The Stuffed Animal Basket

So life around here seems quite monotonous. I've been told that is very normal, even if you try to switch a couple days around, have different activities throughout the day, the big picture can many times feel like you do the same. exact. thing. every. single. day. It can make for some long days.

Because I knew life could seem quite dull, I resolved within myself to try and laugh every day with Zoë. I wanted to be able to see the funny, good, happy, sad all together and realize it was beautiful within itself.

So the other day, I'm in the kitchen cooking and had already talked with Zoë about playing with her toys in her room. This generally doesn't take much prompting, and thankfully, she'd felt like I'd spent plenty of time with her that day so she wasn't trying to "watch" me cook or feeling as though she needed me in her room. (If you missed her 18 month post, she asks to "watch" anything that goes on in the kitchen. Sometimes, if it is simple and easy to keep her out of harms way, I actually allow her to be in the kitchen with me while I cook. This day was not one of those days.) She headed to her room and I buckled down to hopefully have dinner on the table in time.

Somewhere in the mayhem of cooking dinner (as organized as I am with almost everything, dinner always seems to feel like I didn't plan or organize enough as I find myself moving from one part of it to the next. It always makes it to the table and I've yet to have a complaint yet, so I'm going to still count it a win.), I hear Zoë whining/crying in her bedroom. At first I think she's frustrated with a toy. Then it continues and grows a little in volume. I begin to wonder what exactly is going on because she will usually come find me when she needs help with something. Somewhere in the whining, I'm starting to hear an occasional "mommy" strung into the complete whiny/crying babble.

After about another minute of the whining/crying, which has intensified, I decide I'm better off hoping dinner doesn't burn while I go to check on her. As I walk into her room I'm a little alarmed she's not in my immediate vision. (Her room is set up where I have visibility of everything except the far right corner, which is completely parallel to the door way and slightly blocked by curtains hung on that same wall.) I turn my head to check that corner, only to find, well, why don't you see for yourself:

She had pulled all her stuffed animals out of their basket so she could climb in. Maybe because she enjoys doing this with empty boxes, which have much larger openings, she thought this would be a good idea. However, she didn't realize that she'd likely take out the lining in the basket nor that the basket is much smaller than boxes she's climbed in.

She was stuck. Completely.

I had to take a photo op before I helped her out, but honestly, she didn't seem to mind:

Saying "cheese"

As soon as I snapped the first pic, she started smiling and saying "cheese" for me. I'm guessing I didn't scar her by taking a couple photos of her basket-fun-gone-wrong since she immediately was all smiles. Plus, she gave me a couple of laughs and some really cute pictures.

I think this one would have been better had I not needed to use my AUTO mode and flash.

Oh this little stinker cracks me up! I'm so thankful for her huge sense of humor and ability to laugh in situations like this. Once she realized mommy was going to help her out of her little mess, she could have cared less she was stuck in that basket.

I am so unbelievably blessed!!

Have You Ever...

...seen an egg with a double yolk?

I think maybe, just maybe, I had heard of such a thing before, but today I was gifted with the pleasure sadness of cracking such an egg. Call me crazy for possibly shedding a tear or two over the, not one, but two unborn chicks that weren't given a chance to be oh so cute. And I happened to be the one that ate the white of that egg.

Ben asked me if I ate both yolks. I have borderline high cholesterol and was already planning on only eating one of my yolks from two eggs. So this one got pitched. I just found it quite interesting and then started musing about the thought of twin chicks growing in such a tiny space. Amazing the way God creates.

And just for laughs:

Ben said it looks like a yellow butt in this pic. I laughed.

Just sayin'.

A Trip to the Zoo

This is so long overdue. But I still must post it. Because I want to.

One of Zoë's gifts from her Paw Paw and Honey (Ben's parents) was a Houston Zoo Pass.

That's right; for an entire year, we get to go to the zoo fo' free! (Well, it wasn't free but you get what I mean.)

So anyway, I think probably the first weekend we were back home, we decided it'd be fun to go. Even though it was quite cold and windy. Thus, we packed up and headed out. (I'm really glad we went earlier rather than later. You guys, people were fighting over good parking spots and traversing up and down the lanes in their vehicles when there was good parking just across the street.)

Once we arrived I was immediately in love. It's going to be a great place to visit with a toddler on a nice, spring day, take our lunch and just spend the morning out there. Seriously! Can't wait!

Now for a photo dumping. And I'll forewarn you, most of them are animals. The ones that would come out. HA!

Our first stop was the mini aquarium they have at the front of the zoo. Zo Zo loved watching the little jellies swimming around. I must admit, they were pretty cool looking.

Up close. Look at the one in the bottom right. Freakishly amazing!

We also found Nemo and his dad!

And DORI! (Hey Mr. Grumpy Gills...)

Oh and the bubbles obessesed guy was there too! (Anyone remember his name? No I didn't bother to surf the web for it thought I sure it's out there.)

Anyone else with me on thinking sea horses are awesome? (True story: Ben and I have watched sea horse babies be born. And dude, there are TONS of them when the dad gives birth. CUHRAZEE!)

Lion fish. Freaky lookin'.

Ummm...I don't remember what this fish was but I'm dying over here. Ben called it the "Elvis" fish. BAHAHAHA!

I love roosters. I would never want to own one because I might shoot it when it crows at 4 am, but I think they're gorgous!

Having some good ol' turkey talk. I'm so glad Ben Franklin didn't get his way. I love eating turkey :)

So, I wasn't aware that porcupines are all cute little rodents and only their tails have those nasty barbs. I mean, those cute, round ears are begging for me to scratch behind them :) (So, if you weren't already aware, I love animals. Not sure why I didn't become a vet...)

This STUNNING bird was shot. She doesn't have her left wing :'( Such a majestic looking bird!

Hey Louisiana, wassup!? (Dude would not quit moving! Glad I got this shot.)

Should have got a better close up of this.  Mee Mee! (Anyone know what I'm talkin' about?)

Hey there Mr. Bat! Can you teach me to hang like that?

Look at that goat! So cute! He wasn't so smart though. He tried to eat the zoo map Ben had in his pocket. LOL (Umm..gotta say, LOVED the beards on these guys :])

tehehe

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

OMG you guys!

I was gonna caption this as "helping daddy brush the goat" and then...

...I saw his face! (Now I'm a believer...yeah yeah sorry!)

He looks like he's ready to kill.

Annnd

He's brushing the goat

BAHAHAHAHA

much better :)

Just to show how close the giraffes got. I'm not zoomed at all. They could have licked us if they wanted. And without sticking that ridiculously, long tongue out too far either!

Speaking of tongues...

Look at the cute baby!!!!!!

Jonothan the Lion. (yes, that's his name) Can I ask to take him home?

Pretty please? So he can be my Aslan? :)

I was so focused on getting her to look at the camera, the only good pic of her I'm not even looking at the camera. :/ But she's a darn cootie!

I wish I would have caught him throwing the hay on his back. He did not want to come out of his home. But for hay, heck yeah!

Those blasted wires were in the way :( Isn't the baby so cute?

I mean really? Makes me wanna hug him.

The monkeys weren't out. at. all. But I don't really blame them.

I felt horrible that we didn't have gloves for Zoë. Her poor little fingers were so cold :( I didn't think about it until way too late in the game (like, getting ready to leave) and even then, I haven't seen gloves her size to purchase :/

Our trip ended by us jumping someone off in the parking lot. Poor people were in town visiting, borrowing their son/brother's car and it wouldn't start. Thankfully, it jumped rather quickly.

I seriously can't wait to go back with Zoë. She loved looking at all the animals. And truth be told, I might have enjoyed it a bit more than her. Hopefully she'll like it just as much as she gets older.

The Sillyness...

...I call my husband. Though I can't always post what he says because I forget most of it, today I happened to capture a wonderful picture of said sillyness.

Behold the wonder of a 32 pack :)

Bahaha! I still laugh just thinking about it.

We had purchased a few more ice trays so it would be easier for me to make multiple baby foods in a fell swoop. When we arrived home, Ben started cleaning some of the dishes in the sink and I handed him the trays to add to it. He immediately took one and shoved it up his shirt, "Ever seen an 8 pack?" he asked.

I couldn't help but laugh because 1) he counted only half of the cube slots and 2) it was funny. He then decided that wasn't enough and shoved a second one up his shirt.

I love how I never know just exactly will come out of him. Keeps me on my toes and keeps me laughing :)

The Cutest Little Laugher

Oh how my sweet pea makes me laugh! Her personality is unfolding more and more and laughter just happens to occur quite a bit. Melts. my. heart! Makes me laugh too. Just thought I would share.

Sorry she's off in the corner. It was in hopes I would be able to capture her laughing...and I DID!

The Bug that Killed Me

...or so I thought it would.

Let me start here: I thought I would share a story with you, my readers, because as I was feeding my little girl dinner tonight, a fruit fly decided to enter the picture. Dangerously close to going in her little mouth. I laughed at the thought of her possibly eating said bug as I swatted it away.

Why did I laugh? I mean, she's a bit young to be swallowing bugs. 6 months old tomorrow to be exact. A little young to be laughing about it right?

Well, I couldn't contain the laughter. Mostly because it reminded me of the story I'm about to share.

You see, when I was, oh...somewhere in the neighborhood of early elementary (6ish. 7ish. idk), I was outdoors playing tag with some of my friends. The weather was lovely, for a Baton Rouge almost summer day, and there was nairy a cloud in the sky. The area we were playing in had a few trees, but you don't need those to grow bugs around here.

Anyway, as I was running to our home base tree, I was squealing in delight. This, of course, means my mouth was wide open. I was little girl. How could I not?

And then I saw it. Way too late. A huge bug (after remeniscing, I've concluded it had to have been some type of beetle) was flying straight for my face. As I realized what it was, I felt some horribly hard, large object become lodged in my throat.

"Oh no!" I thought. "That HUGE bug just flew down my throat. Oh my gosh! Oh my GOSH! OH MY GOSH! I'M GONNA DIE!!!!!!!!" (No lie! That is what I thought.)

I never told anyone, because I just KNEW I was going to die. I was too afraid to admit to someone that in the next couple of days I would be no more. And I certainly didn't want them to confirm it.

HAHAHAHA!!!

I stil laugh at myself for thinking that. Here I am, almost twenty years later, and nothing to show for it. Never had a problem after.

Oh the simple mind of a child. I'm sure I will have such lovely stories like that to share as Zoë grows. At least, that is, if she shares them with me and gives the ok to post. Otherwise they will be recorded in her special paper & ink journal :)