Zoo field trip with Noah

This year, I had not been able to chaperone for a single field trip for Noah's class.  To be fair, there was only two other ones, but I never had someone to watch Elliot.  So I volunteered for the final trip of the year, Zoo day, way in advance determined to find someone.  Luckily, my sister, Sam, has graduated from college and just finished a long-term subbing position so she was willing to watch E.  It was a very hot day.  My extra kid had a schedule conflict and was going to meet us at the zoo later in the morning.  I understood his mom would call me when she got there and we'd meet up.  Easy Schmeasy.  I only was in charge of Noah for awhile.  I then got an extra kid, since his chaperone's son was sick.  

I love volunteering at school.  It's really fun and hysterical watching the kids together.  They are just so funny.  It's also hard work and makes me really appreciate the teachers.  They work so hard.

This is Noah & Gavin on the bus to the zoo.  Riding the bus is such fun for them.

The group of kids we spent the day with, waiting on the Tram to take us to Africa
(Sam, Maddie, Delaney, Charlie, Oscar, George, Gavin & Noah)

These goofballs were putting on the most hilarious "show" for us on a stage

Waiting in line for the carousel

Oscar & Noah doing their best fish face

Fin & Noah on the bus ride home.
Finn was my "charge" that came late.  His mom ended up staying with us for the field trip & we had a great time.

 

Boo at the Zoo

A couple of weeks ago I took Noah and Elliot to the zoo. It was Halloween weekend, when the zoo puts on its "Boo at the Zoo".  Kids come wearing costumes, and they hand out candy about every 15 feet it seems.  I didn't know that, so the boys weren't dressed up.

We got there a few minutes before it opened, so the kids killed the time playing outside the entrance.  They like this part just as much as they like the zoo, but it was pretty cold that morning, and we eventually went inside to warm up and wait.

One of the zoo employees, dressed in a "Jason" mask, sat down nearby, and far from being scared, Elliot went over and climbed right up on the chair next to him to talk.  The zoo finally opened, and the boys took off with me following.  We were among the first ones there, so they fortunately hadn't set out any candy stands yet.  

We took the tram over to the African Sky Safari, a ski lift-type ride that goes over Africa.  They insisted, although I'm no fan of heights, or riding on these things.  Elliot loved it, pointing this way and that at all the animals. Noah was a little more nervous, but got over it quickly as I somehow managed to convince him there was nothing to be afraid of, while I had a death grip on the safety bar. 

We had the place virtually to ourselves and the boys ran from exhibit to exhibit.  We walked/ran all the way back to the entrance - a distance of at least a couple miles I think.  Elliot finally gave in and asked me to carry him.  As we walked over the bridge that crossed the Blue River way down below, he asked to look over the side.  As I started to show him, he said, "Don't drop me dad.  I would fall all the way down there, and you would be sad."  Yes indeed.  

When we got back to the front part of the zoo, the boys were surprised to come across tables where they were handing out little candies.  It was a nice finish to a good morning for them.  

High-fiving "Jason"

Riding the tram

Checking out the hippos.  Elliot asked if they were "hungry, hungry".

Taking a break.

Three little monkeys.

Time for a snack.  This is the last time we saw E's jacket.

Having some ice cream after a long walk.

Posing in front of the pumpkins

Looking for the sea lions

Riding the merry-go-round

Final snack of the day.

It's a bear!!!

Even though he’s four, we still use a monitor in Noah’s room. I’m not sure when parents normally stop, but it is hard to hear him from our room, and even though it’s rare, he occasionally gets up at night thinking that it’s morning, and goes downstairs.


As a result, we sometimes hear him talking in his sleep, which is pretty cute, and every once in a while we have to rush in there to talk him down from some nightmare he’s having (monsters, bugs, dinosaurs, etc).

About 3:45 this morning he woke up and I could hear his door open on the monitor, so I jumped out of bed to intercept him. When I ran into him in the hallway, he said “I just wanted you to sleep in my bed, daddy”, as if it were something that just happened to cross his mind in the middle of the night, and he was coming in to get me.

I took him in to the bathroom, then walked him back to his bed and lay down with him so he would go back to sleep. I started to hear him breathing deeply and I was about halfway dozed off myself when he suddenly yelled “Don’t let that polar bear get me daddy!!!!”

Now, it was iffy anyway whether I could get back to sleep after getting up at 3:45 AM, but until then I had a fighting chance. However, I was not expecting any noise as I tried, much less shouting in my ear. I laid there for a few moments, heart now beating fast; wondering where in the world that came from when it occurred to me that I was wearing a big, white polar bear on my chest from the charity run t-shirt that we got last weekend.

The start of Fall

I realize we're still officially in the throes of summer, but Saturday was such a Fall-like day, we couldn't help but be reminded that our favorite season is upon us. Even better, it was one of those days that is just enjoyable from start to finish.

The morning was crisp, cool and perfect. The kids were up at around 7:00. We started with a little breakfast, and after a quick trip to the farmer's market for some fresh eggs, we decided to go on a run with the kids to Loose Park. As Mandy pulled out the double jogging stroller, Noah quickly declared that he was going to run with us. Mandy and I rolled our eyes at each other, thinking that our opportunity for quality morning exercise was over before it began.

Noah started running with me while Mandy started jogging with Elliot in the double stroller. After less than half a block, Noah said he was thirsty. This is a standard excuse of his when he gets tired of riding his bike with us and wants us to stop for him, while he gets a drink from one of our water bottles. This time I told him he'd have to wait until we at least got to the end of the first block. We did a quick stop, and then he surprised us both by taking off and not really stopping for almost a quarter-mile, and then only because he "needed to catch his exercise" (his breath). After, literally, about five seconds, he jumped back up and took off again. We repeated this four or five times until we ran the entire 1.5 mile route to the park, and even then he wasn't quite finished, as we ran another quarter mile or so to the duck pond. At 3 years old.

We explored the park a little, and visited the Rose Garden, then headed down to the Plaza for a treat of chocolate milk at Starbucks for the boys, and to pick up my car that I'd left there overnight.

Loose Park Rose Garden

Afterwards, we drove home, got a bag packed, and went to the Zoo. We weren't the only people with that idea, as the weather was perfect and there was a new Polar Bear exhibit to see. Given the crowd at the exhibit, we skipped it and went on to see some of the other stuff. We took the train to "Australia", poked around there a bit, and had lunch on a nice big rock that Noah picked out. Elliot was winding down and getting ready for a nap, so we decided to walk back to the entrance and ran into Mandy's sister, who decided to visit the zoo with Charlie and Jason & his boys. We invited them over afterwards for a cookout, and left. Along the way we walked into what we thought was some kind of underwater exhibit and instead found that we'd walked into the below-water viewing area of the 140,000 gallon pool, and got to watch the bear swimming laps (ahead of all the people waiting in line, apparently). He'd swim underwater right up to the glass, put all four paws on the glass and push off again.

That afternoon, most of Mandy's family came over for a grill-out of hot dogs, fish tacos and salmon. The five older boys - Charlie, Noah, Cole, Elijah and Luke all played tag and hide-and-seek and other games outside while the adults chatted inside.

Kid table

Cole chasing Noah

Elijah giving Charlie a ride

Cole giving Luke a ride

Having 4 boys over to run wild with makes Noah a happy boy!

They were hiding here

Elliot riding his favorite little bike (hand-me-down from our neighbors) excited about Grandpa Rick's truck

Happy Charlie

Noah & Elijah

Elliot generously sharing his drumstick with "uh-suh" (Aunt Sam)

Yummy!

Poor Cole hurt his ankle

Trying to get every last drop of ice cream

Grandma Anita was singing "Wheels on the Bus" and E was cracking up

As if the boys weren't dirty and tired enough, around 7:00 several of us headed down to Edgevale Park to let Charlie, Noah and Elliot play in the dirt and sand.

We finally got back to the house after 8:00, and after a tub-blackening bath and a few bedtime stories (where both boys actually sat quietly and listened), Noah and Elliot slipped off to dreamland quickly.