sunday at the arboretum

on sunday, we decided to stretch our legs by taking a walk to the arboretum near our house. ready to go, beatrix?

"to the arboretum? more like the 'ah... BORE... etum'."

oh, c'mon. we'll take the bike path.

maybe we'll see a train...

hmmm...

i don't know...

no, wait! there's one! there it goes!

bye train!

hello daddy and bebe.

wait, what's that? a bus? what a trip! a train and a bus, and we're not even there yet! the arboretum is awesome!

the fullet (fuzzy mullet).

the humidity gives bebe that desperate, determined look.

like she's an old-timey gunslinger. fastest choobs in the east.

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finally, we made it to the park.

look at all of this green! we live in a great part of the city, and while rain can be a bummer, it makes all the trees and grass pretty happy.

perfect spot for a little family picnic.

of course, bebe doesn't sit still for long these days. in fact, the only time she does is bath time or when she's reading a book. and sometimes when she's asleep.

"lessee... i need a fat, juicy bug. ah, here we are."

"mmmm. a little crunchy though."

maybe you should wash that out with some water...

"still tastes funny."

bebe sitting still. three...

two...

one... go! see, never still for long.

two things we can't leave home without are snacks, and books. and usually lammy and/or ricky, but bebe's in charge of those.

her favorite book right now is a book of babies and numbers. she loves to count the babies on each page as they do things like take baths, play with their toys, or cry.

she takes some time to deliberate when asked to count them all on her own.

"i can't put my little finger on it..."

"but do you ever..."

"get that feeling..."

"that you're being..."

"watched?"

"daddy, who's that lady over there with your camera?"

that's just mommy.

"she's not filming this, is she?"

"i don't feel comfortable having my reading skills cinematically displayed on the interweb."

bebe, you're only one. i'm sure no one would criticize you for your seventh grade reading ability. you're still growing. i bet in six months you'll be up to the highschool level.

"six months, really? you think so?"

i bet you'll be reading the classics by then. if not sooner.

"oh ho ho! no way am i reading melville! no bartleby, no billy bud, no titanic!"

titanic was a james cameron movie. maybe you're thinking of moby dick?

"you think you're so smart over there, don't you, mr. college education?"

all in all, we had a great time. we played, we walked, we ate, we read, we lounged...

and then before we knew it, it was time to load up and head home.

when bebe hits open ground, she tears it up. the kid is so excited to not be cooped up at home, walking the same tired path back and forth. i give you exhibits A and B:

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after all that running around, she needed to refuel. how about an apple?