Grand and Monumental! (And Part 2 of Foods That Make Me Happy)

Here's to a grand and monumental day!!

Family Zoo Day
Michael suggested we have a family day at the zoo today because it would be fun. So, we did. And it was. A hot one, yes, but we all cooled down at the Splash Park where Shiloh made new friends. We "ooo-ooo, ahhh-ahhh"ed at the gibbons and baboons, laughed at the brown bears wrestling in the cool water, smiled at the wiggly meerkats, and fed the giraffe a slice of sweet potato. While Shiloh snoozed, Michael and I petted goats, a donkey, and stared at a skink (in order to see his bright blue tongue) and chatted about having chicks, goats, horses, and the like. We do not want a farm, but we'll settle for some land to work a garden and some animals.

Shiloh and I played successfully on the playground after Michael left for work. Once, she and I went down the twisty slide. Then, she decided to go back up. No help, indeed! She climbed up that like it was not hard at all! Even though I was right behind her, (picture me trying to get up an enclosed tunnel twisty slide: with the Ergo flapping wildly around my knees, a backpack on my back, and an oddly-shaped water bottle on the side of it, I am sure I made quite a sight) she was up at the top before I could even think about what was happening.

Thoughts on running...
I needed to go to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods after we got back from the zoo, but we had a few hours' break in between. With only one short nap at the zoo for the day, Shiloh decided sleep was not cool and was literally RUNNING around after we arrived home from the store! How is it that she couldn't even walk unassisted a week ago and now she is running?! I even said to myself yesterday, "Well, she is walking, but at least I have some time to get used to that before she is running. She is growing up so quickly." Well, no. She is defying all of my assumptions.

Homegrown Splash Park
As for Splash Parks...Shiloh made her own one tonight. We were reading a book and Shiloh became distracted. She crawled off to the kitchen. I, for one, was enjoying the book about the Berenstain Bears making their mama breakfast in bed. There are even ideas at the bottom of each page on how to go about doing this. Definitely my type of book, as breakfast in bed sounds lovely. So there I am intrigued, then I hear a clang! I dart off to the kitchen, meanwhile remembering that I had left out the dog's food and water bowls while I was giving the baby a bath and hadn't put them away yet. I reach Shiloh, discover she is munching on dog food, and see her splashing (just like at the Splash Park) in the water she emptied from the dog bowl!! What a fun--and funny--scene!! I scooped her up, said "no thank you" and grabbed a towel. Then we ran around the house, me carrying her, while I told her how much I loved her, Shiloh smiling all the way, still with dog food in the back of her throat that I could not reach without her biting me.

Other Cute Shiloh-isms
Other new antics include open and shut (cabinets, little plastic colored Easter eggs, lids on things) and up and down (she can now do so on the couch, beds, chairs, etc.) Today she said "blueberry" (not antioxidant, but it's still a big word for her age!) and I will never forget the day she said, at around 8 months, "my onion." No kidding, folks. First phrase I can remember her saying. It must have been worth saying.

And why wouldn't I want to be a stay-at-home mama?!

Part 2 of Foods That Make Me Happy

Olives!!
Age-defying, wrinkle-chasing, beauty-building, yummy for salad-sprinkling. Eat up heartily! Just look out for those pits...my poor molar tells me even now...

Blueberries!!
Fresh or dried, mmm good. I love the wild Boreal blueberries from Trader Joe's. Make sure to get organic because non-organic are laced with pesticides. Antioxidant-rich berries...so succulent...hard to find around here except in season, so I like to buy the flash frozen variety.

Front Porch Salad!!
This is my name for the salad mesclun that I have growing in a pot on our front porch. I like it...it is sassy and slightly spicy. I picked it right before I consumed it in my dinner salad. I am thinking that all food should be like that.

Kashi Crackers!!
My husband reminded me tonight over dinner about a time when I was first on the organic, all-natural food kick that is now part of my lifestyle. We were at an auto parts store and as usual, I had my box of Kashi crackers with me. (Not so much now...they don't agree with my colon...but I do enjoy them every so often.) I guess I told the guy at the cash register, "Have you ever had Kashi? Oh wow...here, try one! They are so amazing!" Did I really do that? I sure am passionate about what I believe in, even food!

Salads in General!!
Kale, mustard, collards, spinach, spring mix, green leaf, sprouts, avocado, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, goat cheese, smoked salmon, mango, fresh berries, green onion, fresh mint, cilantro, other fresh herbs, parsley, radishes, green and red peppers, carrots, quinoa. What's not to love?

Another note on salads:
Lastly, Michael was known for his incredibly concocted, perhaps slightly aggressive salads after football games in high school and college. The team would go to a buffet center to "reward" the guys following a good rough and tumble. In college, before we were dating, he came to the art building to keep me company while I worked on a project for a class. He painted a picture of himself about to embark on a salad to end all salads, fork and knife in each hand and curly fro on Michael's head to boot. I don't know where the picture went but if I ever find it, you'll find it on our wall, framed.