Does this look like a hospital newborn picture to you?
For some odd reason it does to me. It`s just little L not liking her bath at the hotel.
Or maybe she wanted her bath to be longer-- not sure anymore.
Our time together as a family was SO SPECIAL-- especially for G and I. Just had fun dreaming, laughing at eachother (often in a shputting way) (did I just say that?) talking and about big and little things etc.
But let me tell you being at a hotel with two little kids-- STRESSFUL! Our room was so trashed we couldn`t even really enjoy it. I have to blame Elle mostly for that. And then you know, the ice chest has to be there because the mini bar doesn`t exactly hold bottles and jugs of milk etc. Then if we get mommy`s pretzels out, in 5 minutes they are everywhere (half of them dumped), including the bed sheets. And where can she play? Ok, not there-- that`s the desk. You can`t have daddy`s wallet. No, no. And no don`t touch the remote, because I want it... Stop playing with all mommy`s hair stuff in the bathroom. Please don`t run the water either... you mean you don`t WANT to look at your "same old" books mommy brought from home when mommy is watching TV? What? No? We will get something to eat but we aren`t ready yet and it will be awhile because our clothes are all mashed together in the one duffel bag we brought and mommy can`t get matching outfits for everyone since she can`t find half the clothes she brought... YOU HAVE TO BE NICE TO LAILA.
Man. somebody crank the air-- it`s so HOT in this room.
DO YOU PITY ELLE YET?
I sure do... sometimes being 2 is hard, especially since there are tons of things you can`t do.
Or let me correct it to say-- there are tons of things no one lets you do.
Or let me correct that to say-- there are tons of things
mommy won`t let you do.
We took her to the hotel`s pool-- she liked that.
Laila stopped crying. Now she wants to be cuddled...
Decided to take the girls to the zoo. You know, something special they will like.
We went on a Monday so that it would be relaxing and quiet and EMPTY.
I guess Monday is the day that this zoo lets all area residents in for free. It was beyond packed. Beyond. As we drove in, they had traffic directors everywhere just waving people where to park.
Throngs and throngs of PEOPLE. Hot, kids EVERY WHERE.
Not trying to be snobby, but that explained why I saw so many people that I wondered how in the world could they afford to go to the zoo. It was pretty touching really. But kinda sad too-- G said at one point-- he can`t take, hearing one more parent cussing at their kids. I saw one really sad looking situation where the mom swung a newborn around by it`s arm. She wasn`t mad at it-- that was just the way she picked it up.
Let`s just say it made for a day of "human watching"-- I don`t remember much at all about the animals. But... that may be, because, G would usually take Elle up close to the displays, and I would stay back with the huge double stroller and Laila. There were so many people looking, it would have been rude to take the stroller up close.
Elle: "Oh daddy, is that a giraffe? I have only yet seen those in picture books."
G: "Oh, Elle you have spoken that rather quaintly... And now I am, doing it too".
G is not a "picture taker"-- so if I want a shot with me on it-- it usually looks like this.
Flamingos are so odd. Really.
WHO sleeps on reed thin legs, that look brittle thin-- only to be more relaxed when the one is up?
"Laila Consueala"
The playground was "closed for painting".
How not cool. But we found one anyways.
Her mommy is resourceful. Her mommy has that good resourceful Swiss/German blood in her. (Read: Mennonite).
She played on this stone camel, like it was a playground built for a king.
Or. A wise man.
Elle dreams of watching more birds with binoculars (her favorite thing).
Daddy dreams of our air conditioned car, a smooth ride home and a backseat full of sleeping girls.
Looks like the giraffe is eating Elle.
Galen said this experience was a little different for him, then when he took his highschoolers, earlier this summer.
I bet-- highschoolers walk alone unaided, and when they want a drink they just go get one.
Oh, silly silly Elle.
I love my brownie and my blondie...
(I love their sweet daddy too)
Here is the usual shot after a hot, sweaty day with not a lot of water and regular nutrients.
All and all, it was a WONDERFUL time together... just a little different than G and I had planned in our heads.
Sometimes that makes the sweetest memories though.
What about you? Where was your stay-or-go "cation" this year?
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