Weekend

We're breaking records around here.  Just not necessarily the kind of records you want to break.   Hottest week in 15 years, hottest summer in 30 years, and so on and so forth.  And I am not one to complain about the heat in summertime.  Summer is my favorite time of year.  BUT.  This is just ridiculous.  It is oppressive and, dare I say, miserable when it's over 100 at 7 p.m., making evening walks, bubbles outside, and sidewalk chalk in the driveway nearly impossible.

I promise I have a point here.  On second thought...not so much.  It's just hot.

Friday night began our weekend of home improvement aka my house is in ruins.  Rob prepared the kitchen and bathrooms for tile by tearing up the linoleum.  The stove, washer, and dryer are in the garage, the toilet is in the bathtub, and the fridge is in the living room.  Saturday we had new carpet installed in the bedrooms.  Rob has never done tile before, so he didn't make as much progress as he had hoped to, but what he has done (as of last night) looks great.  He is a diligent and meticulous worker (I have to say that or he'll quit).

So with the house torn up and Rob devoting all his time to the tile, Avery and I were left to our own devices.  Essentially we needed to stay out of the house as much as possible.  Saturday morning we were up and off to breakfast at Chick Fil A, the library, and the neighborhood pool.  Lynn met us at the pool, which we nearly had to ourselves for a few hours.  By that time, the carpet was done so Avery was able to get a long nap before heading to Claremore for Pepaw's birthday.

Enjoying a fruit leather

Avery & Aunt Lynn

Avery playing dress-up at Gigi & Pepaw's

I decided Avery and I would go to the zoo on Sunday.  I had hoped to be there by 9 a.m. to avoid the heat but that plan was laid to rest when we didn't get up until almost 9.  We got there about 10:45 and stayed until 1:15.  It goes without saying that starting about 11:30 it was insanely hot.  The zoo has set up numerous tents throughout the grounds with free ice water as well as some water slides, so that was nice.  It is more fun to take her to the zoo now that she knows what the animals are, recognizes them, and really pays attention to them.  Although, when asked before we got there which animal she most wanted to see her response was a bee.

My monkey checking out the other monkeys

Goat at the petting zoo (she would not pet anything)

Big fish in the Rainforest

Huge catfish

Cute giraffe

Having some lunch

Checking out the elephants

And then there was the carousel.  I pointed out the carousel when we first got there and she said she wanted to ride the tiger.  I told her we would do it before we left, and true to my word I took her to the carousel even though by that time I was dying of heat exhaustion and wanted to sprint for the car and blast the air conditioner.  I knew she would be scared.  I don't know where she gets it, but she is an extremely cautious child.  We had the carousel all to ourselves, and as anticipated she chose the tiger.  Only she was scared to sit on it and clung to me like a life raft.  She wanted to get off as soon as it started moving (at a whopping 1 mph) but I made her stay on.  Towards the end I pried her death grip off me long enough to step back and take a couple pictures.  She looks like she's having the time of her life, huh?

As soon as it stopped moving she smiled and said "that fun!"  Oooooook.