Return to the Zoo

At about this time last year we took Olivia to the Jacksonville Zoo. We had such a good time that we decided to go back again this year. There were several new things to see and do. Since our last visit, the zoo had added new stingray and komodo dragon exhibits. Of course everything was new for Owen since he wasn't born when we went last year. As always, the elephants and rhinos were a big hit. Here are some pictures of our afternoon with the animals.

Nice Weather = Outdoor Fun

The weather here has been crazy lately. At the beginning of this week we were bundled up in our heavy coats, but for the past few days we have been able to wear short sleeves. We let the kids go outside and play today because the weather was so nice. Olivia practiced riding her big-wheel. She's getting pretty good at using the peddles. I think that she'll be ready for a real tricycle soon.


Owen, on the other hand, still has a long way to go. I don't think that riding interests him too much at this point. He would much rather play with a ball or with Reecee.

Rule of Life

Rule of life: If there is chocolate anywhere in your house, a toddler will find it.

Winterfest Fun

Our church held its Winterfest this weekend complete with hot dogs, chilli, and fun. The kids had a good time, but the highlight of the event for Olivia was the bouncy house. She has never been too keen on them before, but she really enjoyed herself in this bouncy. She acted a little nervous about jumping at first, but she soon got into it. I think that watching Ava bounce and go down the slide helped Olivia warm up to doing it herself. Owen also got in, but he was too little to do much. In case you're wondering that beautiful young lady standing behind Owen in the picture is my niece, Claire. Claire got around surprisingly well in the bouncy. The turnout was good for the Winterfest, and I think that the church is going to try and make this a yearly event. So... I guess you can be on the lookout for future Winterfest posts.

Super Dolphin Day 5K

This morning my cousin Thomas and I went to St. Simon's Island to run in the Super Dolphin Day 5K. I really liked the course that we ran because a good part of it was on a road that ran parallel to the beach. I completed the race in 29:21. This is 4 minutes faster than I ran in January! I am so excited that my time has improved so much. Thomas also ran a good race and finished about three and a half minutes before I did. This was his first 5K, and he liked it so much that we are planning to run another race in March.

Valentine Surprises

The past few days have been great. In addition to being Valentine's Day weekend, this weekend was also my school system's Winter Break (4 days off!). I used most of my time off to clean and get caught up around the house. But, there were a few surprises sprinkled in to make the weekend super-special. On Saturday morning I awoke to the sound of Olivia saying (rather loudly) "Mommy get up, I have a surprise for you". I went into the dining room to find a dozen roses and a delicious breakfast of bacon and heart-shaped, chocolate-chip pancakes. I knew that I was getting flowers because Olivia had let the cat out of the bag the day before, but the breakfast was a total surprise. Later that evening, Brian grilled steaks for our Valentine dinner.

Owen and Olivia also had a wonderful Valentine's Day. To begin with, they got cards in the mail from their Granny and from their Gigi. Olivia loves it when she gets letters in the mail! Brian and I gave them both a new pair of tennis shoes on Saturday morning, and Gigi and Papa gave them a small bag of goodies on Saturday night. In Olivia's bag of goodies were a pair of heart-shaped sunglasses and a crown- which she has worn all weekend. Owen's bag contained bubbles. We soon discovered that Owen LOVES bubbles. I think that his face in this picture says it all.

Meeting the Fairest of Them All

The Southeast Georgia Children's Theater put on a live version of Snow White this weekend, and I took Olivia to see it. Snow White is Olivia's favorite "princess", so she was excited to get a chance to meet her. The play itself was really cute. It varied from the traditional story and incorporated a lot of "kid" elements (like Snow White and the forest animal dancing the Hokey Pokey). All of the singing and dancing really kept Olivia's attention.

I didn't realize it before we went, but the girl playing Snow White was a former student of mine. She was great about talking to Olivia and letting Olivia hug her (which Olivia did on three different occasions). At one point in the play Snow White had to walk down the aisle close to where we were sitting. When she got to where we were, she leaned over and said "Hi, Olivia". That really made Olivia happy. After the play was over, we gave Snow White one final hug and left. On the way out we passed the mean Queen who told us good-bye. Once we were in the car Olivia said, "Mommy, the mean Queen told me bye-bye. She is nice".