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Wednesday, April 20, 2016; Zoo
Apr. 20th, 2016 09:24 pmTanya and I have been staying at my parents' since last Wednesday, April 13th, because of Bear's work schedule. He only had half a Saturday and Sunday off last week, so it made more sense for him to just come visit it us here on those days. But in return he has a three day weekend this coming weekend so we can do our yearly Seder at Marianna's on Saturday, which I planned already and almost finished shopping for. My parents will drive us back on Saturday morning.
I had a lot of grading until this Monday, but I wasn't willing to give up the warm summery weather this weekend. So I ended up grading at the playground a lot. I got to sit in the sun, play a bit, and got a lot done. Now I'm enjoying my week of no grading until next Monday when I get the last batch of papers. The end of the semester is in sight.
On Tuesday, I went to my hairdresser for color, highlights and cut, so my hair is a bit shorter now, shoulder length, and much neater. I also went to vote. New York had its primary yesterday and since I'm a registered Democrat since forever, I could go participate. I've trying to avoid all the election coverage as much as I can, since it all just depresses me and annoys me. But obviously voting is something I wasn't going to miss. Go Hillary!
Meanwhile, since the weather has finally became warm and lovely with blue skies and t-shirts, we spent last Wednesday afternoon and today's afternoon at our local zoo. Staten Island Zoo is very small but cute and it's free on Wednesday from 2 to 5, which makes it a perfect outing. We went twice last year, but Tanya is older now and talking, so it was different.
She is still not into all the animals; monkeys and leopard bore her, apparently. But donkeys and geese and swans and ducks are her favorite. When we ask her what she'd seen in the zoo, first thing she says is "eeah" which her word for donkey, based on Russian name for Eeyore (she loves Russian Winnie the Pooh cartoons). And she loves starring at the water. Meanwhile I was enjoying the kangaroos. Last week they were mostly napping, but today they were skipping around. The Emus are pretty fun too.
The rabbit and pig where mostly napping, but the woodchuck Chuck came out today and we took a look at him a bit. Between last week and this week, alpacas and sheep were shorn, so that was a funny contrast. Today, the otter and the Arctic Fox where also out more, enjoying the sun and grooming themselves. It was warmer today so they were probably just enjoying the sun. Eagle, on the other hand, was hiding today, while last week he posed for my camera and spread his wings.
Today I brought my actual camera, not just my phone, to take some photos and in paying attention to the ducks, I think I found my favorite. It's called a smew (real name), and it is white with black stripes. When it's swimming it looks like a superhero duck with a black mask on. It was pretty cute.
Tanya also liked the reptile section, but not for the snakes themselves, more for water in the crocodile tank and the scary snake noise that starts playing if you step on a certain square. I think she would like horror movies when she grows up because she would go up to it, hear a noise, run to hide by my legs, and then would go "again!"
She is talking so much more. Distinct sentences, constant repetition and answering questions. This morning, when I got to the garage to go outside and she was there already playing with her green toy shovel, she saw me, showed me the shovel and said in Russian, "Mama, Tanya is playing with shovel. Green." She is talking more in Russian now, although she does say English sentences occasionally.
I need to make a separate TV post on Grimm, Supergirl and Flash.
I had a lot of grading until this Monday, but I wasn't willing to give up the warm summery weather this weekend. So I ended up grading at the playground a lot. I got to sit in the sun, play a bit, and got a lot done. Now I'm enjoying my week of no grading until next Monday when I get the last batch of papers. The end of the semester is in sight.
On Tuesday, I went to my hairdresser for color, highlights and cut, so my hair is a bit shorter now, shoulder length, and much neater. I also went to vote. New York had its primary yesterday and since I'm a registered Democrat since forever, I could go participate. I've trying to avoid all the election coverage as much as I can, since it all just depresses me and annoys me. But obviously voting is something I wasn't going to miss. Go Hillary!
Meanwhile, since the weather has finally became warm and lovely with blue skies and t-shirts, we spent last Wednesday afternoon and today's afternoon at our local zoo. Staten Island Zoo is very small but cute and it's free on Wednesday from 2 to 5, which makes it a perfect outing. We went twice last year, but Tanya is older now and talking, so it was different.
She is still not into all the animals; monkeys and leopard bore her, apparently. But donkeys and geese and swans and ducks are her favorite. When we ask her what she'd seen in the zoo, first thing she says is "eeah" which her word for donkey, based on Russian name for Eeyore (she loves Russian Winnie the Pooh cartoons). And she loves starring at the water. Meanwhile I was enjoying the kangaroos. Last week they were mostly napping, but today they were skipping around. The Emus are pretty fun too.
The rabbit and pig where mostly napping, but the woodchuck Chuck came out today and we took a look at him a bit. Between last week and this week, alpacas and sheep were shorn, so that was a funny contrast. Today, the otter and the Arctic Fox where also out more, enjoying the sun and grooming themselves. It was warmer today so they were probably just enjoying the sun. Eagle, on the other hand, was hiding today, while last week he posed for my camera and spread his wings.
Today I brought my actual camera, not just my phone, to take some photos and in paying attention to the ducks, I think I found my favorite. It's called a smew (real name), and it is white with black stripes. When it's swimming it looks like a superhero duck with a black mask on. It was pretty cute.
Tanya also liked the reptile section, but not for the snakes themselves, more for water in the crocodile tank and the scary snake noise that starts playing if you step on a certain square. I think she would like horror movies when she grows up because she would go up to it, hear a noise, run to hide by my legs, and then would go "again!"
She is talking so much more. Distinct sentences, constant repetition and answering questions. This morning, when I got to the garage to go outside and she was there already playing with her green toy shovel, she saw me, showed me the shovel and said in Russian, "Mama, Tanya is playing with shovel. Green." She is talking more in Russian now, although she does say English sentences occasionally.
I need to make a separate TV post on Grimm, Supergirl and Flash.
