Gommie's Weekend: Bunnies, Burgers, and Butterflies

It's been busy since Gommie arrived on Friday.

Zoar the bunny

She actually got to the northeast on Thursday--during that crazy thunderstorm, which delayed her flight for hours--and went straight to see Fun Home on Broadway, which she loved.  She stayed in the hotel that now occupies the building where I lived in graduate housing--it's much swankier now.  And then came to see us Friday midday.

We actually picked her up on the way to the open house at Sis's animal camp, where she and her fellow campers were providing information on a variety of animals, mainly small and wild.  Sis's group was in charge of the African pygmy hedgehog, named Biscuit, which could fit in her gloved hands.  Cute, spikey, and blonder than I think of hedgehogs being, we  learned that they can eat scorpions with no problems.  Sis was particularly good with holding and caring for Biscuit, who seemed a bit concerned with the noise as the exhibition continued.  She's the "hedgehog whisperer."  

After we had visited the ferrets, chinchillas, red-footed tortoise, corn snake, guinea pig and such and after her duties were over, she took us to see her all-time favorite, the bunnies.  (They weren't one of the animals the groups presented.)  Her favorite was the gray one named Zoar (I liked the big one named Winston, I think, a Flemish big one or something; he reminded me of our cat Mr. P.)  She had visited the bunnies and the otters, too, everyday on her way into camp.  Mama would send me a morning photo of the animals, especially because I'm partial to otters.  Sis loved this camp and asked if she could volunteer at the nature center--I know she'd love it.  And I didn't even mention that they have horses and sheep!

We got Greek food on the way home.  Saganaki (burning cheese!), patates (french fries), Bud's sauteed octupus, my tiganica chicken (lemon, onions, oregano), orzo, Sis's souvlaki, Mama's gyro, and Gommie's three dips (tzatziki, skardalia, and eggplant.)  Plus rice pudding!  We ate on it for two more days.

On Saturday, we had our usual ice skating and kung fu morning, followed by lunch at a burger joint.  A kinda fancy burger joint with truffle oil fries, lobster macaroni and cheese, Wisconsin cheese curds (but not really), and even duck burgers!  My burger had a fried egg, avocado, and kalamata mayo on a wedge of lettuce.  Sis had a humongous shepherd's pie.  And Gommie got a "flight" of burgers so she could have three different tastes.  She also taught the waiter how to make a milk punch!  Dessert was this pseudo-Ding Dong with flourless chocolate cake and a white chocolate mousse that was more like a cream-cheese filling.  Sis got the pineapple upside-down cake.  All pretty good.  We recuperated by watching Brave together.  Toward dinner time, we were invited to our neighbors to sample his latest brisket, which we all indulged in.  Gommie also got to meet their chickens.



Today, we went to the aquarium, so Bud could show us where he'd been to Oceanography camp.  We couldn't go out on the research vessel, but we could visit the touch tanks, sharks, sea turtles, jelly fish, otters, and, most importantly, the seal feeding that he'd wanted to see (though, we've seen that a dozen times over the years, but I'm not sure he really remembers.)  He knows each seal by name.  My favorite part this time was the butterfly exhibit.  Colorful insects made the flower bushes shimmer; butterfly shadows danced on the floor.  Several even landed on us--some on Gommie's hair, some on my bright skirt--we were told that some butterflies are attracted to white.  The kids were kinda disappointed not to attract any, though one brushed against Bud a few times.  I took lots of pictures and some even came out.  The one of the Monarch is actually from outside the butterfly tent; he's just a local!  I liked how the Blue Morpho-like ones seemed to flutter and dance in pairs.  There was also a small purple, black, and white couple near the exit.

For lunch, we headed across the street for Southern food.  Bud continued his seafood hat trick with PEI mussels in a saffron sauce--twice the manager commented on how amazing it is to see an adventurous kid.  They almost never even look at a children's menu now.  Sis had chicken fried bacon over hashbrowns with scrambled eggs, Gommie and Mama had a Low Country Eggs Benedict on grits, and I had shirred eggs and some biscuits.  Plus a mini-skillet of peach cobbler and a very moist and delicious tiered lemon cake.  We sure do know how to eat well.  Like yesterday, we came home and rested to a Disney film, this time Tangled.

And both nights were capped with a visit to the legion of fireflies in the yard, dozens of them, in our yard and in surrounding yards.  It's fun to see them at dusk because you can actually see the beetles flying between flares.  Several times tonight, there be a group practically blinking in unison.  Last night, we saw two bats (not coming out of our house!)  There are some mosquitos, too, so we don't stay out long.  Mama learned at the bird festival last week that there are actually as many barred and barn owls in CT as red-tailed and shouldered hawks, only you rarely see them because of the darkness and trees.  Haven't seen an owl yet here.  But we did see the mama raccoon cross the road by the stream.

And the week has only just begun . . . .

Sleeping with the Fish

Not "fishes."  This isn't a mafia thing.

It was a Girl Scout overnight at the aquarium.  Mama went with Sis and the troop, in my stead, since I couldn't sleep on the floor (no cots allowed.)  And they had a wonderful time.  Tour of the aquarium, IMAX movie, plaster shell art activity, feeding the seals, pizza dinner, cookie bedtime snack, and, best of all, sleeping in the galleries.  Our troop was with the sea turtle.  Though, apparently there was very little sleeping, with the girls giggling until 1:30 a.m. and wake up around 7:00 a.m.  Not enough sleep for anyone.  But they had a good time.  Sis is one of the only ones in her troop who hasn't been on a sleepover so we weren't sure how she'd do, hence Mama's attendance; she loved being with her friends and will probably be just fine for her first independent overnight.

Meanwhile, Bud and I were home alone.  We had a big Italian dinner--I got lasagna because Bud has wanted to try it since reading Garfield, who loves lasagna; Bud had his usual seafood pasta.  Then we watched Star Wars:  Attack of the Clones, while eating candy in bed.  We finished off the evening with some Minecraft.  Sure, it's not sea turtles, but it was a fun evening.  And we got a lot more sleep.  (However, he probably isn't ready for a sleepover; he sleeps too much like a heat-seeking baby koala bear, even in a big bed!)

Penguin-palooza!

Despite getting less than 5 hours, cumulative, of sleep last night (with a 1 a.m. bedtime, 1:45 child wake-up, and 6 am early riser), Mama and I decided to make it a big family day and head to the aquarium today. We hadn't been to the aquarium in awhile and so the kids, who love aquariums (having been to Mystic, NY, and the Maritime aquariums, plus SeaWorld), were thrilled. It was penguins, penguins, penguins, our first and last tour stops, where we watched the penguins swim and dive and even later bray like donkeys (these were South African "jack***" penguins). Bud coordinated the whole visit completely, with the aid of the map that he carried in front of him the whole time), leading us, with little help, to sharks (Bud's favorite), turtles, seals (Sis's favorite), otters (my favorite), stingrays, and other creatures in between, plus lunch and a quick stop at the shop to pick up souvenirs (a small stuffed penguin for him and a stuffed seal for her).

Before heading to the IMAX to see their first movie! It was billed as preschooler-friendly (which was, for the most part, true except the scary/creepy crab part) 32-minute, zany animal adventure, "Animalopolis." We prepped the kids--it'll be loud, big, and dark. Much louder, bigger, and darker than watching "Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies" on our 15" tv. But otherwise, the same concept: a video of animals doing their things. But immediately both were overwhelmed--was the Earth going to come out and squash them? could the crabs get them? why was the room moving? (at which point, I feared Bud would upchuck from motion sickness, but he made it through okay) Sis sat on Mama's lap while Mama covered her ears for her. Bud sat next to me, obsessed with "where" the animals were--is that Africa (for the lions)? where are we now (bears in the Rockies)? Ah, Africa again (zebras)--until the gross crabs appeared at which point he ended up in my lap and almost needed to leave. And, while they didn't laugh when the lions sang opera or the rhino yoddled (we had to keep telling them it wasn't real but a trick. Otherwise, seeing is believing for 4 year olds, even in this age of CGI, and they would have thought that lions could sing in Italian), they had a good time. When it was over, Bud declared, "That was the best movie ever!" and proceeded to dance all the way to the exit.

Then, waving goodbye to all the animals as we left, and with promises to come back to meet the penguins "on the loose" (a close-up encounter program that was way too crowded 30 minutes before it even started, which is why we went to the movie), we headed home, having had a great day.