Go Cubs!

Meili's first Cubs game!

do you take time at the zoo?

It was interesting to go to the zoo with Meili this week. We did a lot of animal watching and even more people watching. I came to the conclusion that there are different ways to "go to the zoo."

Some of the things I noticed...
- people pushing children in strollers while talking on cell phones
- people dragging kids quickly from one animal to another in an attempt to "see everything"
- kids crying because they weren't done looking
- people talking at their kids in loud, high-pitched voices saying things like "Oh honey, LOOK! Did you see it move?"
- kids crying for many other reasons

Does a visit to the zoo have to be like this? Could a visit to the zoo be better? Less stress? Less harried? What if people put their cell phones away, picked a spot and just sat for a while with their children? Are we missing opportunities to talk to and listen to our children because we're always trying to do too much? I think so.

This week at the zoo, Meili and I just sat and watched. I think it was one of my favorite trips to the zoo with her. We mostly watched the bears this week. I loved listening to the comments and questions she shared. Things like - "Mama, why does the bear only have claws on his front feet?" or "Do you think the bear is lonely?" and "I never want to go into THAT cage. Those bears have big teeth." When we were done watching the bears we walked around for a little while and ended up watching the lions for a while. Then we were ready to go. We didn't see everything but that was ok. We took time to sit and appreciate a few amazing creatures and left wanting more. Now we can't wait to go back!

Palm Sunday

Meili has been asking about Palm Sunday for almost two weeks. First thing she asks me in the morning is if we're going to church to do palm branches. She learned about Palm Sunday at preschool and has been telling the story. This week, we celebrate Palm Sunday and Holy Week. Meili waved her palm branch on Sunday and said, "Hosanna, Hosanna. Blessed is the King!"

earrings

Check out this happy kid who just got her ears pierced! No tears - just BIG smiles!