Animals Everywhere

Barrett's weekend was very exciting. If you ask him anything about it, he'll say animals!

On Friday, Doug took the day off work, and we went to the zoo. It was so fun to watch Barrett and his daddy see all the animals. I don't get to sit back, relax, and watch Barrett have fun very often because I normally have to REALLY watch him.

Barrett loved pointing out all the birds around the zoo, but not the pretty ones. He liked the black, nasty zoo rat ones. Besides the birds, his two favorites are still the giraffes and the elephants.

At the elephants, one of them was playing in the water that was coming from a hose above. He would fill up his trunk and then spit the water back on himself. I think Barrett and Doug could have watched it all day. Doug would count down to the spraying, and Barrett would laugh and laugh.

Daddy also really liked seeing the alligators. I think that is partially because he liked telling me the one he killed was a lot bigger than the puny zoo ones. (Thank God the taxidermist who has the head has apparently disappeared because I am very proud of the lack of dead animals in my house.)

Here Daddy is showing both his boys the alligators.

Barrett wanted to get in the water to play. I don't think he understands that animals can be dangerous yet.

Speaking of not understanding animals, here he is petting a snake.

He thought the snake sticking out his tongue was really funny, and he likes to imitate what the snake did.

After we left the zoo, we went to ride the train that goes around Hermann Park.

The train has been there forever, and it was one of my favorite things to do as a kid. Doug said he even remembered liking to ride it too, and he never admits to remembering any of his childhood that didn't involve hunting, fishing, or farming.

Here is a self portrait of me and Barrett on the train. Daddy was busy feeding Fisher during the ride, so we had to take our own picture.

If the zoo trip wasn't exciting enough, Taylor, his babysitter, made the weekend of animals even more exciting.

TayTay came to babysit on Saturday night, and they had so much fun. She brought her pet hamster with her, and Barrett was too happy about the critter.

When we got home from dinner, Fisher was asleep in bed, and Barrett was bathed, in his pajamas, and snuggling with TayTay on the couch along with the giant teddy bear from his room that he convinced her to get down.

The best part of Barrett's night was after we got home, and TayTay had him help her feed Penny.

He was so careful with Penny, and Taylor was just as careful with Barrett.

We are so lucky to have a young girl that adores our kids and wants to spend time with them!

Barrett loved his weekend of animals, but I am paying the price today.

When we got in the car this morning to go to church for a meeting, Barrett said, "Animals, zoo, TayTay, Penny," over and over again.

As I put him down for his nap and was walking out of the room, I heard him talking to himself saying, "Animals, deer, elephant, giraffe, snake, cow, hamster," and a variety of other animals too.

I guess we'll head back to the zoo again soon.