Charlotte Sports Pigtails

Not Quite Lone Elk

The Cat class headed to Lone Elk Park today on a field trip. Charlotte and I tagged along.

We met the rest of the class at the classroom building for an intro by the fabulous park ranger. She did a great job entertaining a room full of 4-year-olds. Above she's teaching us about beavers. I learned that all chewing animals (beavers, squirrels etc) have orange incisors. We looked at and touched a lot of different skulls.

The ranger also let us "pet" many different animal pelts. A few of the children were a bit unsure about the whole thing, but Nicholas loved it. As did Charlotte, who was pressing forward off my lap to touch everything that went around. That girl loves animals. Apparently even deceased ones.

After the presentation, we drove through the park to find the herds of bison and elk. The bison were right next to the road so we had a great viewing! We learned from the ranger that there is only one male...because they fight if there is more than one. We also learned that they ship off the "babies" to other parks right before the new batch of babies arrive so the herd doesn't get too big. The almost year-old "babies" looked like they were certainly ready to take care of themselves!

When we first saw the elk, they were across the road, high up a hill. Zoomed all the way on my camera I took this picture. Nicholas couldn't even make them out as I was pointing them out since they were so camouflaged in the forest.

We thought that was going to be the best we got, but on our way out of the park, we came upon the rest of the herd, again right next to the road. It was the perfect way to end our field trip.

Our family had taken a drive through this park a year or so ago, but having the presentation by the ranger and seeing both the bison and elk herds up close was really special!

Not the Way to End a Trip to the Zoo

It started out like any other of our trips to the zoo...

Charlotte gazing adoringly at the guinea pigs...

...then checking out the insect x-rays

Nicholas wrangling some snakes

And then they found it. The bin of poop. Fake poop. Very, very realistic fake poop. Perhaps you remember our first discovery of fake poop at the zoo. Turns out there's an entire bin of animal scat, complete with pictures on cards to match the animals to their droppings.

Charlotte showing off the rabbit droppings...

and promptly putting them in her mouth. The rest of Nicholas and my time was spent keeping all the poop out of Charlotte's mouth and telling her that poop doesn't belong in mouths. Like I said...not the best ending to a trip to the zoo! The only bright spot in this story is that it was all fake!

#8 Makes an Appearance

One of Charlotte's top molars appeared today. I keep thinking a wave of new teeth will be popping up, but they are taking their own sweet time...

The Kings Go Bowling

Since I missed the bowling adventure last weekend, we headed out to celebrate Valentine's Day with family bowling.

There just weren't balls quite light enough for a super smooth delivery, but Nicholas did a great job anyway.

Waiting, waiting...

The happy, "I knocked pins down" dance

It just isn't all that much fun for Charlotte to be held and wrangled the whole time (I think we've determined that bowling is more of a special date with Nicholas type activity), but she did like the air blower on the ball return.

And she did have the cutest shoes

Friday at the Park

Charlotte loves feeling the wind on her face

Nicholas is all about height


This tube slide is a big favorite of Charlotte's:

Another Occasion to use Pink Sprinkles??

Well then - Valentine's Day cookies it is!

Chef Nicholas is on it! He's not shy about the pink sugar...

Admiring his work

The finished product

But the real reason for the post is this series. One of my favorites ever:

Charlotte eyes Nicholas tasting the spoon...

Please, oh please??

So cute!!!