A little "sip" of Brandi: Comfort Cookies and Amazing Animals

Yesterday afternoon, arriving home from playing at the park, the boys enjoyed a snack with a show. Usually we do something somewhat healthy, but for some reason Zachary believed that daddy had said he could have a cookie. Zach is an excellent eater, overall, so his request for a cookie was quite unusual. If Max had asked, it would have been routine, but for Z-man to make this request, I felt the need to check with Steve. He affirmed that a cookie had indeed been promised the night before. He explained that Zachary had a break down the prior evening. One minute my little guy was chilling on the couch, and the next minute he was sobbing, due to the thought of missing me. So, mommy and daddy consoled him, and part of that consoling was baking cookies {Steve even made an emergency run for white chocolate chips}. I'd had a pretty good week until that moment. I've prayed about it, but am still struggling with some feelings of guilt. Although the cookies looked delicious, I couldn't eat any... for crying out loud, I was the cause for the 'need' for those cookies! I hate this back and forth emotional stuff! On the flip side, I'm so thankful Zach is able to let it out and share his emotions. Steve and Bev have been champs about it all, and although we're all saddened at my leaving, I feel good that our focus has been on being strong for Zach. I've gotten teary-eyed or choked up a few times with him, but for the most part, I've been able to put my feelings aside until I get home. {Poor Bradley!}

So, to cheer up my Friday, I decided to look over some photos from our zoo trip, last Thursday. Bradley took the day off from school to spend it with the 3 of us, and it was a such blessing! I treasured every intoxicating moment. I believe this was, by far, the best trip we've made, as the slight chill in the air made the animals very lively. We saw elephants swimming, dancing, and wrestling. One of the orangutans flashed the peace sign at the boys. Max was pretty ecstatic, and happily shared his excitement with anyone passing by, pointing to the sky and saying, "monkeys! monkeys!" We learned a lot about the different animals, thanks to the wonderfully informative signs near every animals' home. The boys had so much fun, but the highlight of the day was definitely when we got to see the lion relieve himself...completely. Max is still telling everyone, "tiger poop!" And Zachary is still correcting him that it was a lion, not a tiger. Neither of these two are lacking the natural boy-tendency to be gross and obsessed with bodily functions. Oh boys! ;o)