Had Me A Swingin' Time

Dad Solo returned home last evening from a trip with his oldest close personal friend. We met up in a city we picked at random between Seattle and Houston so we could both travel there easily. It was fun, and I needed a little R&R after being on Parent Duty nonstop for months and months. Canyons were explored, wild donkeys were viewed, delicious meals were eaten, dice were thrown and elevens were doubled-down upon. Also, this was going on at our hotel, but we didn't buy a sequined glove or a pair of concert-worn socks. (I walked by once and overheard a woman holding a sheet of paper with a number on it telling a camera crew that it was "the happiest day of her life." Don't know what she bought, the poor thing.)

And, of course, a baby was missed. NJ is napping right now with the latest member of her stuffed animal collection, a donkey from the canyon. It might be time to look at other returning-home gift options, as her crib is filling up with stuffed animals. It's a tough call, though, because after months of indifference, she's completely into them now.

NJ had a big weekend while I was away. She sprouted Tooth No. 2, right beside Tooth No. 1, and got a new dress for a wedding we're attending in a couple of weeks. Sunday, she and The Wife teamed up with some friends for a zoo trip; NJ apparently was a big hit at the petting zoo, blowing into the place like Sinatra swaggering into the Sands.

And while I had an awesome time away, it was great to watch NJ smile, laugh and clap as I slid into the back seat yesterday upon my triumphant return to Seattle. She flirted with me all the way home, just the tonic for the weary traveler.

This Place Is A Zoo!

That's what I said after weaving my way through the crowds after getting our lunch at a stand at the Woodland Park Zoo. The Wife didn't appreciate the humor as much as she should have. Because that is very, very funny, and my timing was impeccable.

We walked the twenty or so blocks south to the zoo today, after seeing how surprisingly nice the weather was going to be. NJ enjoyed the stroller ride over, but really got excited when we stopped at the park before going in and put in some swing time:




Note the leaned-back posture NJ assumes in the swing. The boy next to her, who was the same age, used the opposite strategy, leaning all the way forward. Hard to tell which is more effective. Not that it matters, really, because after all we're only talking about toddlers in swings.

At the zoo, which we joined last week, we saw a couple penguins, a couple of species of bears, tigers and meerkats. I say "we" saw them because The Wife and I did; we're not sure NJ caught any of it. She was enjoying being out in the sunshine with lots to see, though, even if she couldn't pick out the sloth bear* in the tree. After lunch, where NJ ate a significant portion of The Wife's salmon fillet, we hit the carousel before leaving. This NJ LOVED. She loved sitting on the wooden horse and holding the pole, and once we started she spent most of the first round waving. One section of the go-round went by mirrors that were placed in angles that made it look like you had already passed yourself up -- this tripped her out the first time she saw it, but after that it was old hat. As the final trip around started, NJ leaned her head back and looked up at me with a nice little smile that probably meant "Thanks!" or something like that. Then we tucked her newest stuffed animal (Meerkat Mike) into the stroller with her and left. By the time we got home she was asleep in her stroller. Once inside, though, she was all smiles again. We'll definitely be going back. (We have to, because we bought a membership and it takes three trips to make it worth the money. But still.)

*UPDATE: I am reliably informed that it was a sun bear, not a sloth bear, that was up a tree.