A day at the zoo

So the weather here in Chattanooga has jumped from frigid to toasty in about three days. Last week we were huddled up in the house with sweaters and scarves,. Today the doors and windows are wide open and the thermometer inside reads 78 degrees, with no help from the heater. So we took advantage of the nice day yesterday and did something we have been meaning to do for a while- go to the local zoo. Chattanooga is not known for its great zoo- they seem to have put all their time and energy into the aquarium. The zoo however, is actually affordable, and it doesn't take that much to impress a three and almost two year old.
It really wasn't a bad little zoo, if you could ignore the fact that it was stuck in the middle of a busy city, surrounded by loud trains and the sounds of sirens and trucks from the nearby highway. The boys actually seemed most interested in the choo choos.
We adults were particularly impressed by the birds- talking parrots, preening peacocks, turkeys, hawks, owls and some crazy African cranes with pom poms on their heads. They also had a lovely display of local crows! Who goes to the zoo to see crows? They may be my least favorite birds.
They had some cool cats too- a snow leopard, a jaguar, a cougar and other big felines. Unfortunately, they were all napping, so not much action. They had the usual chimps and a reptile house etc.- oh, and camels. Those are weird looking creatures I must say. As are the ugly hyenas they had. Yuck. Anyways- I took some videos, but was unable to upload them. I will leave it to your imagination to hear the parrot talking, the peacock showing off his feathers for a lady turkey, and Etienne chasing the goats in the petting zoo and calling them dogs. I did take a few photos though.

For Grandma etc..

From time to time, when I get stressed about the fact that I haven't blogged in about two months, I remind myself why I started a blog- to post pictures for grandma so she won't forget what we look like. It is also good for me to organize my photos a bit and comment on them, just so I don't forget what life is like right now- each day passes in such a blur.
These winter months tend to be a little bit dull, with nothing much going on except the regular routine of life- music classes, church duties, choir practices, and of course mothering. These are just some pics of my kids as they are most days, alternately messy, cute, obnoxious, and very sweet.

JAMES-

James is no longer a baby- he is very noisy, very curious and very much wanting to be a big person. I have been doing a bit of yoga lately. I don't buy the whole 'connection to the earth' mantra, but it does help to stretch a bit and give my flabby old self a bit of toning. I was about to start the other day when of course I got distracted by something. When I came back, I caught James trying it out. I managed to get some shots before he noticed me-





I particularly love the Jammies and Dinosaur boots combo.

I also caught him the other day when it was really cold, diving head first into my fresh-out-of-the dryer clothes to keep warm. He stayed in there for a long long time.


ETIENNE-

Etienne is still my silent, serious observer, even without the pacifier which is his almost constant companion. I often wonder what in the world is going on in his little (or perhaps I should say big) head. We spend a lot of time scratching our heads over him- for instance, when he is tired, he takes his paci and blanket and goes to stand by his crib ready for bed, or the fact that he sits all the way through church on the edge of his chair without making a noise, or wiggling around. He is not your run of the mill child, but we love him anyway.



He does act goofy occasionally-


SEBASTIEN-

Then there is my sweet baby whose personality is still developing, but he likes most to

Sit



Smile


Sleep



or just be pretty darn cute



So there you go Grandma.

The Long Journey

So we had decided not to go home for Christmas this year. Then my mother bribed us home by the offer of a van if we would be crazy enough to drive it back. We decided that we were crazy enough, so we bought one way tickets. Before we left we had a little Christmas with just our kids and gave them a railroad track, with the tracks screwed down since I am opposed to the tracks being strewn all over the house, or the wailing tears from James every time Etienne breaks his track. They have really enjoyed it so far.



So anyway, we were scheduled to fly out the 21st. That didn't happen. Seattle was experiencing one of the worst snow storms in decades so our flight was cancelled. We got rebooked for the next night and then went to a hotel where we spent many hours watching television.


The next day we waited and waited, not knowing if our flight again would be cancelled. It was a very long day.


We made it, thankfully, only twenty four hours later than expected. Some people fared much worse. Once we were there, the snow was great fun and it was the first white Christmas our little family has had.




Christmas day was quiet and peaceful, and very festive. We all got many fun gifts including hats from grandma,


souvenirs from Scotland



and James got his beloved Buzz Lightyear (which he calls Buzz RightHere)


Apparently Etienne wanted one too.


Oh, and mom bought all the "little boys" nerf guns


We also had some good quality time with the cousins



Our stay was very short, just under a week, but we managed to get a shot of all the grandkids with grandma and grandpa before we left. There will be two more to add come March. Not from me this time!


Then we piled in the van and took off. The first leg of the journey was a trip through the night down south to my cousins most wonderful house in California.


The kids had a blast exploring the marvels of their yard including a delightful play house




and a thrilling suspension bridge leading to the log fort.



We wished we could have stayed a week, but we caught up on sleep and then headed East for 1700 miles : )
There isn't much to report from that trip- it all seems kind of a blur. We took a few shots somewhere in the middle of New Mexico




Other than that, it was just going and going and going. Crazy Steve decided not to stop for any nights so we made it in amazingly good time, but that last drive through the night was pretty much pure misery. But we are home and now we have a vehicle that fits our family much better, with room to spare. Hooray! Happy New Year to you all!