Weekend update

Originally, DH had planned to take the older two girls to the big city an hour north of us by himself, giving me an opportunity to organize things at home in relative peace and quiet. But in the end, we decided to make it a family day; I'm so glad we did.

First we hit a pet store that had a small petting zoo in the back. We made our way through the store, oohing and ahhing at the cute puppies, the huge fish in the salt water aquariums, the mice and gerbils and rabbits, the parrots and parakeets, before stepping outside into the warm sunshine (hooray for spring!) and an array of exotic and farm animals. Uno and Dos liked it all; Tres was pickier. I thought she'd like the big soft eyes of the donkeys or miniature horses, but nope. I thought the scampering of baby goats (the billies with itty-bitty horns on their heads, so cute!) might catch her attention, but nope. The ostriches? The yak? Wobbly fat pigs? No, no, no. But then I set Tres down in front of a very large turkey with white feathers and a colorful, grizzled neck and head. He hissed at her from behind the fence. (Who knew turkeys hissed?) She laughed. He walked a few steps to the side, his angry turkey eyes never leaving hers. She chuckled. He walked back and spit out a low gobble. She giggled and giggled.

Turkeys are hilarious.

We left the store with some equipment for Uno's goldfish tank, a lawn ornament (an elephant carved in wood), and two whiny children demanding a puppy RIGHT NOW. Uno turned our attempts at teaching empathy back around on us: "How would you like it if you didn't get a puppy? How would that make you feel?" Actually, although I do consider myself a dog person, I'd be just fine with that, lol. I clean up enough poop as it is.

* * *

We met DH's part-time PA Friend Todd (when DH first introduced him to the girls a year and a half ago, he said, "This is my friend Todd" and he's been Friend Todd ever since) at Perkins for lunch. I had a pot pie. Uno stole Dos's rainbow pancakes, one bite at a time, and left her own scrambled eggs and bacon untouched. It turned out the guy who owns that Perkins is Friend Todd's patient at his other job, and he comped the meal for us. It's nice having such well-connected and influential friends!

* * *

Friend Todd went home to get his girls (9yo and 7yo) and we met them at the theater to see Horton Hears a Who. Uno chatted up the girls before the movie started, telling them about how she's five years old now (she has been since January, but it's still a hot topic of conversation). Dos chimed in that she used to be two, but she's three now (has been since last July). Friend Todd's girls smiled politely and nodded their heads.

I thought Tres would sleep through the movie after such a big morning, but she didn't. She alternately ate and stared wide-eyed at the bright colors on the big screen. All three of them slept on the drive home, though.


* * *

I taught the 12yos in Sunday School yesterday (DH and I share the job; we alternate weeks). Nobody would focus; I blame the nice weather. The kids -- even the usually very good, very quiet ones -- were cracking jokes and giggling long before I got to the part of the lesson about chastity (and long before I had to explain what a concubine was, though of course that explanation just made everything worse).

* * *

Uno and Dos were playing grownups yesterday after dinner: Dos was Mom; Uno was Dad. "Let's take a nap. I'm tired," Dos-as-Mom said in an unnaturally squeaky voice. "Me too," said Uno-as-Dad in false baritone. "But mostly I'm tired of cleaning up this pig style every day when I get home from work!"

* * *

DH & I watched a little TV after putting the girls to bed; he, as usual, maintained firm control of the remote. He kept switching back and forth between VH1's Rock of Love 2 with Bret Michaels and Ice Princess on the Disney Channel. "This show is so stupid," he said about the movie wherein a teenage bookworm discovers her passion for figure skating. But he kept watching and wouldn't turn it back to VH1. ;-)


~RCH~