We're at Grandma and Grandpa's this weekend and today we went to the zoo. I like going to the zoo. I like seeing all the different animals. We have a zoo near our house, but it doesn't have elephants and giraffes and lions and tigers. That's why I like to go the zoo when we're at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

When we got to the zoo, we went and saw the elephants first. Sometimes when we've been here, the elephants aren't out, but all three of them were outside today.

This is Blackie, the hippopotamus. He is 54 years old. We learned later on that Blackie is being retired in a couple of weeks. They are going to be reconstructing the whole area where the elephants and other African animals live and building a state of the art African habitat for them. In the meantime, the elephants are being moved to the Columbus Zoo until 2011. Because Blackie is so old, it didn't seem like a good idea to try and move him that far so he's going to a hippo retirement condo that's being built on the end of giraffe barn.

The air show was going on this weekend, too, and just when we got around to see this crane, three helicopters started circling around overhead. The crane started squawking and it was really loud, almost as loud as the helicopters!

We headed up to where the Australian animals live. Daddy and I went in to look at the Lorikeets. Mommy stayed outside (and took pictures) because she doesn't like to be in places where the birds are flying around "free" like that.

Mommy and I did ride the train ride together, though. We got to see kangaroos, dingos and wombats.

After we got off the train, Grandma took us over to a little gazebo where a lady was trying to get people to come and play instruments in and "Outback Band." She knew that I would be willing to go in and play. I got to play the washboard, and the lady got Daddy to play the washtub bass. For the next song, Grandma played the washtub bass. and I got to sing!

After the second song, we handed over our instruments to another family and went on to see some more animals. We saw a koala and a tree kangaroo.

We went on up to the top of the hill and into the primate house. We saw lots of animals and most of the monkeys were out playing today. I had fun watching them.

Some of the animals were outside today, so we went out to see them. The gorillas were actually out where you could see them today. Usually they are hiding behind a big rock. This one was actually very social, almost like he was performing for the crowd. The other one wasn't very interested in people but it was out where we could see it.

When it's less than 80 degrees out, they lock the reindeer out of the barn. When it's warmer than 80, they leave the barn open so they can go in and cool off. It was less than 80, so the barn was closed and the whole herd of reindeer were outside today.

It was really a great day to be at the zoo. Since the temperature was so nice, all of the animals were out and about. Even the bears, which are usually hiding where you can't see them, we out walking around. Last time we saw the grizzly bear, it was laying in a corner taking a nap. Today it was out taking a walk.

Even the polar bears were having fun today. This one went in for a swim while we were watching.

What a great day at the zoo!

Mommy took me to Dow Gardens today. We've had so many other things going on this summer that we kind of forgot to go before now. Mommy wanted to make sure that we got there while there were still things to see and do in the Children's Garden.

We started out, as we always do, by going and looking at the waterfall. I like to look and see where the water goes under the path and then comes out into the stream.

After that, we spent some time walking around looking at the flowers. I liked stopping to see what the different flowers smelled like.

We went into the Conservatory, which is where they have the butterflies in the spring. I was hoping there would still be some butterflies in there today, but they had let them all go in the spring. They did have a bunch of new birds in the big birdcage, though. When we first came in, they were all lined up together in a row on the rope, except for one that was down on the other end of the rope. Later on, they started flying around and we saw some still on the rope and others in the little trees.

After we left the Conservatory, we started making our way towards the Children's Garden. Mommy was taking a picture of some really pretty flower beds that were up the hill from this pond and I wanted her to take a picture of me, too, so she did.

Then we saw this bench with the flowers surrounding it, so Mommy wanted me to sit there for a picture. I didn't really want to, because there was a bee flying around those flowers. She finally got me to sit, but I was still looking for that bee and just wanted her to hurry up and take the picture so I could get out of there!

These rocks are along the path on that goes past the waterfall. I wanted to climb on them, but Mommy thought it would be better if maybe I just leaned up against one for a picture instead.

As we were finally getting to the Children's Garden, we could see these yellow flowers. From the distance they looked like they were growing on the hill in front of the garden, but Mommy thought they were actually in the garden. And she was right. They were really tall sunflowers, growing all around the big metal pig!

I spent some time playing with the water sprays.

I pumped up a lot of water. I even figured out that if I pumped the handle and nothing happened that I could pour a little water in the top of the pump and it would start again. I filled up watering can after watering can and dumped them out in the trough and filled them up again.

I even filled up a couple of times and went and watered some of the vegetables.

After we left Dow Gardens, we went over to the Center for the Arts and went to the ZAP! Surgery exhibit. I think Mommy found it more interesting than I did, or she would have if I had given her a chance to read about all the different kinds of procedures. I did do some of the interactive displays. I listened to breathing, a heartbeat and a stomach gurgling through a stethescope.

I really thought the cold room where the lady talked about cryosurgery was fun. It was only about 55 degrees in there, not the -300 degrees that they use to freeze tumors. I made Mommy take me in here twice.

We learned about how doctors use soundwaves to break up things like kidney stones and this display told us about things like gamma rays and uv rays.

There were other intereactive displays that showed how doctors use robots to perform surgery. They were fun, but it usually took both of us to get them to work right. I was a little short and they were hard to manouver from a step stool. Still, it was fun and I'm glad I got to go, even if I didn't understand most of what I was seeing.

Today I went to my friend Allie's birthday party. She had her party at a petting farm. I like going there because we get to hold a bunch of different baby animals

I got to pet a baby pig, which is called a piglet. I wasn't sure that I wanted to, because it was pretty squirmy, but I finally did.

I also got to hold and pet a kitten. That was probably my favorite, because I love kittens. I wish I could have one, but Mommy is allergic to cats and Daddy has said no way.

I even got to hold a baby bunny rabbit. I was very careful with it. I did exactly what they told us to do when it stuck it's paw up on my arm. I didn't freak out and just gently took it's paw and tucked it back down on my lap. Bunnies are very soft.

Usually we also get to hold baby chicks, but they didn't have any today. Maybe I'll get to hold one the next time I come here.

After we got a chance to hold the baby animals, we went out into the yard and got a chance to feed goats and sheep. That was fun. They were very excited and hungry. I had to really hold on to my cup so they didn't knock it out of my hands.

We all got to have a pony ride, too. They had a new pony who was doing rides for the very first time. I was the last one waiting for a ride and I saw the pony almost step on a cat and get scared and start bucking. The little girl that was riding it held on as tight as she could but eventually she got thrown off. Luckily, she was ok, just shaken up. That pony didn't give any more rides that day. I went ahead and went out for my ride, on one of the older horses, and the owner was very proud of me for still coming out for a ride after I saw the other girl get thrown off her horse.

After the pony rides, we all got to go on a hayride. I love going on hayrides. They took us out around one of the fields and then brought us back. We got to see the cows and pigs they have living there. The pigs are really stinky!

After the hayride, we had cake and ice cream and Allie opened her presents. She got really nice gifts. Then it was time to go home. I had a great time at Allie's party!

Guess what!!! Today is my birthday! Do you know how old I am?!? I'm 6 years old!

I had a Charlie and Lola birthday party. Doesn't my cake look great? Bakeries don't make Charlie and Lola cakes, but Mommy found one that took the time to look up websites and look at pictures to get an idea of how to make flowers and butterflies look Lola-ish and they did a great job. Mommy printed out mirror image pictures of Charlie, Lola and Lola & Lotta and glued them to skewers, added a 6 and voila, a Charlie and Lola birthday cake.

When my friends came to my party, we started out by drawing with sidewalk chalk and painting with sidewalk paint. Daddy is very silly and he filled up the starburst painter with too much paint and then splatted it all over everyone that was standing or sitting nearby. It's a good thing it washes out!

After drawing and painting, we headed in to the table and used Sandy Candy to make our own Pixie Stix. Mommy wasn't too sure how that would be for an activity, but we all had a lot of fun. We may even get to do it again sometime.

We tried out a different kind of game, called Coloring, Scribbling and Bouncing. It's like playing Duck, Duck, Goose, except you bounce around the circle on a hippity-hop ball. When you tap each person on the head you say Color and Scribble and they have to start coloring and scribbling. When you say Bounce, that person has to grab another hippity-hop ball and chase you around the circle. If you make it back first, it's their turn to say Color and Scribble. If not, you do it again. It's kind of a tricky game to play, but we each had a chance to be it and it was pretty fun.

After Coloring, Scribbling and Bouncing, it was time for the pinata. This year's pinata was a pull-string pinata, which was good. Last year we hit the pinata forever before it finally came open and had broken most of the toys inside. This year, we all got a chance to pull a string and on my second turn, I got the lucky string and opened the pinata.

After that, we had cake and ice cream and I opened my presents. I got really nice things.

Then it was time for everyone to go. I had a great birthday and I am so excited to finally be 6 because it means I'm finally old enough to go to first grade!

Daddy said that he could get tickets to a Loons game from work, so he and Mommy picked a day and he got the tickets. Today was the day. We had really good seats....way down close the field. I was on the lookout for Lou E. Loon. I wanted to see him and get my picture taken with him. I was more interested in that than in the game. He finally came to our section and I got to see him.

After that, I settled down and watched some of the game. I made everyone laugh because I was rooting for the other team. Baseball games sometimes take a long time, and by the time we got to the 7th Inning stretch, it was pretty late, so we left then.

I had a good time at the baseball game. I can't wait for next season. I hope we get to go to some more games then.

One of my friends can't come to my birthday party this weekend but she wanted to give me a present anyway, so I had a "birthday lunch" with my friends at the mall today. After that I went to physical therapy and then met my friends at the fair. We had a lot of fun. I rode a couple of rides and then we went to the animal barns to see the animals. While we were there, we saw our old dance teacher, Miss Kellie, and she took out one of her daughters' rabbits and let us pet it.

We went through most of the other barns, too. I got to see sheep, pigs, cows, ponies, horses, all kinds of animals

Daddy met us at the fair after work and we went and had some supper. Then I got to ride some more rides. I love going on the train.

Daddy rode the elephant ride with me because I wasn't quite tall enough to ride it by myself. Maybe next year.

I even got to go through the fun house. Coming down the slide was so much fun.

I wanted to do it again, but it was getting late and I really wanted to ride the Ferris Wheel and go down the Super Slide. We all went on the Ferris Wheel. Mommy liked it better than the one at Grandma and Grandpa's fair. The cars were more like the ones at Cedar Point and they didn't rock when we were stopped at the top. I got to go down the Super Slide twice (because the line was short). That was a lot of fun. While I was going down the slide, Mommy went and got us some elephant ears and then it was time to go home. It was a long day, but it was a lot of fun.

Mommy and I agreed that Grandma and Grandpa's fair has a lot more animals to see, but our fair has a lot more rides. I hope we get to go to both fairs again next year.