long, long week

the kids and i had a great day today.  it has been a long couple of weeks.  between work, the house and just day to day responsibilities (laundry, meals, dishes, diapers, etc.) i have been stretched to the max!  we have been spending a lot of time in the apartment as a result.  after my last meeting today, we had lunch and headed to the zoo!  it has been a very sunny week (i think this has been the longest stretch of sunny days since we moved here and we have spent them all inside).  we all needed to stretch our legs a little and spend some time without distractions.  everyone was already exhausted from a rough sleep night (more on that in a separate post) and i wasn't sure that everyone was going to make it to the zoo without falling asleep. 

madelyn pretended to sleep and mason really did sleep.  i liked madelyn's 'angry' sleeping face.  it was pretend expression and i thought that it was a funny choice.  i think she was trying to act like she had been woken up.

mason perked right up when madelyn woke him up and let him know that we were there.  as a first, mason wanted to actually wear his sunglasses!  he was most proud of being able to put them on top of his head (madelyn has just recently figured out how to do this and it gets much discussion), but i did get him to put them on his eyes for a picture.

i was afraid that it would rain but the clouds cleared away and we had a beautiful afternoon.  it wasn't too crowded either (madelyn pointed this out to me).  it was so nice to just take our time because we had no where that we had to be at any certain time - a first.

madelyn used pure arm strength to lift herself to look through these 'animal viewers' - i was impressed.

besides the 15 minute nap mason took in the car, none of the kids took a nap this afternoon.  that's right, all three skipped an afternoon nap!  maddux did nod off on the way home but that was it.  but instead of cranky, it made them all extra sweet.  just what i needed to de-stress a little.

maddux was so excited to be able to reach mason in the front seat of the stroller.  mason was excited too, except when maddux started to pull his hair.

i think the jelly fish exhibit ends in september, so we waited in line to do the touch tank again.  mason followed the directions very closely.  i am so proud that he can go without me, at just two, and be obedient.

madelyn getting her two-finger-touch ready.  mason kept his hands together until it was his turn to touch each time.

gently touching a sea urchin.

the extra sweet kids held hands most of the time.

playing on the train.  madelyn kept ringing the bell, but mason was content to just sit in one of the passenger cars.  i think he might have been waiting for it to start moving.

still holding hands on the ride home.  madelyn is pretending to sleep.

she must have felt mason's grip loosen as he started to dose off.

 the only thing that would have made it better is if matt had been able to join us.  love.