September 25, 2013

Mimi requested a zoo visit on the way home from the gym- I was surprised, since it was raining, but happy to comply.  We went home to grab rain coats and boots, and I changed out of my Zumba gear, and we went to the zoo.  Beyond a short bus of senior citizens and their chaperones we were the only ones there!  It's a tiny zoo, though.  I love it more every time we visit.  Close, small enough for the kids to enjoy, and impeccably kept.  We said hello to the tigers and cougars, fed the alpacas, deer, emus, and wallabies, played peek-a-boo with the parrots, and waved at the lemurs.  Just like that, zoo is over!  I expected all the animals to be under cover and resting from the rain, but most of them seemed edgy today.  Tigers were pacing, and the cockatoo was muttering and sqwaking.  

The cup in Cocoa's hand was full of apple pieces- you can buy it from the front desk and feed the animals marked as ok to feed.

Monday night, Daddy chose the activity: the kids chose favorite songs from the radio, he looked up the guitar tabs, and we had an impromptu concert in the school room.  Cocoa grabbed a little guitar and joined in.

Everything is beautiful and green right now- the rains have returned and the yard is growing again.  Perfect herb weather right now- every few days I wander out with a pair of shears and snip parsley, chives, oregano, and basil for a fresh batch of ranch dressing.  (A few spoonfuls each of sour cream and mayo, a dash of hot sauce, a fistful of herbs all chopped up, and thin it with milk and a splash of lemon juice.). I have a big tub of greens from Costco and have made a huge salad every night this week- oh yum.  I don't often crave salad, but it's been delicious and easy.  I bought a bag of crumbled bacon too, because bacon is always a yes.  One night I threw in some grapes, tonight I sliced up criminis, an avocado, and a pocketful of romas from the garden and served it with a rice cooker of quinoa and a sheet pan of roasted cauliflower and chicken splashed with lemon juice when they came out of the oven.

I teach a group music class 4-5 every other Wednesday, and it's nice to have dinner ready to go when I finish teaching.  I had the sheet pan all ready to go in the oven and just had to make the salad and turn on the rice cooker.  Mondays I teach until 5:30, so that's normally our soup night.

Mimi requested a new sewing project the other day, and happily thumbed through my pattern book till she found a really beautiful glass- a margarita glass actually.  Umm.  I free-handed a glass of orange juice, kept the fancy piece of fruit, and added some swirls and a word.  She's learning her letters right now, so she was jazzed enough about all that to forgive the ommission of that really fancy stemware she liked so much.