ROAR to you, flamingos!

We went to the Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison the other weekend.  This was my little girl's first time to a zoo.  It was fascinating to see how she reacted to the animals; however, other people were usually far more interesting to her.  She bravely stood up against the glass with the other kids as the tiger walked back and forth in front of them.  Then as the tiger came by, she gave it a huge roar.  She was so attentive to this tiger that I hated to pull her away, but the other kids wanted to see it too.  She roared at most of the animals she saw: the tiger, the chimpanzees, the giraffes, and the flamingos.  When we went inside to see the fish she would plop down in front of each tank and just watch.  It was a struggle to get her to move on or leave the exhibit.

This zoo is awesome for the little ones (okay...for the big ones too).  The admission is free; donations are definitely appreciated and well used.  There are play and picnic areas right outside the zoo.  Inside, there was plenty to see, even with the lions in breeding and the petting zoo temporarily closed.  There is a good variety of animals (sorry, no elephants as they need a much larger habitat) and the grounds were well cared for.  Make sure you have time and a camera with you because what child does not like the zoo?

Where did last year go?

I love to watch my little girl exploring her surroundings.  I don't think she would ever come inside if we didn't make her.  To see her now amazes me that she is only 14 months old.  It was just a little over a year ago that she was in that "sleep, eat, poop" stage.  When people comment about how quickly that first year goes by, they are not kidding.  Part of me does miss being able to just hold my daughter while she was nursing/napping.  Now I am lucky if I get to cuddle with her for more than a minute before she starts to wiggle like a worm.  For anyone still at this stage, make sure you take all the time you want to just hold your son/daughter, and make sure you let yourself just be in that moment.  While we are still getting up in the middle of the night once in a while (last night was unfortunately one of those long nights -separation anxiety?), I certainly do not  miss having to sleep in 2 to 3 hour intervals as the first several months seemed to bring.  Who would miss that?  I also remember how excited I would get whenever she would learn a new skill like grabbing onto her rattle or learning she could move the mirror on her floor gym, or even how shocked I was when she let go of her walker to walk to her daddy the first day I taught her how to use it.  At least she enjoys pushing it around now as she loads it up with all her important possessions (sippy cup, dolly, books, and pillows).  However, even though I do sometimes miss parts of that first year (that whole sleep part not included), I also would not want to go back to that.  This second year has already been as special as the first.  It is amazing to see how much she is capable of doing now and what all she enjoys.  She has already become a pro at going down the slide and getting on/off the couch by herself.  She also loves to dance, play in the sandbox, and "use" the computer.  All this in just a year's time...Crazy!

Disclaimer

Please keep in mind as you read my posts that I am writing from the perspective of a first time mommy; not an expert.  I am using this blog to express my opinions, reflections, and questions.  Feel free to support, criticize, or offer your own opinions.

Introduction

I have started this blog for a course I am taking through Learner's Edge on how to incorporate new web-based technologies into the classroom.  Since it has been ten years since I had taken a technologies course, I thought now would be a good time to get caught up.   I was surprised about how much I did not know about the tools I see nearly everyday on the internet.  While I am currently not teaching in a classroom, I hope to someday go back to it.  Right now I am a part-time stay-at-home mom to a 14 month old girl who loves to run around outside, climb onto everything, and explore anything she can get her hands or feet onto.  Since my new role as a mother is a huge part of my life right now, my views and reflections on parenting will be the main focus of this blog for now.