Holidays Again?

Well we just got home from a little trip to Peterborough. Dave had organized a surprise 30th birthday party for Mel on Sunday evening. I mean sure her birthday was over a month ago, but it's the thought that counts. Actually for Mel's birthday they were still on their trip out west, so really she had two really nice birthdays. Dave actually organized a pretty awesome party. The food was great and their friends all very nice. Some of them we had met before and other's not. Mike's big thrill came from meeting a couple of the guys from the band Money Money. They're good friends of Dave and Mel's who just happen to have a really great CD out right now. It's almost never out of our CD player in the van. Even Abby's into them, in fact she rocks out to their music most mornings. Swing by their site and listen to their latest single Bend and Break.

Okay shameless plug for some nice guys out of the way. Since we're on holidays this week we spent the night at Dave and Mel's and spent Funday Monday with Dave. After some breakfast at one of Dave's hang-outs we headed over to the free zoo. I've been there once before and Dave, of course, has been there many many times, but it was Abby and Mike's first visit. Abby was quite excited to see all the animals. She kept running ahead of us to get to the next exhibit. She thought the camels were pretty cool and so did we until it put it's face right close to the fence and starting moving it's mouth around like it was getting a spitball ready. A good time to move on we figured. We all rode the little train for a dollar (thanks Dave). Not necessarily the most exciting train ride I've ever been on, but Abby enjoyed herself. We checked out the giant carp in the river, but none of us had a dime to buy some carp food to feed them. On to the monkey cage. What a riot that was. There was about 6 squirrel monkeys in this cage and they put on quite a show. Let me tell you watching a monkey fall out of a tree never gets old, no matter how many times you see it and we saw it several times. After that we checked out some Wallabys (which look like a kangaroo) and meerkats (like Timon from the Lion King) which Abby screamed at and made them duck back into their tunnels. Mike and Dave looked at the Burmese Python, but Abby started to cry and wouldn't look. She told me today that she couldn't look because snakes were scary. In addition to the animals they have a very nice children's playground and splash pad. Abby went so far as to strip off all her clothes before deciding she didn't want to get wet after all. We let her play at the play ground for a little while before having to forcibly put her back in the van. A play ground at nap time when she was up late the night before wasn't a good mix.

We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and waiting for Mel to get home. We had a nice dinner. Mel made a great salad! Gave Abby a quick bath and loaded up to head for home. As always I hate leaving. Abby is so crazy in love with Aunt Mel and Uncle Dave I wish they were closer. She was still yelling bye and love yous to them as we drove up the street. As predicted Abby was asleep by the time we hit the 115. However, by the time we got on the 407 the bright lights on most of that highway kept waking her up so she cried on and off the rest of the way home.

Dave was raving about the British version of The Office series. They had just rented the DVD's. Tonight we noticed the American version was on with Steve Carrell so we checked it out and laughed our asses off.

Abby and I with one of the camels at the zoo before and turned around and looked like it was ready to spit at us. 

I Love a Parade!

I've been neglectful of my blog and I do sincerely apologize. Spending too much time on the computer had been giving me headaches, well actually being pregnant was giving me headaches, but computer time didn't help anything. So with the headaches pretty much gone as I finally begin to crawl out of my first trimester I am back and I have so much to say!!

Last week Abby, Papa and I attended the Cactus Festival Parade that Grandma Linda and her drum corp were marching in. We managed to get a fairly decent parking spot and then walked up the street a couple of blocks looking for some people we knew. When we didn't find them and couldn't walk any further we picked a spot and sat down. Upon doing this Papa looks at me and says did you lock the truck when you got out? Nope, I didn't. Now he can't remember if he did either. So he decides to walk back to the truck and check. Abby decides that she and her new pretty pink purse have to go with him. Wouldn't you know it, 15 feet down the street she doesn't want to carry her pretty pink purse anymore and hands it to Papa who, being the softy that he is, can't do anything but take it from her. I'm almost positive that Papa wouldn't carry a purse of any colour for me or Grandma Linda 2 blocks along a busy parade route, but for Abby... of course. So off they walked hand in hand, Papa carrying a pretty pink purse two blocks there and two blocks back.

So now the truck's safely locked and we're all settled in our lawn chairs waiting for the parade to start when we're swarmed by a group of seniors. One of the group has brought herself a lawn chair that her husband for some reason places inexplicably close to me. I mean her arm rest was overhanging my arm rest and not by a little bit either. There was literally 10 feet of open space beside me and he puts granny right in my lap. The rest of the group who hadn't brought lawn chairs decided to sit on the stone wall across the street from us and took off leaving granny still sitting on top of me. After a few uncomfortable minutes somebody had the sense to come and get her to join the rest of her group.

This is the second year we've gone to the Cactus Festival parade and I was very excited to see my favourite band making a return. It's not the band I love so much as it is their flag bearers. All older men wearing ridiculously short shorts. And I have to tell you they're very proud of their shorts. You can tell by the way they march with such enthusiaism. Funny thing is if you're playing an instrument in this band you get to wear pants, but carrying a flag means hot pants. I hope they're back next year!

Here's my boys, marching proudly in their very short shorts. I must admit that the picture isn't nearly as good as seeing it in person, but you have to agree there is way too much thigh being shown.  

There's granny in the lawn chair, who only moments before this was sitting on top of me. I happened to notice a funny thing after they moved across the street.There is an old folk's uniform. Notice all the ladies are wearing capri's and white running shoes. Oh sure you've got one lady trying to be controversial with her sandals, but we'll let that slide. For the men it's light coloured pants/shorts with matching shoes and a collared shirt. Velcro, of course, is optional. They must hand out a rule book when you get older that explains such things, because really how else would you know?