Daddy Tree: Tiny Footsteps

Friends, days just don't get any bigger than this for Miss Willow! She's taking a nap now (or is SUPPOSED to be taking a nap ... quiet down in there, kiddo!), but when she wakes, we'll be heading to Gymboree Play & Music class in Green Hills. Willow loves this class, and Cherish and I find the cost is more than worth it. Willow gets to romp around an ever-changing gym with other tots her size. When we first started going, Willow was a bit of a bully, pushing around the smaller kids in the 6-10 month class (Willow is a giant among peers), but once we bumped her into the 10-16 month class, she's fit in well; she likes mimicking what the bigger kids do. Willow's favorite activities at Gymbo's (the classes are led by an instructor named Rachel and her puppet sidekick Gymbo, a clown who runs the place and, I think, has all the instructors brainwashed) are rolling the air log, going through tunnels, being showered in balloons and dancing with Gymbo. Willow lov...

Willow and I took advantage of unseasonably warm January weather to go to the zoo and enjoy the annual membership Mimi bought for our family. The temperature was in the upper 50s when we arrived, and it hit 73 degrees by the time we left four hours later. Willow had a blast. Her favorite animal attractions were the flamingos, the monkeys and the meerkats. The monkeys and the flamingos put on a show for her, and one of the meerkats looked her in the eye from his sentinel perch by the glass. The flamingos probably provided the most fun. They woke from an early-afternoon slumber and splashed and bellowed in their wading pool. Willow was enraptured by the large and pink birds. After the flamingos, Willow enjoyed the carousel and the playground. Both are the best you'll find in Middle Tennessee, and I've never seen a better playground. Truthfully, it's worth the price of admission. Hop on over to my Facebook page to see videos of the monkeys and flamingos.

The monkeys at the zoo started hooting and hollering, so I took Willow to see them. She couldn't take her eyes or ears off them. I'll post a video on Facebook when I get home.

In this pic, I'm holding Willow off screen at the elephant exhibit. She's much more interested in pulling Daddy's hat off than looking at the elephants. She tolerated the giraffes next door as well.

We've arrived for the first of many trips to the Nashville Zoo on our membership from Mimi. The day is wonderful, and there are plenty of families here. In the picture, Willow is hanging out at the carousel. She loves watching it go round and round.

Willow and I are getting excited. Well, I am; Willow just wants to play with her blocks. With highs in the 60s and the sun expected to shine bright all day, tomorrow could bring Willow and me a big January gift: a trip to the zoo. Willow, Cherish and I are the new and proud owners of a Nashville Zoo membership (a Christmas gift from Mimi), and we're going to cash in tomorrow. Cherish and I love the zoo, and the Nashville Zoo is a good one to have nearby. We plan to be frequent visitors, taking advantage of the many programs, events and workshops the zoo offers children. I plan to take Willow to the zoo whenever it's warm this winter, and I plan for us to be frequent visitors throughout the summer and fall. I know she'll love it. I'll be sure to post pictures and vignettes here tomorrow while we're at the zoo.