A Day at the Zoo

Lily and I  went with our MOPS group today to the zoo. I was a little hesitant because it was going to be a long day with no nap but Lily was a champ. First we got to go to a short class where we pet some animals. Lily pet the humongous cockroaches, the Madagascar Tenrec, a possum, and the duck. She especially liked watching the duck walk around.

Then we made our way to the giraffes, which was the most exciting part of the day. Because of our sweet MOPS connections we got to go into another area closer to the animals. The giraffe came right over and Lily and I got to pet him!

 I was so surprised how close he got. Went back and forth along the fence so all the kids got to pet him. So awesome!

Then Lily and I found the aquarium. Lily really likes looking at the fish at Wal-Mart so I knew she would enjoy looking at the huge tanks of wildlife.

The penguin exhibit was Lily's favorite but when I went to let her stand against the glass it proved to be a little overwhelming. She did much better at the shark tank :)

Then we went through to the end of the zoo and saw the Kangaroo.

A great day all in all. Little girl loves those animals.

Bossypants

So one of my resolutions for 2014 was to read 52 books in 52 weeks. Yea that isn't going to happen unless reading board books to Lily counts :) I am happy to say that I definitely read more this year than in years past. So far I have completed 4 books!

My favorite so far was "Bossypants" by Tina Fey. I love her as a comedian so when it was time for my mom's group Book Club, I volunteered to host and voila! I had gotten it from the library before and read less than half so this time I had motivation to read the whole thing.

The book is an autobiography sort of... It doesn't have a story line in the true sense of the word but there is a beginning and end and what is in between those parts makes sense. Here are my two cents about the book.

It surprised me how much my parenting style and general thoughts on being a mom matched with Tina Fey's, despite our completely different lifestyles. I appreciated how down to earth she was. I am tired of reading "mom books" (not that "Bossypants" is really a mom book, just a book written by a mom) and talking to other moms who say all the right things. Let's be honest, half the time being a mom is a complete mess and that's okay! Fey showcased that multiple times in the book and I kept finding myself saying "I feel the same way." Woah, who knew Tina Fey and a random 25 year old SAHM could feel the same?

Anyway a good, quick read if you can get past the random curses, crass comments, and otherwise rough humor.


**Next on my reading list is something very different and the same. "Life on Planet Mom" by Lisa T. Bergen was given to me by a wonderful neighbor from my MOPS group. I just started it but so far it seems to be exactly what I need to be reading.**

Pumpkins with our Pumpkin '14

Fall is my absolute favorite time of year and it seems to be everyone else's too. Pumpkin Spice Lattes (aka PSLs), scarves and boots are all over Pinterest and Facebook. It is awesome. I had my first PSL last weekend and although it was iced because it was 75 degrees out it was still amazing! I have a fall scented candle going right now and it smells awesome. It is a new scent from Wal-Mart's Better Homes and Garden brand called Pumpkin Whipped Cream. I might go through the candle in (a week) three days I have been burning it so much.

This weekend the fall temperatures hit hard so we decided to take advantage and hit another fall tradition, the pumpkin patch! For the last 4 years we have gone to Soergel's Orchard and although they have gotten really popular, and therefore very busy, we still make our trip every year. They have an actual patch (very important), lots of kids activities, tractor rides, and really yummy fall foods. Mike loves their homemade apple pie, pizza bread, and caramel apples. I love their Amish made apple cider donuts, apple cider, and mac 'n' cheese.

Last year we went with Lily for the first time and we loved sharing the experience with her as 1 month old. We learned this year how fun it is with a 1 year old! Lily loved playing in the hay and watching the ducks. She thought the pumpkin was a ball and kept trying to pass it to us. Needless to say we went a little crazy taking pictures....Enjoy!

Lily playing in the hay :)

And the most exciting thing about fall is that it means Thanksgiving is coming which is my favorite holiday! Ahh so much fun coming so soon! I can't hold in my excitement!!!!
Now I am off to crochet a scarf for a family friend while eating some of Mike's pie tehehe.
From our family to yours. Happy Fall! Don't let one beautiful day go to waste.

                                                 Love,
                                                     The Three Bairs