Two other highlights from our trip to Wisconsin: hanging out with Cousins Tanner and Brook at the pool, and visiting the Henry Vilas Zoo!

-M

A trip to Madison isn’t complete without a trip to the water, and we celebrated my birthday last week by dining out and boating on Lake Mendota, then showing the girls Monona Terrace (where Q and I got married) and enjoying ice cream at the Union. At one point Zoe said to me, “You know how earlier I was singing ‘Best Day of My Life’? Well, I think today actually IS the best day of my life.”

-M

We spent most of last week in sunny and warm Madison. Here are some pics…

-M

We recently started a new Friday night tradition: After swim class we head to a make-your-own-pizza place at the mall (and sometimes to do a bit of shopping, too). We were joined by friends the other evening, and it was a very girlie affair!

-M

Out of the blue one day Zoe handed me this piece of paper. This part in particular jumped out at me and made my day/week/year:

She works hard; that’s how I like it. She never, ever forgets to love me and Avery.

-M

Now that camp is over, the girls wanted to take me to the zoo and show me some of the stuff they learned. And so we headed there on Monday – and we did and saw tons.

-M

The girls spent the last three weeks at zoo camp, where they learned tons about animals, as well as conservation issues. (Zoe treated me and Q to a lecture one evening on climate change and how polar bears are being affected.) In the photos below, Avery is petting an American alligator and playing a water-themed game, while Zoe is getting to know the rubber boa and picking kale from the zoo’s garden to feed the animals.

-M

As readers know, we love amusements parks. We hadn’t been to Gilroy Gardens yet this season, so we headed there on Saturday…

-M

Last weekend, with the temperature nice and high, friends took us to a “secret beach” in nearby Pacifica. It was somewhat surreal to have the sand and surf to ourselves – the only thing that would have made it better in my book was a fruity cocktail!

-M

The other afternoon, while snacking, Zoe called out from the kitchen to ask if she could another slice of cheese. When I told her yes, she ran past me and sang out. “Thanks, Mommy, you’re the best!” Then she stopped and clarified: “I mean, not just for the cheese, but other reasons, too.”

-M

The girls’ babysitter is interning this summer at the Exploratorium, and we went to see her and, well, explore the place last weekend. And since it’s located on a gorgeous spot on the Bay, we had to spend time (and take photos) outdoors, too!

-M

Q and the girls were all smiles at the Giants game the other afternoon…

-M

Summer time often means clean-up time and while going through a pile of old papers the other day, I came across something Zoe had written about the second grade. Since Harry Potter isn’t among the books she referenced as reading, I’m going to guess this is from the first semester of the school year (i.e. her pre-Harry days). She wrote:

At school, I love reading, writing and my friends like Shayna and Zachary. I like math, and I’m good at it and it’s very fun. At recess I play a game called “bad guys vs. good guys.” Me and Zachary made it up together. Shayna and Halle started to play after we started it. Sometimes Halle or Shayna don’t play because they’re doing something else at recess.

At SSR (“super silent reading”) I like to read Magic Bone and the Fairy Magic series. Sometimes at SSR, I do turtle walking or gardening or book return. But most of all at SSR I like reading, reading and reading.

At “body break” I like to walk for awhile. I do it for awhile and keep going till my body break is over. At math I like to work in my math log, in my math workbook and in my math textbook.

Hopefully third grade will be as much fun for her!

-M

With Q out of town last weekend, the girls and I hopped in the car and drove down the coast for a girls adventure. We stopped at one of our favorite playgrounds before heading south and discovering a hilly trail that led to views of the ocean and a tide pool that was ideal for splashing around in. And all within 25 minutes from home!

-M

On Zoe’s last birthday we gave her a book on “girl power.” It’s filled with cute illustrations and inspirational little sayings (example: “Be glad of who you are today because you have so much to offer the world”), and I knew it was the type of thing she’d like. Fast forward to a few nights ago when she pulled it off her bookshelf and asked if we could read it together. After a few pages, she asked me if I remembered the Dementors in Harry Potter and how they suck out the joy of people they attack. “This book makes me feel the opposite of that,” she said. “It’s like all my happiness is inside of this book.” Then she suggested that we turn the charm at the end of the bookmark into a necklace. “I’ll wear it every day – and when I’m feeling bad I’ll rub it.”

Guess our $9.99 was money well spent.

-M