We were busy pretty much every day this week. On Monday we went to Toledo with the Intent of visiting the Imagination Station. This is a really cool children's discovery that is centered all around trains. We were excited! All the way there we talked to Evelyn about trains and I think that she was pretty excited. After the two hour drive we finally pulled into the parking lot...only to find that the Imagination Station is open every day of the week EXCEPT for Monday. Bummer. Not to be outdone, we decided we would make the best of the day by going to the Toledo Zoo, and I am glad that we did.
This was one of the funnest times at the zoo that I have ever had. First of all, the weather was great (besides the aforementioned snow storm, this trend would continue throughout the week). We quickly took off our jackets and enjoyed the nice, warm (45 degrees) sunshine. There weren't many people at the zoo that day so we were able to give Evelyn a fairly wide "Zone of Exploration" and she ran all over the place enjoying this freedom. Hmmm...Maybe she was enjoying it a little too much.
I'm going to make a note here about Evelyn: Our little girl seems to be growing up. It's exciting to watch her as she gains confidence and discovers her abilities. It is also sad in a way that our baby Evelyn is gone. She is definitely not a baby anymore. She has become pretty independent and will often choose to struggle through a project on her own rather than accept help from one of us. I am so proud of her for this gumption to do things herself, but it makes me sort of sad to think that she doesn't need Daddy's help with these things any more. Look at me getting all sentimental and she just barely turned two. Boy, I am in for it.
Anyway, let's get back on topic. At the zoo we started out by going to the aquarium part, which had a lot of things that you don't normally see at aquariums (such as the largest Japanese Deep Sea exhibit in the country). We also saw giraffes and frogs and monkeys- you know, the normal zoo animals. The real treat, however, was the polar bear exhibit. It was one of those glass exhibits so you can see under the water as well as above, and the bear was in a very playful mood. He would jump in the water and swim around, bouncing off rocks and floating on his back. I have never been so close to such a large animal (except when I rode as elephant at the circus as a wee lad) and it was amazing.
On Tuesday we went to a chocolate factory here in Cleveland where they offer free tours. It was
cool to watch all of the workers making and decorating the chocolates, and for some reason I think that the end product tasted better after appreciating the work going into it. And it did taste good. Eating all of the chocolate that we bought at the end of the tour was almost as fun as the tour itself. Also, Jackson is officially weened- from here on out he only gets bottles. For Rachel that means that she no longer has this crazy diet. I wonder why she chose today to ween him?
Wednesday we went to the Science museum down town. It is always fun to go here, and Evelyn had the most fun this time in the giant pit of balls. The babies also joined in the fun, but didn't seem to like it quite as much. Pretty much they just looked concerned as they sunk ever deeper into the pit. On the way home we stopped by the West Side Market where we bought lobsters to grill that night for dinner- Yum.
On Thursday Rachel had to work in the afternoon so we didn't stray too far from home. We went to the local library where they have a room devoted to kids. There are dress-up booths, painting booths, arts and crafts, a reading corner, etc. Pretty much it is a wonderland of fun, with action and adventure waiting behind every corner.
On Friday we headed down to the Cleveland Auto Show. This is where every car manufacturer puts their entire lineup of cars under one roof. That's over 1,000 cars! Obviously this was a very big room. There were also some cool concept cars that made it fun to think about what the future of transportation might be like. Even though we don't really consider ourselves "car people" (my heart doesn't start racing when I see a nice sports car) we all had fun and are glad we went.
Saturday and Sunday saw me at home with the kids while Rachel went to an interpreting conference in Pittsburgh. This summer Rachel is taking the test that represents the last step towards national interpreter certification, and this conference was sort-of a prep course for that. I am so proud of her for continuing to work on her personal goals despite all the distractions...ahem-children...that she has to deal with. She really is an amazing person.
So, that is pretty much our week. Right now I am hearing Evelyn singing her "I'm awake" song from her bedroom. I told her we'd make it a date to bake cookies this afternoon after her nap, so I guess I'll go and pick up my date.
Have a great week everyone! These pictures are in no particular order.
I had to take this picture after we made cookies this afternoon. She sure is a cute girl!
At the car show we each chose which car we will drive in the "realistic" future. We figured that in the next 5-10 years some of these 2010 models will fall in our price range, so for all intents and purposes we were really shopping for our future car. Good logic huh? As for me, I chose a Ford F250 pickup truck.
Rachel went for the VW Jetta. She didn't really buy into the idea of a luxury or sports car. Neither do I. I guess we both have this practicality-centered mindset.
And Evelyn chose a Lotus Type 47. I think she liked that it was just her size!
The polar bear was really cool. For the rest of the day, Evelyn kept getting on her hands and knees and saying "bear...Raaaaaarrrrrr."
I had to include this picture of Jack at the end of a long day. He was so tired that he fell asleep standing up!
It is finally warm enough to start going on walks again...as long as we are well bundled.
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