Day with Mom

Today, I was on the hook for Jury Duty and had to call in at 10:30 am for a possible afternoon reporting.  Because work is so far from the city, I stayed home in the morning and kept Cruz till it was time to call.  

It was the best feeling being told that I had been dismissed.  So, Cruz and I headed to the big playground and had a wonderful time.  He ran around and played hard for almost an hour.  He and I both had a blast.  We then headed home, he gobbled his lunch, and had a nice long nap.  It was the perfect day together.  

It was so fun for me to spend time with him without any prior obligations, work to be done at the house, etc.  I really would like to do this again sometime....plan to have the day off, just to spend with my boy!  It meant the world to me!

There he goes....

Big Boy!

He never stopped moving!

Super-Climber

Watching the Guys Mow the Baseball Fields

Play Date with Olivia

Today, Cruz and I drove up to see Maria and Miss Olivia.  We had lunch at Babbo and then headed back to Maria's house so the kids could play.  I was so bummed to have forgotten my camera, so the picture taken on my phone will just have to do.  

Cruz was a wild man and loved the Ball Pit.  He immediately dumped ALL of the balls out and then proceeded to do "body slams" into the middle of it.  Olivia was very calm and lady-like, of course.  Cruz enjoyed all of the new toys and played right through nap time.  We even got to stop at Trader Joe's on the way home, so that made me happy.  We were glad to get out this afternoon because poor Ben was at home sick and needed to rest.  It was nice to have already had plans and a place to go.  It worked out well.

Note the Empty Ball Pit and the Mess of Balls in the Background!

Donuts and Game Day!

This morning, Cruz and Ben came to the Grocery Store with me because Ben and I were going to the Lions/Cardinals game later.  Daddy bought Cruz his first donut, complete with chocolate frosting and sprinkles.  It was a hit!  The game was fun as well.  I am so glad we got to go!

Good Morning

This morning, Cruz had a hard time waking up.  He insisted his giraffe and blankie came with him to breakfast.  It did the trick!

"Mom, it's too early for pictures!"

All Better!

Climbing Crazy

Cruz is now climbing all the time and is quite proud of himself.  They call him the "Daredevil" at COOP as he is climbing fearlessly onto everything!

Go Lions!

Dad and Lad sporting their Lions Jerseys.  Ben and I are so excited we were able to get two seasons of use out of it!  They sure got lots of compliments at the grocery store this morning. 

Yummy Corn!

Nana has been suggesting for a few months we try giving Cruz corn on the cob.  He seemed to be curious at first, but quickly lost interest.  I ended up cutting it off the cob in the end.

Phoenix Zoo

This morning, we went to the Phoenix Zoo.  It was definitely a "hot one," even though we got there right when they opened at 9:00am.  It was super nice, and not very crowded for a holiday weekend.  We were never rushed, and we able to see and do all we wanted.  

Cruz was definitely more interested and aware than when we went to the San Diego Zoo.  He loved the roaming ducks and the goats at the petting farm.  I know each time we take him, he will love it more and more.

Cruz had his first carousel ride.  He was very unsure at first, and was reaching for me to take him off of it, but once it started moving, he became distracted.  He sat the whole time, so that was good.

Since the zoo was not busy whatsoever, there were no lines waiting for all of the Photo-Ops!

Little Joey

Love their faces...

This one reminds me of the caterpillar pictures at Canterbury Park!

The Petting Farm only had goats, but Cruz did not seem to mind.  He was very curious and interested in them.  He was not scared of them at all.  They were all just bigger Bridgettes.

Thank goodness this baby only had bottom teeth.  He was very interested in Cruz's shorts.

Cruz's Goat Impression

"Nice Hands, Cruz."

Cruz saw the cows, but they were not part of the petting fun.

The zoo had a Monkey House where you could go in and see Spider Monkeys up close and personal.  They were not shy and got super close.  I got a really cool picture of one hiding in the flowers.

Here are some random pictures of animals...

Before we left, we had to get a family picture to commemorate the trip!  What a fun morning!