Block Island 2015

We had a glorious 3-day weekend on Block Island, taking the kiddos back to where Mama and I vacationed a year ago.  And it was fantastic!

Friday
The weekend celebrations actually started Thursday evening, with our attending the Indigo Girls concert at the Beacon in NYC.  But that is a whole separate post.

Needless to say, we didn't get much sleep Thursday night and had intended to sleep in and skip school, but the kids had class pictures at school and wanted to go.  So we were up as usual and the kids had their group photo first thing.  We picked them up at 10 a.m. and raced to the ferry, knowing it was going to be tight timing.  Full of adrenaline, we played license plate games ("Noshing Jackal Hordes" anyone?) and find the ABCs for two hours, working the alphabet backwards and forwards.

But we made it, even with the dense fog that was rolling into the southern New England shore.  By the time we boarded the ferry from Port Judith to Block Island, we couldn't see a hundred yards in any direction, if that.  And yet we still rode up top, in the blowing, wet fog; we were all wet-haired almost immediately.  It wasn't super cold, though, and we laughed the whole way (luckily, we'd eaten our lunches waiting in the ferry line instead of saving them for the ride as we had planned.)  Bud jumped every time the fog horn blew, approximately every two minutes.

We stayed at the 1661 Inn, where we stayed last time, in a gorgeous big room, in its own separate house on the property.  It had an airy, bright sea-colored room with a gas fireplace (and an Anton Otto Fischers maritime painting c 1919  over the mantel) and a huge porch, plus a giant bathroom with a jacuzzi bath and two "rainforest" showers.  Luxurious.  We voted it second-best hotel room ever, after the Lainston in Winchester.   The whole inn is lovely--and the hydrangeas were even still in bloom!

We didn't stay long but headed out to see what we could see, with our first visit to the nearby Southeast Light.  The kids ran around the yard, marveling at the fog while Mama and I took photos.  Perfect weather for a supposedly haunted light.  The fog horn was blaring the whole time.

We then headed to the other end of the island, to see the labyrinth and other lighthouse.  Well, we saw the beach where the light was but couldn't see as far as the light.  We could, however, enjoy the labyrinth and walked the whole path.  I wasn't quite as philosophical as last time, though I did notice that walking it as a family, however separated, gave the experience new meaning--we high-fived as we passed one another and occasionally waited along the way for a hug.  At the end, Bud lead me on to the end.  You could run with the symbolism of all of that.  Still, they took the whole path more joyfully that the grown ups, reveling in the full physical experience of a maze on a hill in the fog.

We made a stop at the local grocery store for snacks and then went back to the room.  Bud wanted to have a tub in the jacuzzi and we all enjoyed relaxing in the room, even with no view.  The fog really was a singular experience and lent wonderful atmosphere to our first day; I'm just glad it cleared overnight.

We had an amazing early dinner at Eli's:  artichoke veloute with a crabcake, warm goat cheese and arugula salad, breads with olive oil, tuna nachos, a short rib burger, a roasted chicken breast, filet mignon with roasted vegetables and gnocchi, chocolate bread pudding, lemon mousse cake, and an incredible butterscotch pudding.

And it was still early, so we enjoyed the fireplace and sat doing some of the activities we brought along--coloring books, crochet, yo-yo.  Eventually, we went to bed, with the increasing winds rattling the whole little building in which we slept.

Saturday

The wind died down by dawn, having cleared away all the fog.  Sis was up first and out on the porch to watch the sunrise.  She's been waking early since the time change made 7 am into 6 am.  We all joined her.  At any given point in the trip, I was taking photos with my cellphone while Mama and Sis took photos on two of the cameras she brought.  Sis is just like Mama and they take many of the same views.  It was a beautiful sunrise and then we all sat on the porch, drinking tea and hot chocolate, coloring and doodling in the morning light, waiting for breakfast.

Mmmm, breakfast!  Omelets to order, tasty morning glory and lemon poppyseed and pistachio muffins, pancakes (French toast the next day), potatoes, ham, bagels, toast, juices, coffee, tea--what a way to start the day!!

Right after breakfast, one of the owners of the Inn took us on a tour of their farm, complete with exotic animals.  The kids enjoyed feeding, petting, interacting with, and even just seeing the two Bactrian camels, lemurs, kangaroo, Flemish Giant bunny, a giant tortoise, an African crane that danced for Sis, llamas, yak, and other creatures.

Then we went to the Northern Light fiber arts shop--yep, yarn!!!!  The kids enjoyed both the multi-colored yarn and the big yellow lab-mix dogs.  And I picked up some lovely yarn, for a hat, mittens, and a blanket.  Bud learned to weave on a lucet and got one to use at home.  Sis picked up a felting kit and worked on it over the weekend to create a picture of the Southeast Light.


Kite-flying was next.  The warmth of the weather was unbelievable.  We needed jackets but not much else.  And so we headed to the beach to fly two kites Mama had brought, a synapse self-inflating kite and a parafoil or something-or-other.  They had such a good time flying the kites in the not-too-strong breeze.  I searched the beach for seaglass, finding just a few pieces, but enjoying the search.



By then we had worked up an appetite and headed to Bethany's Airport Diner, where Mama and I had eaten on our last trip.  What a huge disappointment!  We waited by a dirty table and were roundly ignored for upwards of 10 minutes, when finally one server said to another, nodding at us, "Do you want to clean that table?"  "No," she replied.  And kept ignoring us.  We left, of course,  Were they rude because they're rude?  Tired?  Or because we're not locals? a lesbian family? bi-racial?  A painful experience but a good teachable moment for the kids.  Shame on them.  It was the only negative event in three days.  But we had a fabulous, friendly, tasty meal at Kimberly's.  Bud licked the bouillabaisse bowl clean, while Mama inhaled the fried oysters.  Sis and I enjoyed more usual fare, a burger and a meatball grinder.

We did a little shopping and, in chatting, learned from the store owner the best beach to find seaglass. I promised I wouldn't publicize it, though.  We made plans to go the next day, at low tide, as recommended.

We spent some quiet time waiting for sunset, enjoying the room and our activities--felting, reading, coloring, crocheting, jacuzzi, sitting on the porch.  We shared some nibbles with the other guests and then headed out to see sunset at the lighthouses.  There wasn't much color at the Southeast Light, so we headed to North, on the rocky beach, and stayed there until well after sundown, building rock cairns, rock mandalas, throwing stones, watching the waves, reflecting.  I bet we were out there an hour or more, a testament to the mild weather.  I even walked in the dark halfway down the rocky beach, though we didn't get as far as the light.

Dinner was takeout from the Old Island Pub, and more sitting around the room.

Sunday
Another pretty sunset, cooler temperatures and a perfectly clear and cloudless day, our first there.  We  watched from inside and did our thing, then ate another delicious breakfast before heading out for the day.  We were going to the seaglass beach, that is after taking a family photo at the North Light, hopefully for use as our Christmas picture.  We got the picture, perhaps, and drove to the other secluded beach.

It was rocky and immediately rewarded our search efforts with various pieces of glass.  We threw back all the glass that was still shiny, in hopes that it would one day become seaglass (though, it occurred to us later that maybe that wasn't the most green of choices; and we'd already discussed that the very existence of seaglass was a testament to the fouling of the environment.)  We found lots of green and brown and white, a few blue, a couple of yellow; some was more frosted or had more softened edges that others, we weren't super picky.  More than anything, it was a wonderful morning on the beach.  Walking, thinking, searching, throwing rocks into the waves.  We spent our whole morning here, returning to town with just enough time to check out, grab supplies for a ferry-ride lunch, and get in line at the dock.

The ride back across to the mainland was gorgeous; you could see clear across.  It was cold and bright, but we were some of the only people on the top deck.  We never like to ride downstairs.  Who knows what you might miss?  No seals this time, just a trawler with hundreds of birds and more flying to it.

We all loved the weekend and couldn't choose our favorite parts.  We all agreed that next year we should stay three nights so we could do some hiking and have extra down time.  And we all liked November--no other people around, "atmospheric" weather that encouraged hibernation, a nice break from school.  We'll definitely do it again.

Until then, I inadvertently collected a few pictures about Block Island itself, and finish with them here.  Together, they served as inspiration for my own doodles during our down time.  I'll post my doodle later, if I finish it.

From the window of a closed souvenir shop

From a tire cover on the truck in front of us on the ferry going over

An old map with notations about things not on newer maps, like the "third" lighthouse in the north

Wild Life

This morning we almost lost our collective breakfasts.  See, we were watching a squirrel play in the gutter on our garage, which is clearly visible from the kitchen table where the kids and I eat in the morning.  Suddenly, a white flash swooped down from behind the house towards the squirrel.  The squirrel must have sensed danger because it jumped straight off the garage to the ground, a good 8'+! The red-tailed (or red-shouldered) hawk couldn't turn around and thus missed its breakfast.  As we all continued gasping in surprise, Bud asked, "Was that Stumpy or Fluffy?" (Yes, we nickname our squirrels.)

I replied, "I think we should call that one Lucky!"

Just the day before I made the brief acquaintance of a turtle who could have gone by that name, too.  I was driving home on some back roads when I slammed on my brakes--there was a turtle crossing the road.  I pulled over and went to encourage the turtle to get out of the way.  It wasn't a super busy road, but there were a lot of fast cars (don't worry, I was safe.)  Another woman came up as I got out and got out to help, too.  Only then did we discover it was a snapping turtle.  I had gone to give it a nudge with my shoe when it did a 180-degree turn and stretched for my toe viciously.  No harm done, so I guess you could call me "Lucky."  With cars detouring around us, we managed to protect the turtle until it made its way across the road.  It was very disconcerted by us--and kept pausing to pose and look intimidating, snapping a few more times--I wonder if it would have gotten across faster if I hadn't stopped.  But, judging by the number of cars that slowed down to go around, I'm just not sure the turtle would have made it.

"What Is It?"

We have a new favorite game:  guess the animal.

It's like 20-questions, but we don't limit it to yes-no answers.

Sounds basic, except we allow "mythical creatures," which we've defined as any animal-like critter not just from classical or world mythology but any book we've read or movie we've seen.  Which includes Harry Potter, Star Wars, "Pokemon", How to Train Your Dragon, Percy Jackson, etc.

It's wonderfully fun and sometimes quite challenging.  Especially because Bud has read some books we haven't and comes up with critters we don't all know.  Like kelpie, which I know as an Irish mer-like creature (a la Secret of Roan Inish), but not as the water-horse-thing he described.

With all this focus on the unusual, I've stumped them with barnyard creatures!  It took them forever to guess cow and horse last week.

We're pretty creative with questions (plus the more expected fur vs. skin vs. scales vs. feathers):

• bigger or smaller than you?
• have you seen a real one?
• paws or feet or hooves?
• two legs or four?  (Sis likes to ask if it's only four legs in the morning, a la Oedipus and the Sphinx!)
• is it a composite, made up of lots of critters?
• can it speak or understand English?  (for those mythical creatures, like the mice in Cinderella!)

And Bud has started asking outright, "What is it?"--and I've almost been fooled into answering him!

On the way home from Boston, we limited it to animals that we encountered--alive-or in another way--during our weekend.  For two hours, plus dinner, we played, insisting that we guess not only the animal but the location.  We had: the unicorn (crest at the State House), the mouse (in the hands-on game at the State House), a cat (Dusty, a real cat, at the bookstore), ducks (the statue in Boston Common), a horse (horse-drawn carriage in the Common), a deer (crest in the lobby of the Parker House), frogs (statue near Frog Pond ice rink), a grasshopper (huge sculpture at science museum), butterflies (real, also science museum), a goat (play stuffed one at the Constitution museum), Adipose (the white fatty creature from Doctor Who, at the comics store in Quincy Market!), to name but a few.

Not something obvious like the penguins at the aquarium, though!

Romeo and Julicat?

For a week running, our cat Hermione has perched downstairs in the basement window . . . for the entire night.  Sometimes we hear thumps, as if she were batting the glass, but mostly she sits looking out.

And now we know why:

She has a visitor.

Though, we're not sure what.  Is it friend or foe?  A suitor or attacker?  Whatever it is, Hermione is very interested.  It comes every night, apparently.  From the footprints, it is clear it circles back and forth.  Small footprints--another cat?  Nocturnal, surely.

But it also tries to get in and has managed to pull the screen off the window twice.  And now we can see that the plastic frame of the window has been slightly bent.  There are no scratch marks, though, like a raccoon or opossum.

Mama jokes that we should put up a web cam.  I suggested staking it out from the car.

Whatever it is, Hermione is silent on the matter and sleeps off her nightly activities all day . . . .

Is this what having teenagers is like??

Raccoons

After the kids climbed aboard the bus yesterday, the bus driver motioned for me to step forward.  "Two huge raccoons just went in your backyard.  Be careful."

I was taken aback.  Not by the raccoons but by his need to warn me about them.  Sure, raccoons can startle you, hiss and get aggressive, and, sure, it was daylight, and most raccoons shouldn't be out and about, but I don't know if they attack people.  Is suburbia so tame that we need a warning about raccoons?

Still, I was glad for the information, and curious, and so I walked the yard.   Alas, no sign of them.

Until about an hour later when I walked around the block a few times.  There in front of me in a neighbor's yard were indeed two raccoons:  a big giant mama raccoon and a much smaller child raccoon.  Cute.  I had the sensation that they were looking for a place to go, ambling along.  And then I remembered, for two days now, a neighbor has been clearing the back of his property of trees and undergrowth, felling about seven huge trees and all the stuff in between.  Was this raccoon family homeless because of the clearing?  Were they looking for a new place to live?

They left before I got a picture of them for the kids.  I hope they find a place to live.  And in the end, I'm more scared of my neighbor's maniacal felling of nature than of two raccoons.

Advent Activities: Twofer

On Sunday, we got two Advent activities for the price of one because we actually did one of the activities on our list before we even checked, "watch a holiday special like The Nutcracker, Emmett Otter, etc." We watched The Nutcracker on tv, Pacific Northwest's original dream-oriented interpretation. Mama had actually never seen the ballet, even though she grew up in the city of Balanchine's famous version. I'd seen it once, at the enormous Jones Hall in Houston, with Miss B, son C, and other friends. I think I still have the mini Nutcracker ornament to remember the magical day. This tv Nutcracker wasn't too magical, with settings and story so abstract that it needed voice-overs to explain it, not your typical beginner's ballet. And so the kids were turned off and instead begged to watch the Rockettes' version, with giant bear characters and dancing pandas. I liked it better too.

Then, our official Advent activity was "make treats for animal friends." I had a box mix and fish cookie cutter to make treats for our cats but we got too busy. Luckily, the church kids' sale had bird seed ornaments for sale. We bought one for each of us to hang in the yard. Though, truth be told, these were more for the squirrels, who were chomping on them in minutes.

And if the old wives' tale about fat squirrels presaging a hard winter, it's going to be very cold and snowy this year.

My Backyardigans

Reveling in the first day of sun in what seems like almost a week (during which time we've heard about more basements flooding than you can imagine--hope yours dries out, Neighbor K!--and welcome to the blog!), the kids were outside most of the day, renewing much of the play they'd been engaged with all last week. They dug as archaeologists, baked pies in their restaurant, threw their flying discs in a made up game of catch (Bud was the Sand City Sharks and Sis was the Red Blossoms) during which they ran around not one but two sets of baseball bases, and then ran marathons all around the yard. They spotted cardinals, mourning dove, the omnipresent-herald-of-spring robin, and lots of squirrels.

Squirrels are of particular interest these days because Sis spotted their nest last week during dinner.

"Mom," she said with a mouthful of meatloaf, "there's a squirrel in the tree."

"I'm sure, honey. There are lots of squirrels out these days."

"No, Mom," she said indignantly, "in the tree. In the tree."

I couldn't see from my spot and so, at her impatient insistence, moved around to look out the patio doors. And there, in the tree, was a squirrel, coming in and out of a hole in a knot in our large silver maple. It was apparently cleaning out its nest, seemingly removing old debris and bringing up new. Maybe for some babies? Honestly, I'm not sure I've ever seen an animal or bird actually nest inside a tree, though I've seen pictures and learned in school that they do. But they do. They really do.

Amazing the things you can see and do in the backyard.

Mules, Mujadara, Music, and Mmmmm

At the Nature Center, we petted a chinchilla, avoided all the pea hens, cowered at the clucking chickens, lavished love on the giant rabbits (even introducing the white one to Amy the bunny and the beige one to Tango the penguin), laughed at the otters, chased the huge farmyard cats, eyed the boas and pythons warily, and smiled at the llamas, donkeys (okay, they weren't mules), sheep, goats, and various cows. We also skipped rocks on the ice of the pond, marveling at the distances of sticks, bark, and acorns.

Then we had lunch at a local Middle Eastern place, one of the best we've encountered here (in Chicago, we lived around the corner from four great ones (Cousin's, Reza's, Andie's, and the Olive Tree!) and so go into withdrawl frequently for various Mediterranean dishes). We ordered a little bit of everything, not sure what the kid would like, even though we billed it all as "Silk Road food": lentil soup, mujadara (lentils and rice with fried onions), "plain" rice (with noodles, a lot like rice a roni), chicken kebab, chicken shwarma, kefte kebab, and a platter with hummus, baba ganoush, dolmades, tabbouleh, pita, tahini, and garlic dip--most of it sprinkled with sumac. YUM! Bud liked the shredded chicken shwarma mixed in with the plain rice, while Sis liked either chicken as long as it was still in the wrap, sans all sauce. Their favorite part? The mango nectar drink. It was a wonderful change from our usual fare, which is mostly Italian or Chinese. And each time we go, we swear we'll go more often.

Then we went to the concert, which focused on percussion instruments. I knew it was perfect for Bud and Sis as we entered the hall and saw the djembe and doumbek drums, marimba, and gongs. Then the percussionist came in waving one of those plastic ribbed tubes that whistle when spun. That got everyone's attention! He and the trumpet player then spent the next 45 minutes talking about beat/pulse, rhythm, vibrations, melody, rounds, fanfares, and the like, in a very entertaining and age-appropriate way. Bud and Sis sat on the floor with Mama and were mesmerized, clapping and singing along, even getting to place their hands inside the drums to "feel" the sounds. But their favorite part, after the marching along to the snare drums, was playing the instruments themselves: drumming on the two drums, using the mallets on the marimba, even fingering the valves of the trumpet while he blew. It's the second time we've been to the children's symphony concerts and we can't wait to go see the whole orchestra when they turn 6 (and can go for free with an adult!).

We made a last stop at the cupcake shop on the way home for gigantic cupcakes. Bud, of course, wanted strawberry, which they fortunately had, in a normal size. But Sis got a chocolate one that was huge! It was disappointing, though, because the cake turned out to be vanilla and her little face fell. So, of course, we fetched a full on chocolate one, which she devoured, getting so much chocolate on her face that the table across the room thought she was so cute. Mama's tiramisu cupcake was a great idea but disappointing, probably because they didn't/couldn't include the alcohol! I got a peanut butter/chocolate combo that was outstanding, perhaps for the nostalgia factor, as the pb frosting reminded me of the pb cake I would get in elementary school.

All in all a great day, except it's Sunday and we usually do these outings on Saturday, so I keep thinking that tomorrow is a family day, too.

A Hoot of a Good Time

I got to be class parent today, volunteering to help out because the ZooMobile was visiting. The first half of our day was a normal preschool day, with playtime (we hopped from station to station as the kids showed me everything they do) and snack time (I got to sit with them both, went meant changing all the groups around because usually they sit at different tables; all the kids thought that was strange). Oh, and "calendar time," where they mark the day, check the weather, and say the Pledge of Allegiance--and because I was there, Sis got to do the calendar and Bud did the flag. It was cute to see them proudly perform their tasks.

Then the zookeeper came with several covered crates. Now, I have to say that I was really looking forward to seeing the hedgehog they'd seen last year, the main reason I'd signed up to be "zoo mommy" today. And, for Sis, I was hoping for a bunny. But we would both miss out on those, but not, in any sense, miss out. Sure, I wasn't that interested in the walking stick bug, salamander, bearded dragon lizard, or the rat, though I was impressed with the zookeeper's style and information, which kept the whole thing lively and interesting (and under control), which is not necessarily easy with a group of 4 year olds who mainly want to tell you about their pets! They were, though, very interested in all the other creatures, getting to touch most of them (Sis touched all of the ones she could, but Bud would only touch the rat--which is the only one that most of the adults wouldn't touch!).

But then she brought out the screech owl, this tiny little feathered bird with huge eyes, weighing no more than a quarter pound, full grown. I was mesmerized; it really was beautiful. And small, though it can eat mice, voles, and bats even. Did you know that their eyes are so big that there is no room for muscles to move their eyeballs around which is why they are able to turn their heads almost all the way around? Which the bird did several times. I think I'm growing increasingly fond of owls, right up there with cats, pandas, koalas, and hedgehogs in my favorite creatures list, I think, from seeing a real one and then hearing several real ones in the wild in Texas, to the one-winged owl we saw at the nature center, to the owls at the zoo, plus of course owls as the symbol of my favorite Greek goddess Athena, and a sign of wisdom. So, even though there were not bunnies or hedgehogs, I was thrilled to be the zoo mommy today, getting to see the owl.

Oh, and my kids!

Room With A View

Or, what we saw while we were having dinner tonight.

Yep, a beautiful doe eating ivy from our rock wall.

After seven years of no chemicals and a casual attitude towards indigenous plants, our yard is a veritable organic salad bar!

Animal Dreamtime

Yesterday, zookeepers visited Sis and Bud's school, bringing with them animals to share. Bud and Sis were ecstatic with the visit, baraging me with stories of the "xiao bai tu," or white bunny, as well as the bird (was it a dove? they couldn't be sure) and the hedgehog. A hedgehog! I was totally jealous. I love hedgehogs, well, except that I've never seen a real one. I love the cartoon ones, the ones in Jan Brett's books or in my British cross-stitching magazines featuring Country Companions. I would love to live in a place where I have a hedge and a garden and little hedgehogs running around, but I've contented myself with the animated variety. Today my kiddos saw a real one and wanted to take me, immediately, to the zoo to see it too (though, I've never noticed a hedgehog compound at the zoo). Alas, it was too cold and so I had to live vicariously through their stories.

There are other animal fantasies we have. Last weekend, Sis was enumerating for Mama which animals she wanted to see for real: an orca, a whale shark, a panda (she saw one of these when she was 8 months old but of course doesn't remember). Mama even brought home pictures and a notebook so Sis could compile her own journal of things she liked and wanted to do.

I don't think Bud really dreams about animals. He's very fond of his stuffed penguins but I'm not sure he needs to see the real ones, except in the zoo or aquarium.

But Mama dreams of penguins and she wants to go to Antarctica to see them. Our friends, nicknamed collectively "Benny," went a few years ago and had a life-changing experience. And so Mama is focused on our own trip there, in a decade or so, when the kids will be old enough to go. And we've saved the money to do it. Whenever we talk about traveling, even just daytrips locally, she gets that wistful look in her eye that someday we will visit the South Pole and the penguins there. Until then, she's content to plan it. And save.

Today, in the paper, I saw an article on swimming with the manatees. Mama and I love manatees, those gentle "sea cows," that we have seen in the aquarium at Disney World/Epcot. But can you imagine actually swimming with them? Mama, would you push back penguins a year or two to swim with manatees?

My dad and mom recently pursued animal fantasies in Alaska, wandering the state during an exceptionally rainy August in hopes of seeing a bear. I think they saw a moose, pretty sure they saw an eagle, but the bear was illusive, despite several attempts to see one. And then, I believe, on their drive back to town to leave the next day, Dad took one of his famed "shortcuts" down a backroad and there it was: a black bear in the grass. And they've got the pictures to prove it.

What is it about animals? My friend who visited this morning is an animal person. I've always had and loved my pets. Mama is devoted to our cats, past and present (it is the second anniversary of Morgan's death soon, which is hard). Neither Mama nor I have much experience in nature seeing animals, though I come from an outdoorsy family and my dad's idea of the perfect day is just to sit and watch birds land on his duck pond, beavers try to dam his pond, or a deer wander across the yard in front of his cabin in the wild woods of Texas. I think Sis has inherited Pop's connection with nature. She has this rapport, this connection,this bond with animals--our cats, squirrels in the yard, animals at the zoo/aquarium/nature center, animals in pictures, her toy animals (which is why Diego is still her favorite tv character and "Wonder Pets" one of her favorite shows). She came up with being a vet for Halloween all on her own and it fits her. There is something spiritual about our interactions with nature, particularly with animals, that can be life-changing, awe-inspiring, emotional. And because of the nature of the world we live in, these interactions are few and far between and become relegated to the realm of dreams alone.

My own animal fantasies are pretty typical: whales in their native habitat, ditto with koalas, and those hedgehogs, of course. I had another--to see a panda bear, in captivity or not--and three years ago, we all visited the National Zoo. And there was the mommy panda and her own baby (born the same weekend as the twins!). It was breathtaking. And I cried. And I will cry when they send the "baby," now a big panda, back to China. And so, we will probably be going back to D.C. soon to visit, to revisit my panda love and to fulfill Sis's.

And then, for sure, penguins.

The Vet and the Athlete

The themes of the last several days, in addition to birthday and food, have been animals and sports. Sis's world revolves around animals, wild and domesticated, while Buddy is obsessed with sports, moving beyond his usual baseball fanaticism to embrace football and soccer too.

As part of their birthday celebration weekend, Mama took Friday off and we went to the zoo to see the special bird show. Sis was so excited to see live scarlet macaws, owls, and especially the singing parrot, who can perfectly imitate "Old MacDonald." Now, Sis imitates the parrot singing, with a funny way of saying "ei-ei-o." If you live in CT, definitely catch the bird show at the zoo; it's worth it. But it was Bud who was brave enough to give the raven a donation. Sis just watched. And Mama and I wore the little rubber bracelets with "Fly Free" on them. We also saw our usual tour--wolves, tigers, rainforest, otters, etc.--but this time the Andean bears were actually awake! I think that's a first in three years of going! Of course, the best part, as usual, was riding the carousel, which Sis did 3 times and Bud did 1. She gets very excited about which animals she rides, choosing the zebra, gorilla, and panda this time. She noticed that the panda was holding something. "Bamboo," Mama explained. She said she thought it was holding a whistle. And it does sorta look like that.

We picked up Goo after a car nap and went straight for lunch at a Tex-Mex place that Sis has now dubbed the "chip restaurant." She loved the crispy tortilla chips and Bud actually liked the spicy salsa. Then she inhaled some chicken fingers while he ate a whole plate of rice and beans, leaving quesadillas untouched. We treated ourselves to ice cream afterwards, receiving balloons for their birthdays. She got chocolate with M&Ms and he got strawberry with mini gummies. Mama got a special Pina Colada ice and I got tamarind ice, which was wonderfully sweet and sour. No one else wanted any so I got the whole thing to myself. We spent the rest of the day playing outside in the playhouse from Gommie and Pop and in the little pool. Buddy insisted on playing pretend baseball, where we pretend to throw the ball and he pretends to bat and then runs the pretend bases in a homerun. At least there are no balls to chase!

The birthday party was all animals. And Sis loved it. Bud had a good time, but it was Sis who was really in her element (which is fine; he liked last year's outside bubble party much more than she did). They both liked having the undivided attention of Goo and our babysitter, who came to help and help celebrate. (this made it so much easier to set up and talk to the people running the birthday). They got to pet bunnies, a guinea pig, a dove, and snakes. Yay, snakes. Sis was probably the most intrigued--I'm not even sure how many of the other kids touched the animals, though I'm assured by the moms that they had a good time--she even lay on the floor face-to-face through the cage with the guinea pig. The staff of the nature center were impressed by her rapport with them. Sis loves animals. She had, coincidentally, received a play vet kit from us for her birthday. And she proceeded to examine all of her stuffies, finding "wrinkly paws," other ills, and just pets who needed checkups. Even when she played explorer with the kit she got (or was it for Buddy? Sometimes the lines get blurred after the fact), she was looking to rescue animals. No wonder she selected Diego, the Animal Rescuer, as her theme for plates and napkins. And the animal cupcakes--with these wonderful photo transfers of various woodland critters (thanks, T!)--were for her.

Buddy had chosen baseball plates and napkins and had "Yankee symbol" cupcakes. He was so excited to see them! He spent the weekend, when we weren't at the zoo or the nature center looking at animals, or eating Tex-Mex, birthday cakes (including one from Junior's from Goo!!), and ice cream, trying to corral us to play sports with him. We played real and pretend baseball. And then we added other sports because he got this Diego sports pack for his birthday complete with little football and soccer ball (plus bat, baseballs, and glove). So he donned his new Yankees shirt, played baseball, and then switched to football, which he played with Mama and Sis at church. He has even got a good spiral on his pretty accurate throws. And he's slept with that football the last three nights! Mama suggested we get him an orange and white football while we're in Texas. I don't think Uncle Soccer would quite approve. Especially because I suggested we should substitute that for the ring pillow! But hopefully, they can play sports together. Buddy has even picked up on his new uncle's favorite sport, having watched some women's soccer (USA vs Brazil) with us. We ran around the living room trying to kick it under the coffee table, shouting "Goal!" everytime we did. He likes the celebration--running around for his homeruns and dancing with his arms up when he catches a pass are an important part of his game. We'll have to look into going to some local games (though, we did record the home run derby for him tonight, too).

So, a vet and an athlete. Not a bad way to spend a third birthday. They've even decided that those are what they want to be for Halloween. It's easier than a jaguar costume!