Memorial Day fun

Took Sam to the zoo last weekend and had a lot of fun. He really gets more and more out of it the older he his. He even sat, rapt, for the sea-lion show, mere feet from the trainer doing the feeding.

While watching the baboons (I called them moneys at first, and Sam corrected me), a fellow dad told a story. Last time he was there, a bird flew into the netted-in enclosure. A baboon leapt out and grabbed it in mid-air, biting its head off. Universally the mothers present gasped in horror, and the dads oohed and aahed in admiration.
















It being Memorial-Day weekend, we planted some flowers. Sam actually helped a little, turning over the old soil before we put down some new soil. He's also been happy to help water the plants.

This weekend it was breezy enough that I tried taking Sam out to fly a kite for the first time. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite windy enough, and the kite would only stay aloft if I rant full tilt through the "meadow" (as Sam called it). We will be waiting for even breezier days to take it out again.

By the way, in the picture of Sam and Susan below, Sam isn't trying to mime "loser" by making an L with his left hand.

No other real news. Had a fun time all around, and got a lot done. It's much easier to do things as Sam gets older and is more able to putter. And when he gets bored, Susan loves to send him off on secret-agent missions, such as running around the house, ending up on the porch, where he is to write his name.

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A few quotes you might enjoy:

"I want you to wake me up!"

Sam, from his bedroom, at the end of his nap this afternoon.

"Bad snakes give you squeezing hugs but the good snakes don't."

He reassures Max each morning while driving through the "jungle"--a wooded road--that there aren't any scary monsters or animals. This morning he said there were both polar bears and normal bears, and wanted to know what made polar bears polar. He also said that cougars protect people from bullies. He's thought a lot about bullies lately because one older kid in school has been bothering him.

"I wish everything was chocolate."

Who doesn't?

"Mommy, you showered!"

After hugging Susan this last weekend. No, it's not unusual for Susan to shower! Sam just usually isn't in a position to smell her newly shampooed hair.