Monday, June 11, 2012

At the Zoo: Ube as in Underwhelmed





After innumerable readings of “Curious George Visits the Zoo” and copious books of the same genre, we thought it was high time we brought Ube to the Asheboro Zoo. Surely, she would go ape shot over seeing so many of these amazing animals up close and personal.

Surely, we were wrong.

A three-hour round trip and few hours at the zoo lugging her around while dragging her conveyance (a hand-picked wagon) behind me was followed by an indifferent reaction and the following exchange at lunch:

Me: “Lola, what’s been your favorite part of the zoo?”
Lola: “Going home.”
Me: “Um ... OK. Well, what’s been your favorite animal that you saw today?”
Lola: “Chocolate.”

Cool. Well, I guess we’ll just leave and you can watch a movie about going to the zoo in the car on the way home. From the zoo.

It was worth a try. I think.



The infamous wagon, accompanied by the day's most popular gesture.


The first animal we saw was the zebra.



Apparently ostriches and zebras get along pretty well.



Our lion was a bit more subdued than Alex from "Madagascar."



In his defense, it was admittedly a great spot for a nap.



No, I don't know why Alex won't wake up.


The lemurs were also quite chill.


After the monkeys were a flop, the flamingos were an unexpected surprise. But also asleep.


The one on the left didn't love us disturbing his nap.


I take that back; the monkeys weren't a complete loss. The metal ones were cool.


Surprisingly, the giraffes were also met with an "Enh."


They did remind us that it was nearly lunchtime, however.


We tried not to force any smiles at the zoo. It didn't work.



The elephants were the highlight of the day (for me).


On a stiflingly humid day, a quick drink seemed like a great idea.

Whiny, beleaguered distress was also a go-to look on the day.


 All in all, we still managed to have a good time. But I think next time we'll just read "Curious George Visits the Zoo" again.


Monday, May 21, 2012

At the Got To Be NC Fair ...


We had an awesome time with the family at the Got To Be NC fair over the weekend!



Step 1: Prepare to feed goat.




Step 2: Have goat steal entire cup of feed.




Apparently it tickles when you feed the goats.




The carousel was a fan favorite.




Lola named her horse Pete.




Carson was the runaway winner on the slide.




Mazzy and Lola went for a spin.




 The waiting is the hardest part ...





And we're finally off!




Not scared. Not scared at all.




Is this thing over already?




The definition of "uncertain."



Friday, May 18, 2012

To The Beach ...



So much sand to move, so little time.




But Grandpa, I don't understand the engineering intricacies involved in a successful sand dam.




Grapes. Yes. That is happening.




With one small shovel, I shall conquer the ocean ...




Let's go take on the big waves, Daddy.




A much-needed getaway for the Vogies.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Every Day is Mother's Day



Not a bad way to start the day for my two favorite ladies ...

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

One Small Leap For Mankind




Someday when she's older, I'd like to tell her why on one of her state's darkest days, hope came in the form of a black President pledging his support for a love that doesn't know gender.

And I hope on that day, she looks at me and wonders why any of that was considered groundbreaking.


Thursday, April 26, 2012

That Week When Cake Dominated Our Lives



Mommy and Lola worked together to bake a cake for Daddy's birthday recently. Based on the fact that Ube couldn't stop talking about it for roughly a week, we're going to say she was much more excited about this event than nearly-40 Dad was.




We managed to overcome an incident when Lola couldn't wait the extra 30 seconds for us to find a candle and was caught plunging her spoon into the cake while our backs were turned. All in all, it made for a memorable and happy day ... after Lola bounced off the walls in a post-cake frenzy for an hour or so.



Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Easter 2012: Competing with the Cousins




Must use speed to out-maneuver bigger cousins.









Must also use speed to avoid Jakey's net.









Back off kids, this one's mine.









It takes a group effort to sniff out well-hidden mailbox eggs.









Ready to pounce.









Exhausted but successful.









We hope you had a wonderful Easter!