakfast and lunch. nuts, raisins, cheese, yogurt, juice. good stuff. and they are never without their water. until the zoo trip.

ah, but lunch time finally came. they were both starving! the could barely contain their excitement when ms. brooke announced we'd be heading toward the pavillion to eat. at home, we do the occasional burger king or make chili dogs, but mostly we eat a big supper-type meal.

this may be why, when ms. brooke and some helpers started passing out our turkey and cheese sandwiches, carrot sticks and and juice boxes, timmy and ethan looked like this (captions suggested by my brother, ethan's dad):

summer is here!

the waterpark opened yesterday. when the water park opens, it means "summer time!" timmy has been waiting weeks - an eternity for a three year old.

after a delicious ham dinner at mom's, we and tom, taryn & ethan, went to the water park. it is a little teensy slab of concrete with a few water spraying devices, but it's absolutely perfect for little guys like timmy and ethan.

tea time

i went to tea with my sister-in-law, her mother, sister and niece yesterday. didn't want to, but felt obligated. our other sister-in-law stacy and my mom were supposed to go as well. however, mom stepped on a nail that pierced her shoe and foot and was excused due to surgery recovery rules. stacy could not make it either. so.

tea houses are not my thing. i am ashamed to admit i attended far too few tea parties with tori when she was a little girl. some, but not enough, in retrospect. and i'd never gone to a tea house as an adult. coffee shops? oh, i'm there. (or i would be, if my town had one. darn you, starbucks! oh, who am i kidding - mcdonald's playplace is as close to a coffee shop experience as i'll have for the next ten years. and they do sell lattes now...)

but i digress, as usual. back to my intended lamentations.

taryn's family is . . . spirited. they bicker. (a family of four daughters may be the cause? food for thought.) i'm not judging; i'm just not accustomed to it. my original nuclear family didn't bicker. my own family doesn't bicker. (although during andrew's and tori's teenage years? "could you find anything more stupid to argue about?" was oft-uttered by me.) my friends' families do not bicker when i am present. who knows what goes on in private, which is kind of my point - taryn's family does not always constrain their bickering to private times and places. again, i'm not judging; just uncomfortable.

but! yesterday? no arguing. none! lively debate, but respectful. the food? meh. everyone ate faster than i, but this is normal. the price? ugh. but worth it because taryn wanted it. i like to make my family happy, see.

and it gave me a good idea (maybe. i think. maybe.) for mother's day: my sisters-in-law and i will serve a tea to grammy, timmy, ethan and catie. grammy does love her some playtime with the grandbabies, and with this plan, we can avoid her doing any work without her even realizing it. score!

stay tuned, my faithful reader (that would be me) to be regaled with tales of mother's day glory.

oh! almost forgot! this is how we will serve our chai lattes at grammy's mother's day tea party. yes we will. oh, stop with the negativity - it'll be easy!