Sunday at the Zoo!

Lions, tigers and monkeys - oh my! We had a grrrr-eat day at the Fort Worth Zoo. What a gorgeous morning - sunny and low seventies...

"Sure those monkeys can't grab me, Daddy?"

These flamingos are the coolest!

Jaidan and his little buddy Spencer enjoy the train ride around the zoo

Mommy and Jaidan horsing around!

Fascinated in the aquarium

The day isn't complete without a ride on the carousel!

I dug up this old picture of me taken thirty years ago, at the Fort Worth Zoo, when I was almost exactly Jaidan's age!

Ahh-boretum

A gorgeous day, blue skies, sunny, 70 degrees - a perfect combination for a day at the Dallas Arboretum with friends! I am so excited to finally be able to enjoy cooler temperatures. Growing up, I used to love the summers and get bummed when the weather would change. I think that was just because Fall meant school was starting. Now I am thrilled with the new season because it means Halloween is around the corner, the State Fair, Diwali, Thanksgiving, Jaidan's birthday and before you know it - the Christmas season begins! Yay!

Jaidan and Isaiah petting the goats at the petting zoo

"Okay Mom, how long do you want me to stand next to this goat?"

Log rolls down the hill

Yay for Fall!

So intense...

Every Friday, we go to "Open Gym" time at our local rec center where young children are free to roam and explore the different play areas set up throughout the gymnasium. Avery and Jaidan plopped down in the toy area and studied their finds. It's always more exciting to play with toys elsewhere since the newness of the things we have at home wears off fast.

Oktoberfest

On Saturday, we celebrated Oktoberfest in Addison, TX. I'm sure its alot different than it would be Germany. Anyway, it is a fun festival that takes place each year and begins in mid-Sept, with lots of activities for adults and children.

We braved the relentless heat with our friends Dawn and David and their daughter Avery. The kids stayed cool on the splashgrounds and we enjoyed mugs of Bavarian beer. We saw traditional German dancers and sampled some potato pancakes and German desserts. The kids enjoyed the carnival rides and Jaidan loved the carousel. So fun to see his expression as we would go around in a circle and I'd point to Manish each time we passed him. Don't you wish you could go back and experience childhood favorites again for the first time!?

The reason Jaidan is missing his shorts is because they got wet in the splashpark and I didn't have an extra pair - (don't judge!)

Visit to Durham

This past weekend was a real treat, as Jaidan and I went to visit my dear friend Sarah and her daughter Madeline (Maddie) in Durham, NC. It was our first time to North Carolina and we had a fabulous time. Jaidan and Maddie hit it off right off the bat and Jaidan wasted no time playing with her toys and exploring the house. It was fun watching the two pitter patter about, giving each other high fives and squealing in the back seat while Sarah showed us around town.

Durham is so clean and picturesque and there are many things to do - especially with small children. We visited the Duke gardens - a beautiful park set on the Duke campus. The little ones kept us busy as we chased them around the park. The kiddos had so much fun later in the day when they burned off even more energy at an indoor playground at a nearby shopping mall. We finished the day with a yummy dinner at the Cheesecake Factory.

It's amazing how your friendships evolve once you become a parent. With Sarah and I, a typical visit would include rocking out in the car to Madonna or Britney, shopping, and hitting the bars. Now, our music of choice is dictated by our children and usually consists of Itsy Bitsy Spider, and our conversations revolve around preschools, and fun activities for kids!

We still had our usual laughs and we were able to catch up and it was so wonderful to see Sarah. Its only more fun getting together now with the kids in tow! Sarah was able to get some cute photos from the weekend. Thank you for having us and we can't wait till next time!