The Weekend

Saturday was just perfect: After an hour at the park with one of Blaze's new friends ("This is one of the happiest days of my life"), we headed to the next town for a couple of errands--a new peg on Q's guitar and a UPS store. 

We decided to stop by one of our favorite tiny zoos--where it turns out an antique car show was going on. (The emus make me think of Iris Apfel and make me want some kind of feathered cape in the used-matches color scheme.) 

We got to pet the goats and meet the penguins--a new development since we left! They were so, so much fun, diving and swimming and gathering to see the people watching them. We watched the monkeys, too. 

I forgot to tell you the best part--since it was Labor Day weekend there was surprise free entrance to the zoo, plus free paddle boating and train rides. You know I love a deal and there is no deal better than free. (This is fairly irrational of me because it would have cost our family a whopping $12 to go to the zoo if we had to pay.) Anyway, after the zoo, we went on the paddle boats. We didn't make it on the train before the end of the day, so they gave us free tickets to use next time! Nothing like a bargain to put mama in a good mood. Plus we need to return because it looks like they revamped the playground next door (which was already great), and the boys are itching to try it out. 

The boys have it in their mind that frozen custard follows the zoo, so that was our next stop. We got a large and shared it. (See mama and a bargain, above.) You know, when the four of us are adults, I'm still going to insist we share ice cream because I am an unusually, rigidly, irrationally frugal. 

The town happened to have an evening gathering with live music and little booths, so we walked through that after our delicious bbq dinner and beer at a new bbq restaurant (our old one closed--this one seems even better). 

It was really such a good day. I'm so thankful that we can find such nice ways to spend a day together here--after leaving the big city, we weren't sure we'd be able to. And I was calm almost all day! Celebrating everything!