This Past Week

It's been our typical frantic week, trying to squeeze in more activities than we have time for. But, overall, not so bad.
We went back to the zoo on Saturday to see a new giraffe exhibit. The giraffes will eventually eat crackers out of your hands or so they say. Right now the giraffes seem skittish and are attempting to adapt to their new environment. We left both cameras in the car, so I don't have any pictures. We plan to go back in a few weeks, so I should have pictures later in the summer.
Jake really doesn't seem to care about the animals at the zoo or the rides at King's Island. He just wants to run. To accomodate his desire to run wild, we got him a harness. I used to look at parents who put their kids on "leashes" and think they were insane. I know understand the necessity of this action. Our harnessing experience at the zoo was met with mixed reactions. We got lots of stares, but I also heard people say things like, "We need to get one of those" or "Jimmy has the same thing but his has a monkey on it." The harness seems to be a practical solution to Jake's intense level of energy and desire to be free. As both grandmothers say, "He is all GO!"
I can't believe that Jake will be 2 next month. Despite his extreme energy level, he is really a great kid. He is incredibly friendly and sociable. He flirts with everyone he encounters. I think he's pretty bright, too. He can now count backward from 5. He's recognizing shapes, colors and some words.