That some of my favorite furniture in the house (both these tables,  desk) were found at the side of the street and free. I've not fixed them up other than wipe them down because I like their shabby chic aesthetic. And anyone can put a beverage down without requiring a coaster.

That last one really counts as something huge in this stage of my life right now.

We could have spent all day here!!!

The stingrays were beautiful and mesmerizing to watch.

This particular stingray had a cheetah patterned exterior and a super, long tail!

Clyde, the albino crocodile, and only crocodile inhabitant in the swamp exhibit. He just floats around the swamp, barely moving. We originally though he was fake, but a docent shared he was just very old, for a crocodile. My mom remembered coming to the museum as a child and seeing LOTS of crocodiles in the swamp. She said it was a very memorable experience. The docent said that the crocodiles just got too vicious with each other, in the end, so there couldn't be more than one in the exhibit.

The museum still has the gorgeous seahorse wrought iron railing around the swamp exhibit, just like they did when my mom was little. 

Looking at the fish in the aquarium exhibit, which was ginormous. It was so cool! We were lucky when we were going through, there were not many people inside the museum, so we had no crowds to deal with.

Always a fan of the jellyfish at aquariums...

The roof of the museum was made to be a 'green' roof. It's energy efficient, renewable energy and good for the environment. It also deals well with any rain and water runoff, which gets recycled and reused.

This was a very interesting part of the museum, they have a self contained rain forest exhibit. Everything enclosed in the rain forest dome inside the building, is designed to co-exist with each other inside the space. (With a few notable exceptions of some tiny, brightly colored tree frogs, frogs and huge and dangerous spiders that make huge and super strong webs.) You enter the exhibit through a special doorway which keeps the temperature constant and controlled. Additionally, when you leave, you have to depart through special doors that help contain any butterflies that have decided to try to catch a ride on you or your clothing as you leave. Seriously...Here is one of the many species fluttering around and not shy about getting in your face. (You are NOT supposed to try to touch any of them, however!)

Our way around the city today instead of a cab...

Mom and I are doing a weekend in San Francisco.  Dinner at the Burger Bar across from our hotel...

Last night when I picked Lulu up from Camp Fire, she had big news to share:

 

This is huge, huge, HUGE for everyone in our family, especially her. 

Our family went out to Laurelwood for dinner last night to celebrate this wonderful achievement for her!

Lulu has been in Camp Fire before and after care since kindergarten. Each year we've all hoped she would get the opportunity to be Student of the Week, but, no dice. 

Admittedly, the last three years have been interesting, to say the least, in the behavior department for her.

Which is why this is such big news! One of the Camp Fire counselors shared with me last night before we left school that they have been so impressed with Lulu's behavior since she's started third grade this year. They've seen dramatic improvement, especially from last year. She's also great with the first graders in the program and has joined their leadership squad for the year, too. They hope, as well, that in giving her this honor, her great behavior will continue.

We can only hope. 

I can tell you right now, "Best Big Sister of the Week" is not an honor she's getting any time soon at home.

Today was Lulu's first day of 3rd grade, and at a new school. (Her school has routed the first and 3rd graders due to overcrowding at the other two campuses.) It's probably better to let Eddie tell of how the morning unfolded, though it's all PURE LULU.

Her is his email to me, to catch me up to speed after he got to work:

So. You leave and I realize I have some time to put a load of laundry in the washer and clear out the dishwasher and start another load. Lulu comes up and asks if she can play the Android. 

"Are you ready to go? Do you have everything together?"

She says that she does.

"Okay, the Android is in the kitchen. We should be ready to go in 15 minutes or so."

I finish my morning chores and get myself together and I announce that we need to get out of the house. 

We go to the tree and take some photos, our girl is growing up. =)  

 

We start walking up the hill. 

About halfway up she sudden stiffens and says, "Daddy, I forgot to eat breakfast. I'm hungry."

On the one hand, we are the parents, it's our job to make sure our kids are clothed and fed. On the other hand, she a third grader, 8 years-old, she knows how to make cereal, toast, bagels. Bean knows enough to get the cereal out, sit her bottom down and ask that I make her cereal. Why didn't Lulu think to eat? Cuz' she's Lulu, that's why.

So she starts to get all grumpy and pouty. I start to think about how cranky she gets when she's not eaten.  

We get to school and as we are walking Piper jumps next to us and shouts "boo!"  Lulu glares. "I'm sorry Piper, someone is a little cranky this morning." This does not help Lulu's mood. Happy Squirrel manages to cheer her up a little but by the time the bell rings and we go in, it is Frowny McFrownington time.  I snap a picture.  We go up to the third floor to her new class room. The school looks like an abandoned school that has been hastily reopened in order to deal with over crowding (which it has). It's already kind of warm inside.

We meet the new teacher and the first thing she says to Lulu is, "My, you don't look very happy to be here." 

After I explain the situation and that I don't have any snacks, she suggests that maybe I could get some and come back. "Would that be alright?"

"Sure."

I am greatly relieved since no one will want to be around our girl if she has not eaten. No way to start off the new year. So home I go for a yogurt stick. I also stop at 7-11 for a granola bar.

When I get back to school, it's easy to park nearby. Back up the stairs I go to find an empty classroom with just the teacher, Sadie, there. It seems the kids have all gone down to art class, which seems a weird way to start the first day of school.  Sadie thinks so too.  

She leads me down and Lulu hops out of her seat when she sees us. 

I walk her out to the hallway to eat, reminding her to go back into class as soon as she is finished and to through her wrappers away in a nearby trash can.  She immediately seems much happier and gives me a big hug and a kiss.

There you have it.