Zoo Day

...it's November, of course but yesterday was a beautiful sunny Colorado day. So, the kids and I planned to go to the zoo...and Jason planned to work from home. Remember, this means work while simply at home...so no, he didn't go to the zoo with us.

I had told the boys we'd go after Autumn's next feeding. I'd nursed her at 6:00 a.m. and didn't think we'd have to wait too long. I was wrong. Soooooo wrong. She didn't wake up to nurse till 11:00!!! But we were ready to go as soon as she was done and brought some lunchy snacks with us to have there.

It was 72 degrees when we arrived. Such a beautiful day. We went with even more of a casual approach than usual, just there to enjoy being out of the house. I had to get a picture of my set up:

Three contained kiddos is a piece of cake, let me tell you. :) Even with just the two boys being mobile it's not too hard most of the time. They're usually quite obedient and like to stick together anyway. Usually.




But goodness, once Autumn gets to be mobile...eek!

It was her first time to go to the zoo...

...and apparently she really wanted to enjoy it. She wasn't her happiest in the stroller. So I stuck her in the sling. She wasn't happy laying in it. Only if she could be out like this:


Courtesy of Easton:


The boys haven't been to the zoo since they went with Gramoo and Lauren while we were in the hospital with Autumn. And before that it was probably sometime in July. But, still, they've been enough times that it's not so much about the animals anymore. It's about climbing and running around and exploring. Easton asked me to take this picture of him with his leaf on a rock:


And when I stopped to try to nurse Autumn they entertained themselves with this trash can:




Sweet brothers:


Stopping for a snack near the gorillas:


Finally Miss A fell asleep for a short while:


Then Easton's nose started bleeding for the third time this week and we had to make a mad dash for the bathroom after mooching a baby wipe off another zoo mom. I got E cleaned up and made him a nostril plug. Not sure why his nose is bleeding so much lately. It's not been a regular thing for him in the past. I think until recently he's only had one that wasn't a result of trauma (vs. elliptical and vs. side of bathtub). Anyway...the boys were thirsty so we stopped for some juices:




The boys ran around a bunch observing geese and such. Then we went on our way for just a teeny bit before they wanted to play again:






See, I told you she wasn't being her happiest:


Eventually we decided it was time to head home so the boys hopped back on the stroller because they were getting hot and tired:


We got home and hung out for a bit of late afternoon quiet time. Autumn practiced lifting her head while on her tummy. Yay! I messed around with the pics from it in Photoshop just for grins. And because the camera was so close to her face bouncing off her pale skin and overexposing the shot! I really wish I had more time to play with Photoshop. But first I wish I had a better camera to make me want to mess around more in Photoshop to begin with. Anyhoo...






Dalton encouraging his sister:


I'm certain that this little outfit is from my pal Tonya:


Her daughter Emma has the same one:


I think the girls look like delicious little chocolate bars that I could just gobble up. And I must repeat how much I love the darker colors on Miss A. Love. Love. Love.

In the evening we went out to dinner. It was a school fundraiser...where they donate some of their proceeds to Easton's school. One of the few fundraisers I don't mind participating in! :)

That brings us to today. Easton had school. The other two and I did nothing much until it was time to get him. We stopped at the library to pick up the few things we had on hold and now we're doing quiet time. Dalton hasn't napped in 4 or 5 days but it does make quiet time a challenge because the boys want to play together...which usually isn't quiet. We're working on it!