Now, he still has his second job and his regular private student beyond that. Additionally, he will be heading back to school a few times because there is an opening in the music department in his district, and he has to help with the interview process, but for the most part, he is ours this summer.
We wanted to start off on the right foot, because it is a busy week for sure. I have three doctor's appointments, plus I need to make a trip to the DMV to renew my license (better do it now because who knows when I'll go into labor), and Brian has at least one car appointment (so far). We had nothing scheduled today, so we knew we wanted to do something fun as a family and fun for our boy.
Caleb loved it. We brought him last year, but he is much more aware now. Not completely, mind you. Sometimes we would try to direct his attention to an animal, but he was focused on something else altogether, but he definitely saw many animals and liked what he saw. An otter, a monkey, and a tiger earned some big reactions from him.
The grounds were very muddy, which was to be expected since it just rained for two days straight. Caleb was mostly in his stroller, because it is a lot of walking, and he was eating lunch, therefore, it works just to put his food in his snack tray. He walked a bit at the end, but I don't think he was missing much... I would have liked to be pushed in a stroller, honestly. That is how muddy and gross it was.
Other than that, it was so fun to go to a place we've gone to just about every summer. Brian took me there our first summer dating in 2010, then engaged in 2011 (before we got married!), in 2012 just before we moved to our house and got pregnant, (we skipped 2013 because Caleb was so small then), and then last year. It is always one of the first things we do in the summer as well. And next year... we will have two children to take with us!
It feels so wonderful to have Brian home. The pace is slower, though we have tons to do (yes, I have a list and it is long), it just feels so good to be a family. I want to savor this moment and capture it forever... the feeling that we have when we have the whole summer before us as a family. It is also wonderful to see Brian more at ease, with the weights and burdens of work lifted from his shoulders.
(I'll include pictures next chance I get... it is getting late and it always takes me awhile to upload pics on this old computer. This thing definitely needs to be replaced... the screen barely works any more, but we are hoping to draw every last bit of breath that this thing has left in it.)
Caleb was pointing at the monkey through the glass.
This monkey was staring at Caleb without stopping. It was pretty funny. Perhaps he wanted Caleb's lunch.
This is a rare species. You won't find him anywhere else!
This one too!
Not that I needed any persuasion not to pet the animals. I am the daughter of two germophobic parents, so enough said. I know that one day we might have to give in and let Caleb be a boy, but that, folks, is another day. Thank goodness.
Here are my men with the llama.
Of course, I had to take a photo of the bear. Not too long ago, there were four bears in my backyard at 7:30 in the morning. It is rough living here for this Jersey shore girl.
My Caleb gives the best kisses!
