The house is quiet.

   The brothers and the husband are playing basketball.  The girls are sleeping in their beds.  Or so I assume, based on aforementioned quiet.  I hope Jocelyn isn't just taking off all her clothes and dancing around in her crib like she so enjoys. 

   I finally feel like I'm getting ready for more guests.  I scrubbed our bathroom top to bottom, vacuumed all over the place, rearranged a few rooms, baked a double batch of gluten free cookies,  did some loads of laundry...but there is still much left to do.  I have been "prepping" for oh, it feels like weeks now, but you always have to leave a lot until the end because with small children in the house, there is only so much "prep" work you can really do. 

   All that goes to say, I am ready to sit for a bit.   I say "for a bit" a lot more than I ever thought I did.  I know this because now Jocelyn is always saying it too.  She asks, "Can I watch a show...bit?"  "Can I draw....bit?"  It's rather darling.

   Blogtember was really good for stretching me and forcing me to write about things I never write about.  But it wasn't so good for writing about anything else in our lives, so some things got left behind.  Things like our trip to the zoo.  And I just couldn't bear to leave it out, it being our official farewell to summertime and all.   So here you are, even though this happened what....four weeks ago?

    It was a perfect day.  PERFECT.  Blissful weather, Daddy all to ourselves, cheap tickets and all the zoo animals our hearts could desire.  The girls did great the whole time, even in spite of being sick (Charlotte had an almost-sinus infection and got antibiotics the day after we got home).  We packed a lunch and the whole day went so smoothly, and they slept on the way home, and did I mention it was a perfect day?  Cliché, I know, but when it's true, it's true.

  
   It was Jocelyn's first time to the zoo, and even though she's terrified of animals, she seemed to thoroughly enjoy herself.  It was so fun taking them when they could both know a little better what was actually happening and appreciate all of the things the zoo had to offer.  And did I mention that the 2nd Tuesday of each month the tickets are only $4 per person?  And 3 yrs and under are FREE?  It's the way to go, folks.

















   Thanks to Disney's Dumbo, (which still could make me cry, if I let it) Jocelyn's highlight by FAR was the precious elephant family.  She could not get done exclaiming over that baby elephant and repeating countless times, "Mama, Daddy, baby, elephants.  Mama, Daddy, baby, elephants."  She is all about families right now.  If there were two animals it was always a mama and a daddy and where's the baby one?  If we are going somewhere or about to do something, no matter how enjoyable of an activity, she will first ask if Sissy is going, then mama and daddy.  She wants to know if we'll all be together.  And she loves her some Daddy/daughter dates, trust me, but usually she prefers us all to be together. 

I can't blame her.

 That's her "elephant family" face.






   I almost cropped Jocelyn out of this one because it was just such a lovely one of Charlotte, but then I just couldn't because I thought the juxtaposition of their personalities was just beautiful.  They are SO different.  In looks, demeanor, attitude, expression, behavior...just about everything.  They are certainly sisters, and I think I spot more and more similarities every day, but they will always be their own person.  Each one perfectly, splendidly unique. 

And I wouldn't have it any other way.