Back at the Zoo

We stopped by the Blank Park Zoo last Saturday afternoon. It's been over a year since we've been there. Most of the zoo is outside, so none of us work masks. While we were walking around, I asked Daphne, "So, how does it feel to be back at the zoo?"

She replied, "It's comfortable. Very comfortable," and then she slowly strode over to the big cats exhibit.

She wasn't the only one feeling comfortable.

 Char indulged me by standing in front of these outspread wings.

The symbolism wasn't lost on me. It did feel good to stretch our wings a little. 

Spring Break '19: Our Staycation

Last year was the first time we traveled on a plane with Charlotte for spring break. Visiting San Francisco was fun, but this year we decided to stay home again.

While Char was at the Science Center with a friend, Daphne and I had quite a lunch at Wasabi in Johnston. 

The Blank Park Zoo is Des Moines isn't very big, but you can get pretty close to the big cats.

The only time we left town was to visit Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. Seeing elephants and cheetahs isn't something we can do in Des Moines.

Charlotte thought these little guys in the bottom of the tank were fascinating. I forgot to note what they were called.

My favorite part about visiting the Omaha Zoo is eating at California Tacos & More afterwards.

Their puffy tacos are similar to the ones at Tasty Tacos in Des Moines, but their California Taco is larger and they have a great condiment bar. Their steak filling is chunks of steak... sooo good.

Charlotte chose to be Harriet Tubman for the 3rd Grade Wax Museum. She needed a costume, so we all went thrift store shopping.

Char used this illustration of Harriet for inspiration.

Here's the dress they found. The white piece came from Hobby Lobby, and Daphne sewed the buttons  on the front by hand.

Char gave her new lantern from Bass Pro Shops a test run before bedtime.

The 3rd Grade Wax Museum is this Friday, and I'm looking forward to seeing Char's performance.

We also hung out at the local park when the weather was nice.

We bought Char a tie-dye kit for Easter last year, and Daphne decided it was about time to put it to use. The gals dyed six shirts and six headbands.

After 24 hours, the fabric was ready to be washed. First you have rinse the fabric until the water runs clean, and Daphne will tell you that is the worst part of this process. I bet it took 45 minutes before she felt they were ready for the washer. 

The shirts and headbands turned out good, though.

Char's other project was to construct two forts/mazes for the cats to play in. She was inspired by watching cat videos on YouTube. 

Daphne brought home a few boxes from work...

They're held together by tape for now, but if the cats use them, we'll secure the boxes with the cardboard screws my buddy Rob 3D printed for us. 

The big fort is called "Maniac Mansion."

This one is the "Cozy Cottage."

Okay, here's where I come in. Charlotte wanted to play a video game on the TV using a controller, "You know, Dad. I want to go old school." I dusted off a GameCube and went hunting for a game she could play. I came home with a copy of Animal Crossing from Half Priced Books. The game was first released in 2002, so I hoped 17 years was old school enough for her.

"Animal Crossing is an open-ended game in which the human player character moves into a village populated with anthropomorphic animals. Throughout the game, the player can interact with the animals, as well as other players through the GameCube's memory card. The game is synced with the GameCube's internal clock and calendar, allowing the game to be played in real-time, which also follows seasons and holidays." - from Wikipedia

Char loves this game. She named her town Meville and has a small house there that she's paid off by working for Tom Nook and selling him items that she finds. She's looking forward to getting a bigger place with a basement. 

I bought her an Animal Crossing guide book on Amazon, and she's been studying it. 

Tonight, if she does her homework and practices the piano without complaint, we're going to change the game's calendar and have a Thanksgiving dinner in Meville. Char wants to steal the silverware for Franklin the turkey so he'll give her gifts in return.

Hi, Kitty!

Just hanging out at the Blank Park Zoo...

Halloween Begins; a Tradition Ends

I'm a little jealous of Charlotte's Halloween experience. When I was a kid, you got one night of free candy and a rerun of “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.” Now a kid can celebrate Halloween for weeks.

We started Halloween on Saturday at the Blank Park Zoo's "Night Eyes." Char told us last year that she would be a vampire next time. I don't know how she picks the costumes, but she doesn't change her mind.

Charlotte wasn't interested in the photo ops with characters this year; she was too focused on reading the posted jokes and getting candy. Char was having fun, but I could tell she was also going through the motions. This is the sixth time we've attended "Night Eyes," and I suspect that this might be our last.

She wasn't too old to enjoy the inflatables at the Fun Zone, but she couldn't jump on the one that was for children five and younger.

It's a fuzzy action picture, but I like it. She looks spooky jumping around in her makeup.

The only stand-in she wanted to pose by was this car. Char wants to drive? That is scary!

I had to ask her three times, but Charlotte finally endured the embarrassment of sitting with Dad in front of the Night Eyes pumpkin.

I didn't want to miss my chance to see how far we had come from our first "Night Eyes."

 2011:

2012:

That pumpkin isn't the only thing that's changed.

In between dance and karate lessons, we've got Trunk or Treat at church, Mysteries of the Castle, the Central Iowa Wind Ensemble's Kids Halloween Concert, and then there's Beggar's Night on Sunday. There's about 10 other events that we're going to miss, but you can't do everything. link

I am going to try to fit Charlie Brown in there somewhere. It's his special's 50th anniversary this year. Wow, looks like everybody's getting older...

An Omaha Zoo Visit

It's not a secret that I don't enjoy going to zoos. It's not because I have some ethical problem with animals imprisoned in elaborate cages, I just think that zoos are boring. I'd bet the animals do too. But since my wife and daughter really like them, we go. Heck, sometimes I'll even suggest that we should go to the zoo. I'm dumb like that.

Here are some pictures from our last zoo trip. We stayed inside for most of the day since it was late November.

The rope bridge in the Lied Jungle is a popular spot. 

No, you cannot swing on that!

Pondering the puffins.

Somewhere I have a picture of Charlotte and me that was taken in this same spot a few years ago, but I can't find it. I suppose it was one of those family pictures that were hijacked last January when my old PC was infected with the CTB-Locker ransomware virus. 

Char enjoyed "swimming underwater" with her penguin friends.

She called this "Oook-Oooking".

Lastly, when you're a kid you should always take the opportunity to walk on the masonry. It's a law.

Walkin' in a Winter Wonder Zoo

If you're a fan of big cats, then go to the Blank Park Zoo in the winter. The decorative rocks near the windows in the animals' habitats are heated, and that's where the lions and tigers hang out. Standing next to the glass is as close as you're going to get without a veterinary degree.

Also, the zoo is all but empty, and you can sit in as many butterfly chairs as you want.

June Highlights part 3 (last one)

The last big event of June took us up to Minneapolis for my cousin Travis's wedding. It's strange, I haven't been invited to a wedding in about a decade, and then we're invited to three weddings in one month.

The wedding was on a Saturday, so we drove up to the hotel and swam in the pool before getting ready to go to the church. I'll be honest and tell you that I think going to the pool with Charlotte is one of the most boring things we do. Pools are no joke; they're dangerous and you honestly can't look away when Char's even near the water. Sure she's tall for her age, but most hotel pools start at 3 and a half feet and get deeper from there. So when she's in the water, you are too, and you're holding her. Twirling a child on the surface of the water is fun for a little while, but it makes for a pretty long hour. Catching someone jumping off the edge of a pool 73 times can also get tedious.

The wedding went well and so did the reception. Because Minneapolis's traffic is crazy and confusing, I didn't dare drink any alcohol. On the way back to the hotel I thought I'd stop and pick up some beer. Most hotel rooms don't offer two separate spaces, so after Charlotte goes to to sleep there's not much to do in the dark. I like to surf shopgoodwill.com and drink a few beers.

I am not a picky beer drinker. I don't need a nifty name on the bottle or a long list of adjectives to describe my drinking experience. Does the beer make me burp and pee? If the answer is yes, then I'm a happy guy. Unfortunately, I did not know that in Minnesota you cannot buy beer anywhere but from a liquor store. And liquor stores are only open until 10 pm on Saturday, and they are not open at all on Sunday. I discovered this information at 10:07 pm Saturday night. Insert sound of sad trombone here.

I take back what I said about the pool being the most boring thing ever.

On Sunday we took Charlotte to Minneapolis's Children's Museum. After visiting the museums in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska, I was afraid this was going to be a case of S.S.D.M, but I was wrong. The three museums have similarities, but the differences are noticeable. For one, this place had five floors. Let's see what Char got to do.

She turned a crank.

And took her mom for a ride, "I'm taking you to the zoo, okay?"

All three museums have water features.

Char also drove a bus.

On the "neighborhood" floor you could dress in different uniforms and pretend to have different careers. I got a real kick out of watching Char the mail-carrier.

As always, Char was drawn to the medical exhibit. She's fascinated with organs and bones.

Char let Mom paint her face in Lincoln. Charlotte was ready to do it herself in Minneapolis. 

Why so serious?

The top floor was botanical, and Charlotte chose to plant a bean in the small pot they gave her.

Ten days later, that bean is growing pretty well on our front step.

On the way down we stopped to pretend Char was a turtle.

And before we left we had a chance to dance.

Recently during a car drive Char informed me that she likes the word "booty".
"You mean like pirate treasure?"
"Noooo Daaaad, I mean like my bottom. I like to shake my booty!"

We'll just let that one go for now.

After the museum we had lunch at Matt's bar (already a recent blog post), and then we headed over to the Mall of America to check out their amusement park. It used to be called Camp Snoopy, but now it's Nickelodeon Universe. That doesn't matter to me, the tight, small rides that go around in a circle still make me want to lose my Jucy Lucy. Here's Daphne and Char on the same ride I'd take in about five minutes.

I always time how long the ride takes while I'm standing in line. I want to know how long the torment will last. I also watch the smiles on the parents currently on the ride. I want to know how long my real smile will turn into a sickly one like theirs.

We stopped by the Como Park Zoo before we left town on Monday, and let me warn you. Before you can get into the free zoo, you have to walk through "Como Town" - a cheesy carnival with all the glamor a carnival can provide. Because we had already hit Nickelodeon Universe, we were able to get Charlotte to the zoo without too much trouble.

For me, the best part of Como Zoo was the polar bear exhibit. Huge animals effortlessly gliding through water are beautiful to watch.

After the polar bears it was time to wish Sparky the Seal Lion happy birthday, and then we were back on the road to Iowa where they sell beer anytime you want them to.

Stupid Minnesota...