Friday, November 28, 2008

Feast with the Beasts (AND with the BEST[cousins]!)


Indeed.

This was a GREAT Thanksgiving. Thanks to the awesomeness of my Cousins, Animals, and the letter Y. Okay, not the letter Y.

For the past week I haven't even known for sure WHERE we were having Thanksgiving. It's been all "Oh, in Vegas with [Uncle J and Aunt J]" (Padre's favorite brother) one day then "We'll stay here and invite [Ostlparkwells] over here"(meaning Mom's favorite sister, Aunt Clare & Uncle Lynn/T-La & Les and their 3 adorable boys, Gabe, Caleb, and Elijah/Megs & Jakey/and probably Uncle-who's-not-really-our-Uncle Pat). So even though I kept pressing for REAL PLANS I got none, So I had to plan for either... like trying to get together a hotel workable travel cage for the suggies. And Nani was sick and on twice daily meds. Only weather seemed to be a major factor with Vegas. BUT having just moved to the new house, that seemed a stressful thing if we stayed. I just kept trying to get firm plans so I could KNOW where we were. And I kept trying to get a promise of if we are in Vegas, to go to the Secret Garden again to see the tigers and lions and dolphins and such. And if we DIDN'T go to Vegas to take everyone to the ZOO! Because I have been mounting a campaign to go to the zoo for a WHILE and zoos are more fun with people. Especially little people. But I really didn't know the plans for SURE till the day before and the AWESOME Ostleparkwells had us over THERE and PLUS ALSO I didn't know that it was a SPECIAL zoo day... Feast with the Beasts!

I am sorry to say, we missed some of it (Like the cool stuff on this video :O( )because of my stupidness in waking up. I really hate that about me A LOT. BUT we still got to see a lot of fun things. We saw the elephants squishing little (meaning NORMAL sized) pumpkins and eating them, black bears eating veggies out of turkey pinatas, the tiger completely snubbing a meat-filled pumpkin in true cattitude, etc. It was awesome! And the little boys had LOTS of cute comments. Because, well, they are cute.

We arrived at Hogle Zoo and picked up the schedule of the feeding. We started rushing down to the Black Bears which were being fed right then BUT got distracted by the fact that the elephants were smooshing pumpkins and eating them! It was so cute!

(Meggy and I later decided that Pumpkin would be a really great name FOR an elephant. We didn't know they liked them so much! But they seemed to really think they were delicious!)

Anyway, when we got to the Black Bears we realized a few things. First of all, that the "featured" animal being fed meant it was REALLY hard to get close and so it was hard for the kiddlets to see them and second of all, that the bears were NOT being fed turkey. Instead, they were being fed veggies and stuff in a Turkey-shaped pinata! The first part was disappointing, but the second part was funny. (The second part was disappointing to PADRE who kept saying they should feed the carnivores LIVE turkeys. Umm, yeah, like THAT wouldn't traumatize the children for life! YIKES!!! Besides, I think the bears (omnivores) seemed plenty impressed with their carrots, sweet potatoes, etc.)The whole time Caleb kept saying he wanted to see the "crocodiles and alligators." He told me they were his favorite animal. We THOUGHT they were in a certain exhibit that we kept passing so we were very glad to see a couple lazy little crocodiles in the reptile house. However, for all his excitement, apparently, Caleb was really SCARED of them. He kept asking us about the glass and touching it to be sure it was still THERE (thank you, Harry Potter.) He stared at them very bravely, though, for a LONG time. He also whispered, very seriously to me, "I think THAT crocodile is LOOKING AT ME."
"Are you sure, Caleb?"
He nodded, looking a little terrified.
"well, would you like to leave?"
"NO."
"Okay. We can keep watching them."
THEN, one of the crocs (the one NOT looking at him) actually moved. Caleb leaped back towards Megan pretty quickly. He DID go back up though... after checking the glass again since "that one came over closer to us!"

I think he was pretty proud of his bravery. So was I, and well, it was pretty dang cute.

One of our favorite animals was the Tiger. Part of the reason Megs and *I* loved it so much was because of how sad the old "cat house" used to make us when the Tiger would just pace around inside looking miserable and how much happier he looks now. Also he is just a BEAUTIFUL animal. I love that cat!!!!

We was just so... chill. Like, oh, no problem that you are all watching me... I think I will just siddle up to the glass and take a nice COOOOOOL bath. Ahhh.





Awesome awesome awesome.

Aaaand... Rinny randomly started dancing by the carousel while the boys had a potty break. And so did Padre. Scary.


ANYWAY, moving on...

The Ape House was hilarious. The little boys AND the apes were both adorable. There was a Gorilla, I think it was, and he had a blanket over it's head like it was sulking or something. Little Eli goes, "I think he's saying 'I'm in time out.'" We cracked up, but so did random strangers who passed the quote around and just cooed over his cuteness.

And then we watched Acara the UBER DARLING baby orangutan show off like crazy. She stood on a bucket, put hay IN a bucket, did somersaults, made faces... everything RIGHT in front of us, like LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME! I AM SOOOO CUTE! (She is right. She IS.)

*sigh* I SOOO love apes.

I also loved when the drinking fountain didn't work, but still got THIS expectant face.

And when we rode the Zoofari Express and Gabe wore a conductor hat.

And when Eli thought he was Hercules pushing that ball in the water.
The zoo was just a really fun time all around. I already want to go back. BUT by this time we were all really ready for T-La's EXTRORDINARY sweet potatoes. (and, for some reason, Mac&Cheese?) so we left and played the funniest game of "Eye Spy" I have ever heard in my LIFE. Adults included.

"..do YOU know what it is anymore, Caleb?" "Umm... I'll go again."

"..something Goldenrod..."

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Vanishing Introspection/Tirade

So, apparently a post I wrote which was sort of even spiritual has disappeared. So I am annoyed. Because I really don't feel like rewriting it thank you very much. Long story short, it was about BoyKid's bestfriend JT coming home from a Mission, his little bro leaving on one and how a friend© I looked up to because of her high levels of quality funny has left the Church over Prop 8. (I am pretty sure there is much more to it than that, but that is the very very sad gist)

I am just not up to re-writing. Sorry. BUT, I so love little kids. And my baby bro. THE END. *sigh*

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Pieces of Eight

Pilfered from T-La

8 TV Shows I Love to Watch
1. The Office
2. Heroes
3. Chuck
4. NCIS
5. Perry Mason
6. Gilmore Girls
7. It's Me or the Dog
8.
Bones


8 Things that Happened Yesterday
1. Went to the Doctor *sigh*
2. Texted back and forth with a "Koda Bear" who has been doing so off and on, like, a year, and he asked me OUT. I said maybe sometime. But I probably won't. Because he is kinda weird. I've never met him. It is WEIRDER, somehow, than online. Texting some stanger out of the blue. SERIOUSLY. Who does that?!
3. Went to the pool and swam a bit
4. Watched Chuck and Heroes.
5.
Felt like CRAP.
6. Started drinking the barium "smoothie" (vile stuff!) for today's CT scan of my stomach.
7. Tried very hard not to throw up said "smoothie."
8. Prayed a lot for a lot of people. <:O( See Wishlist, I guess.



8 Favorite Places to Eat
1. China Bowl (BEST. Egg Drop Soup. Ever. Even if she is the Soup Nazi of Chinese Restaurants. "Yeah, can we get Lemon Chicken Dinner to go?" "NO. You had that too many time. You have something different today. You have
Coconut Shrimp. You like." "Oh thanks, that sounds good, but..." " NO LEMON CHICKEN. You Have Shrimp! You like! Very good!")
2. Macaroni Grill (Shrimp and Pine Nut Portofino, hold the mushrooms, please!.... mmmmm.... and the BREAD.)

3. Betos
4. Skipper's (too bad it's GONE!)
5. that Brazilian place on State Street that has the cheese rolls sold seperatley. Mmmm... I want some NOW.
6. Cafe Rio (Pork Salad!)
7.
Target (Yes, THAT Target. They have Sushi.)
8. Cold stone. I like to eat at coldstone. Does having ice cream for dinner count? <---YES. It Counts, because ME TOO!!!


8 Things I Am Looking Forward To

1. The 2nd Coming
2. being healthy and DONE with all doctors, tests and meds.
3. the Holidays
4.
Ooh, one of those cookies my mom is making for someone else. Hmmm...
5. taking a bath
6. The next Heroes (yes, I AM that big of a geek)
7. My Baby Bro Spencer coming home from his mission
8. Thanksgiving Dinner (with the Ostleparkwells... or some Tigers. If we are home we are definitely having it with T-La and Megs and their Fam. But we MAY be in Vegas. If that is the case I am pushing to go back to the Secret Garden. I swear, am p
acking a lunch and staying the WHOLE DAY in there. I love those cats.)


8 Things on My Wish List

1. For an online friend of mine who once was looking into the LDS Church to do so again and feel the truth of the gospel and mostly how it could HELP his life.
2. That those who are so full of HATRED about Proposition 8 in California could just... CHILL and have softer hearts. Disagreeing is one thing. For me it was hard to stand behind Prop 8 100% because I have friends and FAMILY who I love dearly that struggle with SSA. I knew this would hurt them. BUT I know that the leaders of the church SPEAK FOR THE LORD. And for whatever reason, they have asked us to take a stand on this cause. And, honestly, if it's causing THIS MUCH of a fight... mobs attacking temples and stuff, then, it must be super important.
But I just wish the contention would STOP. Why is it ANGER and screaming and picketing? I just think of sadness...
3. My home was clean and organized...
4. And that I was LIVING there. :OP
5. I wish could get healthy. Get a healthy weight so my dumb diabetes under control. Especially now, because, oh, my doctor thinks I may SORT OF have TYPE ONE Diabetes as well as Type 2. Like little kid Diabetes. Just not really bad. How crazy is that? Anyway, losing 100 lbs would be REALLY great.
6.
a Ferret. He is adorable and I love him. He is silver and white, and follows me around the cage in Petco, and snuggles with me. But I can't have him. But this is a WISH list dang it all!
7. Hey, while I am wishing for things I can't have, how about a funny, cute boy that likes me and DOESN'T live far away, etc.?
8. Money. Or at least a job that I like that gives me more of it. *sigh*


8 People I Tag

Umm... you... eight.