Some Esther-isms and the Zoo

The other day at the park we saw an older man playing a steel drum.  He sort of looked like this: 

...but a little less well kempt. Esther ran towards him, yelling "I want to go say hi to Jesus!"

I sat holding Sam, not quite sure whether to panic for her safety or laugh at how her little mind must have worked that one out. So I laughed and then had to explain that this man was not Jesus and that we should probably go visit the ducks instead.

 We had a first!  Esther held still long enough for me to double French braid her hair.  I think she looks like altogether too cute and much too grown up.   

  

Esther isn't jut looking grown-up....she is thinking she's grown up. Here is what grown-up Esther likes to do:

-She decides what to wear and there have been some fun concoctions. (Think plaid pleated skirt over jeans paired with a green polo under a pink floral blouse and rain boots.) I have mostly given in to this new development. On the few occasions when I intervene, like when Chris and I wrestled her into her Easter dress, it isn't pleasant.  Although, I do put my foot down when she asks to where her "swimmie" (swim suit) to bed.

-Esther can count to ten...although the number seven sneaks in a few extra times

-Help set the table by arranging the silverware and filling the cups with water.

-Take care of baby Sam: She's quick to alert me when she here's some passing gas that Sam needs a new diaper ("Sam, change you diaper").   She likes to tell me that he's crying "Mom, Sam cry!" to which I respond by asking her to help him be happy. (Such as smiling at him, rocking his chair, giving him a toy, etc.)  Later, when he was crying again, Esther knew just what to do.  She ran over to him and in her loudest voice, shouted "HAPPY!!"  Almost, sweetheart. Almost.

-She reads (ie. jabbers with intermittent key words) her favorite (insert: memorized) books which include: Go, Dogs. Go!, Bernstein Bears: Trouble with Money, and any number of the Beatrix Potter books, aka Bunny Rabbit. 

-She's attempting to toilet train herself and I think it's time I tried to help out.

In March, we met up with Angela one of my oldest childhood friends at the Zoo. She has two beautiful kids and is expecting her third. It was fun and a bit eerie to realize that our daughters are almost exactly the age we were when we first met.  How time flies. :)

  Seattle weather may be chilly, but it makes for fun zoo trips. The animals were quite active and we loved seeing them move around so much.  We especially loved the baby lion cub, baby wolf, and the Lemurs who got into a noisy fight at the Zoo.