Christmas with Pfaff Pfamily of Pfour

Brian had a furlough day today so we were busy, busy elves!

The day started with decorating the Christmas Tree.  We decided to bring out our Joanne Fabric Doorbuster Sale Black Friday fake tree again this year.  (That is a story in it's own right, but for another time.)  The thought of Charlotte tipping over a real Noble Fir tree on herself was just too much and the pine needles....yikes.  (Inserting Brian's comment here:  "Can you imagine them going in her mouth?  Our fear is not where they go in, but where they come out.")  Thanks for that, Brian.

Anyway......

We started our morning decorating the tree.  We thought we would put non breakables hanging on the bottom of the tree, so our girl wouldn't break anything.  There's lots of action up top, but bare on the bottom.  Hmmm... I'm sure if Brian were still sitting here he would have some sort of off color thing to say.  Let's all be glad he's gone to bed, I'm just not that clever.

Brian was showing Charlotte how to hang the ornaments, putting the hooks on or looping the ribbon around the branches.  She was getting into it.

Then we started handing her ornaments and helped her do it herself.

Then she was IN!  But she sorta skipped the step of looping or hanging and just started setting random things ON TOP of the branches.....

....like the ornament plastic container

and even the lens cap for the camera.


(Non ornaments did not stay on the tree, however funny the action of them getting put on the tree was.)

Here is J.J. and I watching the action.  Charlotte was taking 5 from tree decorating and stuffing a dried apple in her mouth-notice she needs both hands for her stuffing technique.  

After I did some running around town, the kids got their naps, and the weatherman was proven right, we decided to celebrate the season and the crisp, cool night and go to Zoo Lights!!  Referring to my Target posting earlier, you can image the chaos that ensued trying to leave the house, and this time leaving Brian was here to help!  We wanted to get to the zoo while it was still day light so Charlotte could see some of the animals before it got dark so we were in "go mode".  J.J. had to be fed, Charlotte needed a snack, everyone dressed for cold weather, snacks for later, water, a stroller, a baby carrier, cameras, boots, gloves, etc.  About 90 minutes later we had tickets purchased and were headed for fun!  The weather was awesome!

Charlotte's Must See list included the lions, so to Africa we went!  We had to pass through Stellers Cove (sea lions, otters, fish, etc.).  Charlotte got to see a sea lion.  "WHOAAAA!"  Was all she could say.

She was loving it!  I had taken her to the zoo when she was an infant with my class on a field trip, but we haven't been there since her budding passion for animals has started.  She was one happy girl.

Turns out we got there about when the zoo normally closes, but before the zoo lights admission started so most of the animals were already in for the night.  We didn't get to see much, unfortunately.  The giraffe's enclosure has windows and we could watch it eat up close.  That was cool-their eye lashes really are long.

We got to the lion's, but they were already put to bed.  Bummer!!  Charlotte got to climb on the lion statues out front, though.  She didn't know the difference because she kept saying "ROAR!!"  Next zoo trip when we see the real lions will be fun because she enjoyed the statues so much.

 She's saying "ROAR!!!!!"

If you didn't already know, the zoo has a new baby elephant that was born in November!!  The baby wasn't out, but some of the other herd members were.  Charlotte REALLY liked watching the elephants and kept saying "hi!" and waving.  It was adorable.  Brian shot this video.  It's kind of long, beware!  One of the elephants even trumpeted at us!

Cute right?  Yeah, we know.

If you haven't been to Zoo Lights before, we highly suggest it.   It's pretty amazing.

It was starting to get darker....

Charlotte loved running down this long walkway that had lights lining it. 

The sunset was BEAUTIFUL!

 

J.J. was a happy boy too!  He had his moments when we stopping moving the stroller and when he was hungry, but he ate in the company of the Naked Mole Rats, an experience no one should miss out on while at the zoo.

(A bit blurry, I was trying out the night exposure to pick up on the lights)

As it got all the way dark, the zoo lit up.

Here Charlotte is saying her classic "WHOA!" and making her surprised face.

She was one happy girl!

And we are two happy parents....when we're not exhausted, that is.  Well, we're always exhausted, but today, this day, it was a good one.  One well worth remembering when it gets hard being a parent to two babies and we don't get much opportunity for kid-less fun or relaxing.  Today was a family day for the record books.