Zookeepers

Dexter and Ian went to the zoo yesterday (with Mommy, Elissa, and Jason). I think Dexter enjoyed watching and following Ian who is almost exactly one year older than Dexy. It was like he had a big brother. The two of them enjoyed looking at the fountain (Ian especially!), the rhinos, the african dogs, and the buffalo. Dexter pointed out every cart and tram as well as a jeep that was part of a display. It was a chilly day so we warmed ourselves up in the enclosed children's zoo where the boys saw lemurs, turtles, birds, and a huge frog. They enjoyed playing the part of zookeepers and spent a fair amount of time sweeping the floors in the zookeeper play area. They shared a snack of crunchy apples (thanks Elissa!) and after the zoo we had a lovely lunch at a local diner. Dexter, as usual, impressed everyone with his "I'll eat anything and everything" approach to meals. He even tried to pilfer fries and a pickle from Elissa's plate. I'm just waiting for the day when he gets picky about food - everyone warns me that it's coming.

LB Wiggles

I was able to work from home on Friday which meant I was able to attend Dexter's first day of reading group at the local library. There was a woman there with a little boy a couple months younger than Dexter who recognized Dexy from the grocery store. I said to Ben, "How does this lady know his name when nobody has introduced themselves?" Dexter took to her immediately, as did Mommy and Daddy. I think we've all made new friends. The "class" itself was fine - the "teacher" led the group in some songs, read three leaf-themed books, and walked the children through creating their own storyboards by putting colored felt animals on their individual felt boards as they appeared in the story. Then she pulled out a couple baskets of toys, put on a tape player of children's songs, and sat back. Compared to Wiggleworms, it was very low-budget. Compared to what we're paying for Wiggleworms, the local library's free reading group is totally worth the price of admission.