silly monkey goose

it looked like today might be the best day this week to be outside so after i picked up madelyn at school we headed to the zoo. when i first suggested the zoo to madelyn this morning she wanted to skip school and go to the zoo right then and there. i also asked her about walking instead of riding in the stroller and she said that she would walk. she has gotten a little lazy about always riding in the double-stroller and eating snacks. i am trying to get her to walk more.

madelyn was in a great mood after school and this might have been one of our best trips to the zoo in a really long time! she walked the entire time and didn't whine even once about wanting to ride in the stroller. she was also much more interested in the animals than she was in her snacks for a change. we had the best time walking around and checking everything out. it was getting a little chilly by the time we were leaving (because the zoo was closing) but it had been really sunny and comfortable before that.


the animals are always a little more active in the cooler weather and today didn't disappoint. the elephants were practically taking laps in their area, the sea lion was jumping up out of the water up on the edge of their exhibit, and the tigers were even awake. madelyn talked almost the entire time! she was making so many comments and observations. i loved every minute! she also requested to hold my hand a lot. (she doesn't settle for just a couple of fingers any more either - she wants palm on palm with a grip.) and when she wasn't holding my hand she was holding on to the stroller to "walk with mason". it was a little like she was excited to have mason with her. she kept telling me that she was the big sister who was walking and mason is her little brother in the stroller.

they were starting to close up the exhibits and we were heading back to the car. madelyn was telling me about the noises animals make and when we talked about monkeys she told me that she was a monkey - a "silly monkey goose". this combines two of our names for her "the silliest monkey" and "silly goose". i wish i could remember all of the things she said today but i was too busy enjoying it. it was the most perfect afternoon i have had in a really long time! i only wish that matt had been there with us.

on another note, mason has been consistently sleeping 10 hours. he isn't much of a napper though. he won't sleep for more than an hour at a time, but has zero trouble going to sleep for the night. i think he only napped 2-1/2 hours today between three naps. maybe he just isn't a napper... at this age that could all change next week. at least the lack of naps doesn't make him fussy. love.