A fake snake...

This weekend we woke up and found ourselves with nothing to do on Sunday. Maddie wanted to go back to the zoo.

This time we decided to start in the opposite direction and it was great! We spent more time in exhibits we usually pass up at the end: the penguins, the alligator and the snakes. 

The girls really enjoyed watching the orangutans swing around.

  

They LOVED the snakes. Which totally grossed me out, but they did enjoy looking in each cage and spotting them.

 At one point, Maddie jumped and said, "Mommy, what's that" in a very scared voice. I looked down, saw a snake and jumped about 5 feet in the air, while screaming and grabbing Madeline. 

Except it wasn't a snake. It was a piece of rubber that someone had dropped (left on purpose?!) outside of a snake aquarium.

 

 See it by Sydney's feet? This was after, obviously, our small panic attack.

The zoo was pretty much already decorated for their Halloween party (but without all the people!!) so the girls loved having no lines to take their picture in some of the cut-outs.

 Go ninja, go ninja!

 

 

We love looking around Glacier Run. This brown bear was sitting in the back of the truck staring at us through the glass. 

Watching Qannik the Polar bear walk across his bridge.

 

And, of course, a carousel ride.

After the zoo, we came home and the girls went for a Sunday afternoon car ride. 

 

We busted out our Halloween jammies and cozied up before bed!

Sydney smells like a college boy...

Earlier this week, Sydney was going to the bathroom in her diaper and Madeline shouted, "Gross, daddy. Sydney smells like a college boy." Chris was cracking up. Madeline had heard me tell someone that Sydney slept and ate like a college boy (I mean, she does!) and Madeline evidently heard it and liked using it. We have to be so careful about what we say around Maddie; she hears EVERYTHING!

The girls have been enjoying their week, especially nana Monday.

Flower girls!

Helping grandpa in the yard.

Maddie loved working with grandpa all afternoon!

They played school and Sydney got put in time out.

Poor Sydney. Sometimes its hard being the little sister.

Sometimes, it's not.

She loves being pushed around by Maddie in the stroller.

Best buddies.

(sometimes.)

We've been loving the fall-esque weather!

I had GNO with my girls on Thursday.

We laughed so hard we cried. People in the restaurant were definitely staring. Love these ladies.

And, to wrap this up, Madeline was walking around the house in this get-up earlier in the week, singing.

Just another normal day in the Hughes house!

Sydney's Birthday and Well-Check Stats

On Sydney's actual birthday, our four went to the zoo to celebrate.

As usual, we started with the carousel!

Then moved on to the hippos.

And the rhinos.

We took a playground break...

Before heading to the gorillas!

For the first time in all the years I've been to the zoo, we were the ONLY people in the Gorilla exhibit. It was awesome.

We kept on and decided to do Lorikeet Landing. Y'all. It was hilarious.

First, Maddie was super jazzed.

Until, about 10 seconds in when a bird landed on her head. And she LOST her mind. I mean straight up FREAKED OUT. We got the bird off and then all of a sudden I had one on my head and one on my arm. Cue Sydney's freak out now. I was holding her and she did NOT like the birds being so close to her.

So, we exited. I would say we were in there no longer than two minutes tops.

So, we moved on. And boarded the train!

Daddy tried a selfie.

 No.

Second try.

A little better!

That night, we invited nana and K and D over to celebrate with some pizza and cookie cake. The cookie cake was a riot. I asked for pink and purple frosting and I got one of the most hideous cakes I've seen. The picture doesn't do it justice. 

But it was delicious!

I would say this little girl had a great birthday!

The kids did some silly string in the yard.

On Wednesday, Sydney had her two year well visit check with Dr. Trace. 

The good news is that Sydney is growing and hitting all of her milestones. Her speech has exploded these last couple of weeks so it's been really fun listening to her chatter away. Her favorite things to say right now are "Maddie did it" and "No, doggy, no." 

Dr. Trace said Sydney's fine motor skills were most impressive. Maybe she will be a surgeon! Haha.

The bad news was that we learned one of Sydney's tubes is out and she had a double ear infection. UGH!! Syd got tubes at 7 months after being diagnosed with persistent ear infections, meaning they wouldn't go away with antibiotics. She's on antibiotics now so we have an ENT follow-up in a few weeks. IF she doesn't respond to this antibiotic (we just started with a stronger med) we may be eyeing round 2 of tubes. Double ugh!! 

And, without further ado, here's her stats.

Weight: 27.8 lbs (77%)

Height: 32.25 (10%)

The Dr. and I were dying over her being in the 77th percentile. I've never seen that number for any stat with Maddie. Love my little chunkster!

A Pony Party!

I feel like I've been playing blog catch-up lately. We've been busy-busy (what's new) and work has been crazy for both Chris and I. 

We've had a lot of play dates with our new neighbors. Brooke is 2 and Lizzie is 4 - so it's a perfect pairing.

Sydney laughing with Brooke over lunch.

Last weekend, Madeline was invited to a birthday Pony Party for a preschool class mate. It was the wildest party I've ever been to. It was at a stable in Goshen and was jam-packed with pony activities.

I took several pictures but some are blurry due to my cracked, broken phone. (Don't ask.)

First, Maddie got to lead a miniature pony through an obstacle course.

She got to ride a horse.

She enjoyed brushing one of the ponies.

She roped a "bull."

She fed a horse.

Then, and here's where it gets crazy, they PAINTED a horse.

And in between all the activities she got to jump around a barn stall full of hay and hay bales.

We had a blast!