Thursday, May 30, 2013
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
The Houston Zoo
One of the can't-miss best-ever features of the Houston Zoo is feeding the giraffes. At $5 for three pieces of lettuce its not "cheap" but it is worth it many times over. This was a special treat since there are NO giraffes at the San Antonio Zoo.
Here is Zayd in an eyelash competition.
Check out the baby below. We crawled on the ground to get to him without having the big-ems snatch our romaine!
Monday, May 27, 2013
Happy Memorial Day!
On this lovely holiday, Sam and I will be having a date day, where we don't bother to tell our kids or the manny that we aren't actually working. :) Well, OK, if the manny asks...
We have two anniversaries to celebrate. What will we do, you ask? Why, shop of course! We had better finish this date with two new pairs of cowboy boots. And a kiddie pool for the lentil and lolly.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Mommy Musings
I had just finished a 1.5 hour hot Power Yoga class and was laying in shavasana all relaxed. I think I dozed off for a second because this mama of two tots is TIRED. Then, I started thinking about reading with Zaydie this evening and about how he likes to refer to these two little children at the end of Eric Carle's Brown Bear Brown Bear as Nani and Nana. In the middle of this 105 degree room filled with eight exhausted women, I started giggling. I just kept thinking about my sweet boy who is convinced that these two kids are his Nani and Nana.
While we are on the topic, Zayd calls this book Ella.
For frame of reference, here is Zayd on Auntie Ella and Uncle Peters porch during that visit when he last played with Cairo. His memory for pets is uncanny! If you want Zayd to remember you, buy a dog.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Zahra is Five Months Old
Lately, Zahra
- chunked up! Way to go little lolly!
- Can totally get around, though I wouldn't call it crawling.
- Is getting to be a fantastic independent sleeper. (Which Zayd also recently mastered.)
- Babbles a LOT
- Spits at you when she is mad and makes a trumpet sound
- She is taking advantage of all of the giant plastic monstrosities built for infants: the jumper, the play gym, the bumbo, you name it.
- She can kind of sit up
Outside, Zahra enjoyed her first rid on the swing
And here are some additional recent pics that I just can't bare not to post.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Brought to you by the letter F
- FRIENDS
- F's that you can FINGERPAINT
- And decorate with FROGS, FLOWERS, and FARM ANIMALS
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Fruit and Flowers
Today is the Mammen family fourth anniversary and we spent it just exactly that way, as a family. Sam came home early from work and we immediately rushed Zayd to the zoo to see the hippos he had been clamoring for all day. (To be specific, while the Mahncke Mamas had taken our tots to tour a fire station this morning, all Zayd could ask about was the hippos!)
Snakes, hippos, and the tiny tot nature spot where Zayd proved himself and expert magnet fisherman. By then, the 97°sunny evening meant we were ready for dinner.
We headed to the luxury, a new celebrity chef hipster joint that sells gourmet food in a backyard setting, perfect! You'll never guess what they gave us to mark our order...a giant rubber hippo. I kid you not.
Our food was pretty good but the company was fantastic. Zayd had a great time. He played with the hippo, chased ducks, and sifted through the pea gravel floor. Zahra splashed in the water puddle hippo had spilled on the table.
Sam and I haven't settled on exactly what we'll do to mark our anniversary when we enjoy memorial day off without our kids. We both immediately thought Fredericksburg(!) when we heard that this anniversary is traditionally celebrated with fruit and flowers, but it just isn't in the cards for us to escape without any of kiddoes yet. Zahra is too young.
But honestly, today was enough. Today was great. Someday Sam and I will make it back to the wineries in Fredericksburg, and we'll remember how for our fourth anniversary we couldn't imagine escaping. And well laugh about how far we've come.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
I wonder who is growing...
We have had a gorgeous spring here in San Antonio; one I definitely don't take for granted. I have lived through many hot Texas seasons (be them summer, spring, or fall). A few weeks ago I ventured out with Sam and the kids and we got into the work of pulling weeds, to start again. Eventually, I realized that Zayd is past the age that I have to fear the front yard. He has grown. And we CAN garden. I have spent many afternoons out there lately and the walkway leading to our house is edged in bushes and flowers.
Sometimes he races to see how fast he can run from Zahra to the sidewalk, back to Zahra and kiss her. We have only had a few minor collisions.
He brings me my tea or enjoys a cup of his own.