This past Saturday I did a few hours of shooting for the Education Department of Roger Williams Park Zoo.  I had four hours to shoot a few of the various program offerings but before we started in with the kids (who you won’t see here for release reasons) I got to photograph just the animals.  LOVED it.  Sadly, they wouldn’t stay still and look at me when I quacked like a duck or sang my Elmo song (okay, okay I didn’t *really* do that but thought about it)… But I did get to photograph about a dozen different animals.  Some were beautiful, others, okay, not so beautiful – but all were amazing.  Every time I got to get close to them and take their pictures, I could just hear the voice in the back of my head going “this is SO COOL!!!  It’s like Jack Hanna but without the training and mucking out of animal cages!!”   I will admit, I get a teensy bit jealous when the kids get to touch the animals and I can’t because I am documenting it.  It is the inner kid in me.   BUT I did get a very special treat – the kinkajou, which is the brown cute animal with the little ears and big eyes, climbed all over my head and neck and gave me kisses.  How many people can say that they’ve been kissed by a kinkajou?  🙂

So enjoy something a bit different.  And when you get to the animals that aren’t so cute and cuddly, don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Well, we are back from vacation.  Not without adventure, however!  We were supposed to fly home Saturday from Raleigh and get in around 9:15.  Our first flight out of Raleigh was so delayed that we were going to miss our connection in Baltimore.  Our airline told us that they would be glad to put us up in a hotel, but only if we traveled to Baltimore on the 8:20 flight out, not in Raleigh overnight.  So we took our two kids, our three carryons, our stroller our two car seats our (Matt’s) golf clubs and our two suitcases and checked in for the 8:20 flight.  Keep in mind, our children go to bed at 7 or 7:30.  We get to the gate and the restaurants that are open are only serving appetizers.  So we had takeout premade sandwiches from a stand.  On the floor in the airport.  We flew to Baltimore and got in around 9:30.  Had to claim all of our things – the suitcases, car seats, etc. By the time we got the shuttle to the hotel and checked in (to our one room for all four of us AWESOME but the Westin so it was at least nice) it was 11:00.  Yup.  11:00 at night was when my kids went to sleep.

We woke up at 6 in the morning for our 9:25 flight out.   Hauled on and off of the shuttle (again) and checked (again)  the suitcases, car seats, etc etc etc.  We finally got home at 11.  We had missed mass.  We had no milk.  We had no Easter dinner and we were all tired and grumpy.  I convinced the kids (Nolan) to take a nap by saying that the Easter Bunny was leaving town soon and would only come to houses where the kids were sleeping.  Then once they got up, I insisted on dressing them in their Easter outfits (which at least, thank goodness I bought last year for Layne on super post-season sale) and dragged them outside for a hastily thrown together easter egg hunt. And then we had pasta and meatballs for dinner.  What an Easter….  But at least the pictures still turned out cute even though they are the only snapshots I could get of my overtired, half-asleep, underfed children.  Ignore if you can the messy backyard, rolled up kicked out of the way all-weather porch rug, clutter on the floor glory.  🙂

Glorious glorious spring! Weather getting warmer, days getting longer. Ahhhh, wonderful!!

Seven days. Almost 1300 (!!!) votes from all across the country. And, in the end, four winners! I made the executive decision because 2nd and 3rd place were SO close together, to award 2nd place prizes to both nurseries.  Thanks again to all who entered, congratulations to everyone and winners, please email me for details!!

So the joy of having two children is that they find all of the germs that are out there and bring them home.  As a result I have caught whatever crud both of the kiddos have been sharing for a few days now.  So I am taking it very easy and slow.  If I owe you something in the mail I am trying to get out tomorrow.  If I owe you an email it will come when I can sit at my computer for more than two minutes.  Until then I am crawling back under my covers.   See you on the other side 🙂