Family Fun Day!

So life has been crazy lately... We were out of town last weekend, then Maya didn't feel well, then Gus had to work late because some Very Important People were in town on business, and then I got sick. And somehow, at my most recent photo shoot, managed to pull a quad muscle in my left leg. Too much squatting, I guess! In the meantime, Nikos has been thinking about giving up his one and only nap of the day (no!!!), Maya is teething like crazy, and I am so paranoid about going out in public with a recently-potty-trained toddler that I have been going a little stir-crazy. What should feel liberating is, at times, a total inconvenience! I mean, with diapers, you never have to be on the lookout for a bathroom, etc. But that's okay. I'm sure it all just takes some getting used to.

And on that note, we decided to go the Wild Animal Park today. It made me a little nervous, knowing that we'd be out of the house for a long time and that Nikos would most likely have to use a public toilet-- for the first time ever. Yes, that's right. We haven't crossed that bridge yet, and I haven't been looking forward to it! But since I knew Gus would be with us, it didn't seem so daunting. At least one of us could watch Maya while the other took Nikos to the potty. I also had to address the issue of germs. At home, Nikos puts his hands on the toilet seat for balance. And on a public toilet, that is just disgusting! At the same time, I KNEW he would do it. And I didn't really see the paper seat covers as being the best option, either, because of the added time involved, the incomplete coverage, and the fact that they would probably fall into the toilet before I could get him on there. So my mom suggested bringing some Clorox wipes, and wiping the area down really quickly. Good call! I had my backpack stocked with a baggy of those, some regular baby wipes, extra underwear and shorts, and a pull-up (why? I don't know!).

Aaaaaaaand... it didn't happen. haha! Nikos has still not used a public restroom. He is fine using the potty at other houses, but I think he holds it when we are in public. Even so, today's outing felt like a big accomplishment, because I was prepared to handle it, if necessary. I can do this!!

But I digress. Really, this post is supposed to be about our fun day together. So how about some pictures?

Silly kids, pretending to be a butterfly and a flower. Both their faces look a little weird in this one, but oh well!


In the "Petting Kraal"-- the high point of the day, since Nikos staunchly refused to ride the tram out to see all the big animals (elephants, rhinos, etc.). We saw lions, cheetahs, a few monkeys, and lots of birds, but spent the most time with these deer, haha!



And he kept saying that he wanted to see rhinos... even though he wouldn't ride the tram. So this was the closest he got, haha!