The Babies on the Bus Go "Wah, Wah, Wah"

Today this was more than a children's song lyric, it was my reality. I took Lima to the zoo this morning with our friend Debra and her baby girl. The girls had a great time at the zoo. They are at that really cute stage where you know they understand practically everything and are trying so hard to communicate but most words aren't quite there yet. So they often rely on gestures to get their point across. The giraffes were a big hit with this group and each girl had a specific signal to show us they knew about giraffes. For Lima, it was touching her neck to show us how she knows giraffes have long necks. For Debra's little girl, it was raising her arm up way in the air because she has a book that uses that gesture to show how giraffes "walk tall." It was a really nice outing and we all had a great time for about two and a half hours. But then...

Lima got tired. Really tired. Apparently so suddenly, horribly tired that it caused her to WIG OUT as we were wrapping up our zoo trip. I don't know why but Lima has never been one to sleep in a stroller or car seat. So if she's tired and not in a crib, watch out! Anyway, we were heading out of the zoo and looking for a bus to get us home when the crying started. And continued, and continued. Even on the bus. And no amount of singing or snack providing was turning this one around. So that was kind of a crazy way to end the morning (I think it wore me out as much as Lima) but it still was a fun trip and fortunately Debra is wonderfully understanding of these things.

(As an aside, I should probably mention here that Lima is great. I realize I'm writing about the times she's crying at the zoo or crying on the merry-go-round, but it's because those are the things that pop out in a day...not the other 10 or 11 hours when she's being super pleasant, full of smiles, and doing cute things. So don't get the wrong impression...she really is a good girl and we're so lucky to have her.)

OK, so this is supposed to be a food blog and I have yet to mention any food. Well, we didn't do much in the way of food at the zoo except feed the girls their lunches of fruit, crackers, cheese, turkey. You know, those little pieced together lunches that you give toddlers to try and find that magic combination between what's healthy and what they will actually eat. Debra brought along some very cool snacks that she made using almond butter, beans, wheat germ and other healthy items. The girls loved them and I'm getting the recipe. Once I have it, I'll be sure to post it for those looking for healthy toddler snacks you can make yourself.

Dinner deserves mention. It was a beautiful night and Win grilled horseradish-crusted filet mignon for us. I don't know how he does it, but he has an excellent flair for cooking meat to each person's exact specifications. He never sets a timer and he doesn't even wear a watch, but he is always capable of getting each piece of meat cooked perfectly for its recipient's taste. He also is a great recipe improviser and has no fear about altering the measurements or actual ingredients in a dish. I tend to stick with recipes as seen in their original form and this is something I'm working on growing out of. So the filet mignon was delicious and it was so nice to have dinner cooked for me.

I'm going to be taking a few days off from blogging for the 4th of July holiday. This is a fledgling blog, so if you're actually reading and (hopefully) enjoying this, hang with me. I'll be back with some new entries next week.