A (long, cranky, but overall) good day

The weather was great here again... we've been very lucky this summer! We called the grandparents and asked them to join us at the zoo so we could use our pass to its fullest. Good plan.

Well, Noah has been less than chipper lately. He spends most days yelling "no," "leave me alone," or "I want it" at the top of his lungs. He managed not to disappoint with his favorite sayings all day long. He didn't want to sit in the stroller, he didn't want to wear his monkey back pack (the tail is a lead for us), and he didn't want to hold our hand. He is 33lbs and quite difficult to carry. So, transportation in general was fun. Luckily the grandparents are AWESOME and helped carry him a lot. Oh, did I mention he refused to use the bathroom in public (they were gross, in his defense) and then peed right through his lawn chair at lunch. Lovely.

We did enjoy the elephants and lions very much. We got to see the feedings today and my friend who works with the birds was there and we caught up with her. Noah is really entranced with animals and so it is always cool to see how he is naturally drawn to them. (You always have to wonder if they define their name or their name defines them...)

We made it home in one piece only to have Noah wake up in the foulest of moods. He threw everything he touched, screamed at every corner and refused every offer. After several trips to time out we realized we would lose our mind if we continued. We remembered that we had a gift card to the local dairy and hopped in the car. More screaming for ice cream, a hand caught in a door, and a lot of drama later, we managed to play on the swingset for a bit, pet some more cows, and look for ladybugs. After we forced a screaming child back in the car seat, we finally headed home, hoping for an early bedtime. But as we drove, Noah said -- "Mommy, EIO" which is short for Mommy, sing Old McDonald Had a Farm. So, I started singing and we sang for so long I moved well beyond barnyard animals to monkeys and seals and elephants... try singing the song with the sound of a monkey or an elephant.... which had all three of us laughing and smiling the entire way home.

When we got in the house, Noah went right upstairs, read some books and didn't make a peep at bedtime.

It was a long, cranky, but overall good day.

P.S. -- Did I mention we saw tortoises having sex? They were LOUD!