Zooropa 2

I don't have much to add to Shannon's report, except that she buried the lede. In the parking lot, while she was putting sunscreen to Cordelia, Carly decided to do this, totally unbidden:

And after that, they carried on pretty much as they always have at the zoo together:

In case you've forgotten, this was them last year:

Anyway, besides getting his first smooch, the other big change was that this year, Cody bought his stuffies with his own money! (Which he has earned by learning to break the habit of chewing on his fingernails. See the relevant previous episode here.)

The best part of this year's zoo trip from the perspective of animal watching was the Great Cats island. The big male lion made an appearance and then roared for maybe 60 seconds straight--which was an amazing, vaguely terrifying experience. The sound has so much bass to it that you can feel some of those low frequencies in the pit of your stomach. (If you look at the large version of Shannon's picture, you can see him, standing like he was posed by a Disney animator.)

We also saw the cheetahs up close and walking around. Cody was so taken with them that I was pretty sure we'd be bringing a cheetah home with us. But I was wrong. We brought two:

Which he paid for with his very own money. Sixteen dollars. All in singles.

Wordy Wednesday

Eat it up, Granny.

ZOO 2014!

This past week was the zoo trip. JVL and I made the wise decision to go together, sans Emma, who was much happier and less sweaty staying with Sarah for the morning. But plus Carly. Bonus! Once Jonathan and I stopped being manic—traffic! sunscreen! crosswalk! bathrooms!—and gave in to the flow (it's a lot like drowning), it was a really fun day. And brought back fond memories of Cody's first trip to the zoo, ever...

And then his first trip, 24 months ago, with school. Look how little he is! Look how sweet he is.

This year, everyone was a little more hyper. (In keeping with tradition, Cody did in fact choose a stuffy for his collection—more on that soon.) Carly and Cordelia stopped first by the police station. Probably just to scope out the place and plan an escape route in case of arrest. They're spunky and sassy, so you never know. 

Our "plan" was to go all the way to the top of the zoo and work our way back downhill, arriving back at the car once everyone was beat. This didn't quite pan out. Because, you know, the reptile house is RIGHT THERE. How can you not go in?

Is my husband amazing, or what?

Then it was the elephants. Which were large and fascinating and all, but not nearly as fascinating as elephant poop. Which was the "big" topic, if you get my drift.

Then Carly wisely advised us to take a break and have some lunch. We did our picnic by the otters—one of whom is named Rutabaga! Cody and Cordelia were utterly delighted by this.

I almost cried when I went to take the yearly otter picture. Three years ago, he was practically the size of the otter and could cuddle on the statue. This year, he tried, but he's all legs and elbows and limbs and could barely get around his own knees. It stuns you sometimes, doesn't it?

Naturally, the girls wanted otter pictures too.

We ended the day with a surprise carousel ride!

How handsome are my boys?

We picked up Emma, and then, since we were there anyway…ICE CREAM! : )

More on That Difference...

Even though Cody's going through a definite boy phase, he is still incredibly sweet and affectionate. Several times a week he'll throw his arms around me and tell me, "You're the best mommy in the whole world and I love you so much and we will always be best friends and I just love you to the moon and back!" It's lovely. Cordelia's…well. She's mostly a daddy's girl. She puts up with me, begrudgingly, but it's pretty clear who hangs the moon. (Cody said not too long ago, "Mom, I'm sorry that Cordelia doesn't really love you that much, not the way she loves Dad. She just prefers him and I don't know why, but I love you so much, I love both of you, and I always will love you!")

So on the way home from school today, as we're rocking out to the Beach Boys…

CML: Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I wanna take you to Bermuda…hey Mom?
SLL: What's up, baby?
CML: I decided something today.
SLL: What did you decide?
CML: Well, I decided I don't want another mom.

I hadn't realized that option was on the table.

SLL, recovering: Oh, sweetie. I'm glad to hear it. I would never want to be anyone else's mom. (This is not, always, strictly true.) And anyway, you're stuck with me!
CML: Yeah, but I'm also stuck to Daddy. (beat) And, Cody and Emma. And you. 
SLL: Yes. We're all in it together. Stuck like glue. Because we're family. You wouldn't want another mom, and I would never want another Cordelia.
CML, with that self-satisfied smile: Yep, there's only one Cordelia!
SLL: Yep. One of a kind. 
CML: That's wherreee weeee wannnnna gooooo, way down to Kokomoooooo...

The Very Happy Caterpillar

Emma had a happy day. And she ate about 4,000 calories. She's been like a snake: refusing most things for days, then spending literally all day packing it in. I needed to work for a couple hours this morning, so my friend and her sitter, Sarah, offered to take her to Costco and then meet us at school at 11:30 for preschool pickup. An hour later she texted me: "So, Emma is yelling, 'hot dog!' Okay to give her one?" Then she texted me this:

Caption: "This is all that's left." Of a Costco hot dog. Which, if you've ever seen one, is 30% bigger than a normal hot dog. This was at about 10:45. After breakfast. And snack, including an entire banana.

When we came home, I got lunch ready for Cordelia. Emma piped up: "Cheese? Have it! Cracker! Grapes? MANGO! Raisin? APPLE!" She blew through those, too.

She had a great nap and awoke with the most heinous diaper I have ever seen, I think, and let me tell you: that is saying something. Then, more mangos. We picked Cody up from school and, in an effort to avoid the total gridlock on Old Bridge, took a back route home. I stopped at Sweet Frog to surprise them. Cordelia's eyes went wide: "ICE CREAM? In the middle of the day? You are the best mommy EVER and even when I am MAD at you I LOVE YOU!" Me: "Um, were you mad at me?" She replied, choosing her topping, "Well not right now I'm not!" Emma loved hers. Then it was home. She found a box of goldfish and dug in. As I was prepping dinner for the kids, she stood up on the tower with me, grazing. She saw bananas out of the corner of her eye and started vibrating: "BANANA! BANANA! HOLD IT! OPEN IT! EMMA DO!"

She ate the entire thing. Then, "GRAPES? SOME?" All of this made her very, very happy. Behold.

After all this glee, she suddenly looked concerned. She stooped over. Her cheeks reddened. I heard an ominous sound. Eyes wide, she looked at me and said, "Gas? Pooped? Peed. Change you? HELP!"

There are men in prison who couldn't match what that child did in that diaper today. (Twice. On the hood of a car?)

And before we go on (if you're still reading): Yes. I know this post is, as Cody would say, "a disgusting act!" But I write it not to offend you, but to console myself, when she goes a string of days saying, "NO?!" to every blessed thing we put on her tray.