Memorial Day Weekend

So it was day one of the long weekend and what to do to kick off the summer... we went to the Roger Williams Zoo in Providence RI. Ever been? Me neither... and Dan has been wanting to take Evan for years (yes, Evan is only two and half years old). But we've been wanting to take in more local attractions and it's only about 45 min away. So we packed up the kids and took a drive Saturday morning.

Unfortunately, it was much warmer in CT at 9am than RI at 10am... and it was cloudy in RI but it was sunny when we left CT. So we were VERY cold... except for Haley. Although she wasn't dressed for the dreary weather, she had plenty of blankets and accessories to keep her warm.

The first exhibit we went to see were the Zebras... we were all excited to see these black and white striped animals... but our excitement fizzled when we saw the sign that they weren't out today. Guess there was a new zebra and everyone was in a bonding session. So then we were off to see the "Wildebeest". Not a pretty animal with it's horns... and apparently a scary animal to Evan. And then for the rest of the day, Evan would call every animal with horns a wildebeest... even the ox and goats.

But nothing scared Evan as much as the giraffe. Giraffes were a draw for young Evan and his family... but no one expected this... after the disappointment of no zebras for the day and the elephants were outside... the giraffes were next our our 'must see list'. And to our luck, there was once eating near the fence... to Evan's dismay, he was "too close to his face". Dan took Evan to the fence and they watched the giraffe eat. Then apparently, the giraffe turned and faced Evan and Dan and just stared at them dead straight and I heard... "MOMMY".... and my little boy had fear in his big brown eyes. I was standing back from the crowd with Haley and her travel system stroller (big and bulky). But once Evan stepped away from the giraffe, he was fine... and 24 hrs later, Evan still mentions how the giraffe was "too close to my face".

The zoo is a small zoo but perfect for ages 2-10 and parents. There are enough exhibits and animals and things to do to make any child happy. AND on this particular day, I had known it was Teddy Bear Rally at the zoo. What does this mean??? It means you bring your teddy bear and there are vets on site to exam and 'repair' your bear!!! This was an amazing coincidence b/c Evan's poor Panda had a rough week. and his neck had a hole it in and his nose (which was already bitten off once before-- and repaired by grandma) had developed an another hole and was leaking stuffing all over my house. So at the end of our zoo day and well into nap time... we went to get Panda a check up... and what a blessing...and afterwards, Evan got to make sure she did a good job...and he listened to her heart and helped in the examination.

So our day at the zoo ended slightly before 3 and the kids were spent and ready to nap...and mom and dad were looking for ice cream. And as a coincidence, I remembered that Haley wasn't tightly strapped into her car seat... so we pulled over and happened to stop at a McDonald's... and I got an old fashioned plain jane soft serve hot fudge sundae.... and Dan got an ice cream cone and ate it while driving. I just can't eat that fast!! But I enjoyed that sundae and it truly reminded me of years past... but we were pleasantly surprised to see these items on the dollar menu... nice $1 for a little bit of summer.

There are photos for our day at the zoo. Just click here: zoo photos....

Then on day two of our long weekend... we all got to sleep in until 8:30am... nice! You'd truly appreciate it if you have kids. Then it was off to a nice BBQ at Dan's parents' house. Dan's brother and his family came down from MA for the day and it was a nice HOT pleasant day. The weather was definitely a summer day. Glad I had the sunscreen for Evan b/c it was hot. There was the usual BBQ fun of hot dogs and hamburgers and nice cold pasta salad and a greens salad with fresh spinach, lettuce and red peppers from the garden... ALREADY!!! Yep, guess so...

So it's 2 days down and only 1 more day of this holiday weekend...what is in store? nothing much. Dan plans to go golfing, so I'll find something creative, low key and fun for Evan to do... and something outside to be sure to tire him out and to also get his that fresh air.

AND as the weekend will wrap up soon.... so will my leave. I'm still on maternity leave as today marks Haley being 7 weeks old (although her due date was May 24). But my body is almost 100% and there are MANY things I want and need to get done while I am home. And besides tending to and creating my own garden, there are things in the house too... so I will have my weekly "to do" list and make sure I cross out at least 1 thing a day and make sure there is also something fun on that list too... after all, I am on leave from work!!! To give you an example of things to get done this coming month: patch holes and prep walls for painting in Haley's room; order and install new light blocking curtains in Evan's room; sort Haley's clothes into proper sizes (as she' outgrowing her newborn clothes fast); figure out EBAY to put my wedding dress out there (as is); plant flowers in flower garden and weed and tend to veggie garden (and add a couple more things if there is still time); clean outside of windows of house (never done); and downsize my wardrobe as I downsize my waistline..... looking forward to getting rid of all my maternity clothes.

Well, it's approaching dawn and I'm tired (yes, I was up feeding the baby), so I'll go.... but hopefully you had a nice and relaxing and fun memorial day weekend too.