Playing at home, the zoo, and yardwork, with bonus photography by Laura

Will has seven days of school left, plus a picnic at a local park on his last "official" day. I'm still not sure how it is that he's finished with preschool and will be starting kindergarten in a mere four months. We're spending as much time as humanly possible outside, the adults among us most likely working with the giant mulch mound that we had delivered Thursday.

We've been using our sidewalk chalk and paint (3-D, no less!) quite a bit. (Thanks Reagan and Mac!)

Will is deadly serious about the 3-D glasses.

Laura, not so much. (In her defense, though, they are a little big for her.)

In a flurry of let's-get-the-most-possible-use-of-our-eight-zillion-passes, we spent Saturday morning at the zoo. I never take pictures of the animals because, honestly, they're always a little boring to look back over, but I identified with this hippo. Except for the fact that if it were me bathing, there would be two little onlookers, one of whom would most likely be telling me I looked funny. (Will is obsessed with telling us that we look funny, especially when we're minus an item or two of clothing.)

The zoo is full of good perches for the kids whenever they get tired of walking.

And then, of course, there's always the train . . .

and the carousel. (Laura's picture on the zebra we were trying to get her to ride is one of her patented sheer terror experiences, so I omitted it so as not to frighten young children who may one day remember her terror  whenever they get on a carousel themselves.)

This is really the first time that Laura has gotten into being at the zoo. She loved the penguins and would've stayed here forever if we hadn't been right next to the petting zoo and playground. Every single time we left an animal, she would wave and say bye-bye _______ (birds, monkeys, etc.). Whatever the formula for total sweetness is, it's contained within her DNA. 

After the zoo, we came home and busted our arses in the yard. Again. The very front (next to the street) is, for all and intents and purposes, completed for now, besides periodic weeding and cleaning up. Any time we're out in the yard, someone inevitably stops and compliments our yard. And while we used to defer to the previous owners and our "luck" in inheriting it, we now claim it as our own. Because we've worked pretty hard getting it in order. Our neighbor two doors down gave me the ultimate compliment the other day as he was on his way into his house, saying that Doug (the previous owner/consummate gardener/retiree) would be proud. I like to think that would be true, at least regarding this front part.

Speaking of yard work, this tree that my husband is working on is dead. He has made it his goal to remove the entire thing piecemeal. I have nothing more to say about this matter.

And finally, Laura is a budding photographer. That is my leg, shoe and the toilet. She does good work.

More soon!