Live Every Day Like It's Your Birthday

How was it 80 degrees yesterday and now forty and freezing today? I'm not happy about this. I had a fun in the sun filled week planned in Omaha. Tomorrow was supposed to be Knox's first zoo trip, but no one wants their first trip to the zoo in cold rainy weather. It's supposed to be a moment you remember forever. Think about your first trip to the zoo. The fun of climbing on the brass statues out front, the thrill of feeding the goats your cardboard popcorn box in the petting zoo area, and let's not forget the joy we all felt when first tugging on the slimy utters of the milkable cow in the dairy store. I wanted to hold Knox up to the fake utters just to see if he'd try to suck, I mean just to see. One of my first zoo memories occurred at the Denver Zoo in 1989, and thanks to my dad it's almost all on video camera. And also thanks to my dad a majority of the film features no animals at all, but instead it's him closing up on a mother breast feeding her baby, and I'm talking about a human mother, just for the record.

But after Denver most of my memories are chalked full of the one and only Henry Doorly, the best zoo in North America if you ask me. Many a birthday, school field trip, and just spur of the moment trips have been spent there. Feels like it was just yesterday when my parents took me there on my 19th birthday, the day before I moved to New York to become a nanny, only to find out I didn't like New Yorkers and/or children so I flew home 2 days later. Just another life lesson learned the hard way.

But anyway, Topeka actually has a zoo. And funny enough, it's only about 3 blocks from where Chris and I live. On my way to work almost everyday I can look to my right on Gage St. and see elephants and giraffes. I always wondered what kind of people live close to zoos. Now I know. To the right of me is Westboro, to the left, a zoo. The best of both worlds really. Speaking of Westboro, the other day as I was doing one of my daily drive bys I saw a uniformed solider posing outside of the church for a candid photo taken by his girl friend. It was like seeing Sadam take a photo in front of the White House.

And now just one more day and then it's time to celebrate Kate's birthday! As I've mentioned before, Kate's life motto is "live everyday like it's your birthday." So you can imagine how much fun will be had on her actual Bday when every other day is just as exciting. If I know Kate, and I think I do, tomorrow will entail a free for all shopping extravaganza at J Crew and Anthro for anyone who wishes her a happy birthday. Then we'll go off and have cupcakes and champagne somewhere just as great, and we will finish the night with a Flinstone themed party that will unfortunately have to be cut short when Aunt Becky goes into labor with the twins! Eeek! Nevermind, that was Michelle Tanner's 5th birthday not Kate's 24th. For some reason I always get Kate and Michelle Tanner memories mixed up. I think it's because they remind me of each other. Regardless, it's gonna be a great Friday, Friday, Friday, fun fun fun fun fun fun fun.