Lincoln Park Zoo - Chicago (Day six)

Mr. Beaver

A female Chimpanzee vocalizing

A mother and baby chimpanzee taking a snooze

A meerkat poses for the camera

A camel scratching his back

A happy little peanut butter

Long Time Gone

Hello everyone! We have not forgotten about posting but have found ourselves a little over extended for the past week. Our vacation (aka Zoo Tour 2007) was wonderful and this weekend I will post some pictures. PB was amazingly well behaved for a 15 month old. Of course there were some melt downs, but for the most part he was a total angel. Check back in a few days to see more on our adventures.

Zoo Tour 2007

The countdown to zoo tour 2007 has begun. PB, Dada, and myself will be packing up a week from Sunday for the trip of the summer. We will be hitting up the zoos in Des Moines, Omaha, Kansas City, St. Louis and the two in Chicago. Nights will be spent swimming in the hotel pool and enjoying the knowledge that the next day does not include work of any form. Peanut Butter has always loved animals and so we planned a vacation that was family friendly, something we would enjoy, and something we knew would give Peanut Butter lots to look at. Wish us luck as we navigate the open road with a loaded hatch back and a one year old! We promise many pictures when we return.

Peanut Butter's favorite literary delights.

This is his all time favorite. This morning we read it four times before making it out the door.





This is the best as he can now wave hello and goodbye, pat the bunny, smell the flowers, play peekaboo, read the book, feel the scratchy beard, and put his finger through the ring. The funny side affect is he now walks around smelling all his books.

More adventures

Napping with Mama.

Peanut Butter seems to have found the joy of books. He has been bringing books to us to read on a daily basis. We credit Grandma for this, as she read many books to him during her stay with us. He recently threw a book at his Dada when Dada said there was not time to read a book before going somewhere.

Peanut Butter has also recently learned how to climb and he has has tried to climb everything he can find. Much to his dismay this is occasionally discouraged by Mama and Dada.

Another one of PB's new favorites is stomping his feet. Here he enjoyed the music of "Feet on a wood surface."

Thankful

Well, I know most of you will be wondering where the pictures are as that in the focus of this blog, but we wanted to post to all our friends that we are fine and were no where near 35W yesterday when it collapsed.

At the time of the horrible tragedy PB and I were coloring paper (and the wood floor) while his daddy was ordering Chinese food for dinner. As I think of the fun we were having it is hard to conceive that at that same time there were parents worried about their children both grown and small just a short distance from our home. It started me thinking how precious and fragile life is, and brought on a feeling that has been an unfortunate side affect of being a parent. All of you parents out there know exactly what I am talking about. The feeling of complete panic that something might happen to your child. I feel sick when I think of what could have been and that life is full of these situations. They are unpredictable and unavoidable.

I as many of the people I talk to, was glued to the TV last night. I ran scenarios through my head of what I would do in that situation. I felt myself getting panicked and overwhelmingly sad. Our family continues to send our hopes and thoughts out to the people affected by this tragic event.

Last night I kissed PB extra times, called my family, hugged my husband, and thanked my lucky stars. Again we have been reminded to not take a moment for granted.

Listening ears

I have been contemplating when it will be time to censor the music and words coming from my radio when PB and I make our daily commute to daycare and work. Our 40 minutes each way is filled with a mix of Minnesota Public Radio, music radio, and mama's CD's. It seems that Peanut Butter is on the verge of language and I would be mortified if his first words were "I like big butts and I can not lie," or "Keep on using me, till you use me up." Now of course he will not start with full sentences, but still at what point is this being absorbed. For that matter, MPR's news is filled with stories of more and more soldiers dying, war, political discord, serious public health issues, and many more things that leave me wanting to shouting "ear muffs!" Am I going to be reduced to a world of Baby Bach and TMBG doing the alphabet? Now, I like a good kids tune as much as the next person, but 40 minutes twice a day might make me batty. If he isn't talking, does that mean it is OK? He can't possible understand what is being said, right?

As I am wandering this land of first child parenting, I have learned that I want PB to keep his innocence as long as possible. I don't want him worrying about death, or AIDS in Africa, or why people go missing. I want him to be sheltered from that. I want him to keep the magic of childhood, the belief in the impossible, the certainty of good, the pureness of heart. So where is that line, and when is it drawn?