Kind of Like the Zoo

Are we REALLY going to the zoo?

We decided to take Owen to the zoo last weekend. We set aside a whole afternoon... and then it poured cold rain from the sky. No good. What to do on a rainy Sunday when you promised the zoo?

You go to the pet store, of course. The SPCA was present with crates of kittens, the parakeets were awake and flapping all over the place, the guinea pig drank some water from his bottle, and a woman pulled her brand-new puppy around by his leash because he refused to walk any farther. Two hound dogs got into a howling match at the counter, and a squawking parrot chewed on toys. Four turtles munched on lettuce. It was kind of like the zoo. Owen didn't know any different.

Homemade Toys are the Best

Further proof that homemade toys are the best. Since I created this toy last week, Owen has reached for it time and time again over other toys, and it still makes him laugh.

I made the following out of an aluminum tea canister, dried beans, and duct tape. I think one thing Owen especially likes about this toy is that the canister is shiny and a bit reflective, and it is cool to the tongue. And that you can bang it with your hand like a drum. And tilt it like a rain stick.

Happy Halloween!

Yesterday morning I dropped Owen off at daycare and passed the center's director wearing a mouse costume. Then I walked into Owen's class and saw every single person dressed in costume. Every person except Owen. Babies had become chickens, devils, penguins, firemen... and both of Owen's teachers were also dressed up. Somehow we hadn't gotten the memo that everyone dresses for Halloween at daycare, and poor Owen looked like such an outcast. Later in the morning, they had a class picture taken of everyone (minus Owen) in costume - Owen wore some deely-bobbers shaped like pumpkins that they had on hand. Ergh. Owen is definitely going to nominate Dave and I for bad-parent-of-the-year awards.

Halloween kind of snuck up on us this year. We didn't even carve pumpkins. Luckily we had a giant bag of Tootsie Rolls ready for trick-or-treaters. And Owen dressed up as a pile of leaves, which he didn't mind at all.