Riley and Avery

So we went to the zoo on Tuesday. We had a lot of fun although it was piping hot up there on the mountain. Riley was really excited to see all the baby animals at the zoo this time of year. The baby giraffe was shockingly huge for only being two weeks old. We saw a baby gorilla too. It was so cute, the mother cuddling with it as it slept, right up against the glass like she was showing it off. The mother kept blowing dust off of it and picking dirt from it and kissing it. Very tender for such huge animals. The zoo doesn't even know if it's a boy or a girl because they haven't examined it in any way, although it is nearly six months old. I thought that was cool that they don't traumatize mother and infant just for the sake of scientific curiousity. We also saw a baby orangutan whose mother rejected it, so it was in its cage with a zoo keeper who just holds it day and night. It must be strange to be a human in a cage like that. And the keeper was just sitting there, looking blankly off into space, not reading a book (what I would do) just being as much of an orangutan as possible. Riley had a ton of fun romping around with the other West Side kids. It's nice to see her with other children being social. I have absolutely no pictures of Avery at the zoo because she was straped to my back the whole time. As proof that I've been wearing her a whole lot: she hadn't worn shoes in weeks, until I took her to the zoo that day. Well, we're having a NINO field trip to the zoo on Friday, so that'll be even more fun. Ah, the joys of being a zoo member...going to the zoo twice in one week.

Oh yeah, today is the 4th of July. Maida from West Side Moms offered us her deck for us to watch the fireworks, although they wouldn't be home. I told the group that I was looking for a place to overlook the fireworks because I really didn't want to have to stake out a spot, deal with parking and crowds, just to have Avery scared out of her wits. Her house is super cool, great city and mountain views and we could see several fireworks dispalys from her deck. Avery fell asleep in the car on the way there and didn't wake up. So sweet.