Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!

Oh my gosh! Umpa buyed me a helmet! I just had to take a picture and show you my helmet! It's red, just like my bike. And red is my favorite color. Here's a picture of my helmet. Umma says it's not old, it's new!


I brought my new helmet to the library with me but I just wanted to hold it in the car, I didn't want to wear it until I got back on my bike. But I did wear it all afternoon, even when Umma and I went just for a walk down by the creek. When I was in the garage, I thumped my head on Umpa's workbench and it didn't even hurt! I was so surprised. I waited and waited for it to hurt, but it never did!

Umpa said I ride my bike SO fast now that I'm just like a race car driver, and race car drivers wear helmets, so he got me my very own helmet. I was so 'cited! I know when I'm on my bike I feel like I'm flying! I asked Umma to take a movie of me on my bike so you can see how fast I go.

I love Festibuls!

Umma called me on the phone yesterday and asked me if I wanted to go with her and Umpa to a FESTIBUL! I said YES YES YES! because we always have too much fun when we go to Festibuls. I like music. I like to watch people. I like to clap my hands and dance. I like to see new stuff. That's what a Festibul is in case you don't know already.

This Festibul was in a big field and it had a lot of old old old houses that Umma said were made from trees. When I looked close, I said Yes! Trees!



There were also houses there made from fabric. Umma said some are called "Tents" and some are called "Tee Pees". That TeePee word made me laugh. I won't say what it sounds like!

People there wore funny clothes and the girls all had white hats on and long long dresses. The boys wore funny pants that I wouldn't want to wear. But the boys had GUNS and one time they went out in a big field and shooted the guns. I thought they were fireworks because they banged like that.

A nice lady let me help her use a rock and hit flowers until they smooshed on a piece of white fabric and then the fabric had yellow color on it! I thought that was pretty cool. Umma says we can try that at home, but next time she'll know to keep her fingers out of the way when I'm hitting with the rock. Sorry, Umma.

There was a lady and a man and we sat down to watch them so I could have a snack and a drink and they played music. I just love music! They were really really good and I clapped my hands and tapped my feet a lot. I didn't dance because I just can't seem to dance good when I'm eating crackers and drinking orange juice because I forget about the food and dance dance dance and drop everything on the ground and then Umma won't let me eat it. So I just clapped and tapped and ate. Umma said the lady was playing an "Ah-cord-yan". It was the best thing ever. It had buttons on one side (and I love pushing buttons) and a piano on the other (and I love playing the piano). The man played a guitar and that's another favorite of mine. I had so much fun watching them play music and listening to them sing. I forgot to bring my camera, so I asked Umma if I could take a picture with hers and here it is.



I took a picture of Umpa too. You can see Umpa is having too much fun with me!



We went into a store that was another house made from trees and it had a fireplace and there was really fire in it and it felt good. I saw a pretty green bracelet and asked Umpa if I could buy it for Mama and he said yes because Umpa always says yes. That's why he's Umpa. He also let me buy a sucker but that was one of those things I thought I wanted until I got it but then I didn't want it after all.

I got to walk all day and I got to run run run in a field and I got to sit on a funny chair that Umma said was a Hay Bale and I got to pet a lot a lot a lot of doggies. One lady had a little tiny doggie and her name was Juno and the lady said she liked to be scratched behind her ears and that's what I did.

The best part of the Festibul was watching the people dance and bang on a really big drum and sing songs with words I never heard before. Umma said they are Indians. I think I want to be an Indian when I grow up. Especially if I can have a drum like that. Two girls had on really pretty dresses and they danced. Umma told me they were dancing like butterflies and when I watched, they were just like butterflies with big wings and everything. Just for a little while I sat in my stroller to watch but I was pretty tired from walking all day so it felt good. Umma took a picture of me watching the Indians.



After that we got in the car to go home and I was pretty tired because I didn't have a nap. But then Umpa surprised me and we went to another place! It was a park and it had a bridge and a sidewalk and lots of rocks and some water and a big big big hill and lots of stairs. Umpa and I went for a nice long walk but Umma's camera was out of batteries and I couldn't take pictures. I was sad because it was so pretty. But Umpa said we can go back again sometime so I can bring my own camera and it's batteries WORK.

And when I thought I'd had the best day EVER, it was time to get in the car and Umpa said, "Who wants to go to MacDonald's?" I dooooooo! Don't you think that chicken nuggets are just the perfect way to end a perfect day?

Zoooooo!

It's not so hot outside anymore, so Umma said that it was a good day for us to go to the ZOOOOO! When I got to Umma's house early early I was still in my jammies, but I wanted to go to the Zoo NOW. Umma said the Zoo wasn't open yet and she set the timer to tell me when it was time to go. It was forever before that timer went DING DING DING but I clapped my hands and yelled YAY! when it did.

I think Umma was crabby today. We had some fun but I know I could have had lots MORE fun if Umma wasn't crabby. Before we went in the gate, Umma said there were RULES about the Zoo. I know what "rules" means. It means I'm not going to have as much fun as I want to. Sometimes rules are OK. Today I didn't think so.

Umma's rules were: I have to walk with her all the time. I can't push the stroller when there were lots of people around. And I can't walk in the garden parts. See? I told you she was crabby. The good thing about being little is you can pretend you don't know what the rules are, even when you do.

When we got in the Zoo I wanted to ride the train first. I love trains! I love train crossing signs! Umma took a picture of me TOUCHING the train sign!



Next I wanted to see the elephants. It's a Long Long walk to where the elephants are and I had so much fun! I ran ran ran and I jumped off the sidewalk and into the plants and ran through them. I figured out that Umma couldn't go as fast as me cuz she had to push the stroller and stay out of the way of all the people, so I just went fast fast fast until she catched me. She was crabby when she catched me. One time she even made me sit back in the stroller because she said she didn't like it when I don't listen. I listen, Umma. I just don't like it when what I hear means I can't have TOO MUCH FUN.

Umma wanted me to take pictures with my camera, but I guess I wasn't much in the mood today. I just took one. I saw big pink birds that I liked because they had just one leg. Umma said they had two legs but I can count and when I count the legs there is ONE.



I know at the Zoo there are lots of animals. But I found out there's better stuff there too. Like, all the bushes have long long long lines with white lights on them. I wanted to touch every light. And if you walk off the sidewalk, you can find all kinds of pretty flowers to pick and big trees to hide behind and even walls made out of rocks with big drop offs. I liked waving at people who were riding on the train, until I realized it wasn't ME on the train and that kind of made me mad, even when the train station was another long long long walk away. Umma said, "We're already here, let's just go see the elephants" but I wanted to ride the train NOW, Umma! NOW NOW NOW! But Umma said "No" and we went to where the elephants were but I was too busy climbing on the stairs and rocks to see them. I don't understand what's the big deal. I can see elephants in my books anytime I want. I can't climb on rocks that look like stairs!

Then I got hungry and I wanted lunch NOW so we went to a place that had food but it wasn't Maccadonalds and why doesn't the Zoo have chicken nuggets, anyway? What's a kid supposed to eat if there's no nuggets? That made me mad. I never tasted hot dogs or hamburgers but I know I don't like them. I eat pizza sometimes, so I let Umma buy me some, but then I decided today wasn't the day. Umma had a banana and fruit snacks and apple juice in a box in her bag, so that's what I had for lunch. I really wanted nuggets though.

The best part of the zoo is where you can get close to the animals and pet them.


I petted a goat and saw two cows. There was big brown things on the ground near the cows and I asked Umma what that was and she said, "Cow poop". I liked the cow poop better than the cows. I can see cows in my books anytime, but boy, I'm pretty sure there's no cow poop pictures in my books.

After lunch we went on one more train ride. When you want to go on the train you have to stand in the back of all these people and take turns getting on. I don't get it. I fit under all the railings and went right up to the front by myself. I thought it was a good idea. Umma wasn't too happy about it. She decided the train ride was the last thing we were going to do and it was time to go home. Her face was red. Her hair was a mess. She looked like I feel when I need a nap. Sometimes I even saw her close her eyes and take a big breath and let it out slow like Mama does when she's crabby at me.

We got to the car and I wanted to drive and not sit in my car seat but Umma had another rule about THAT.

Rules and listening and not stomping flowers and not touching electric lights and not being able to hold my hand out the train window and taking turns (except when it comes to driving!) and sharing -- Life just isn't as easy now as it was when I was just ONE years old!