Visit and Zoo (with lots of photos)

    We were thrilled a week or two ago to get a phone call that DH’s Uncle and Aunt would come spend a day with us sometime this week.  DH put all the possible days on hold at work so he could take one of them off.  It was hot and muggy.  We finished vacuuming just as they drove up. 
Ice water, coffee and fruit frappe flowed continuously.  Meals; we had to figure out together as they are avoiding excess salt and fat.  I made lentil and bulgur pilaf Assyrian style, and pizza with whole wheat crust and part skim mozzarella.  Also a Cooking Light pizza with Dijon mustard for the sauce, topped with cooked chicken breast, sliced scallions, feta cheese and parmesan. 
    I tried to get Aunt R to give me her salad dressing recipe.  She blushed and said I’d have to take notes on her as she did it, she uses whatever is on hand and in season and goes by feel.  That’s how I do pizza crust. I think her salad dressing heuristic is: olive oil, lime juice, herbs and whatever is on hand.  Yesterday we had an over ripe avocado, so she mashed that into the dressing.  I’ve seen her use parmesan cheese too, but that has too much salt now.
    Aunt and Uncle work near Chicago with Culture ConneXions, helping local churches assist new emigrant groups as they build their churches.  Aunt R also works with bi-lingual gifted children in the public schools and advocates for them.  I took advantage of her presence to get some suggestions on B’s education.  She asserts that all gifted education is special ed, most kids need help in some area or another; fine motor, Asperger’s Syndrome, perceptual problems, handwriting, manners when bored…   Also that we all know how to "create" gifted kids, give babies pretty mobiles to look at, talk to them, read to them, answer questions, ask questions, don’t use the TV too much.
    She liked my portfolio. 
Aunt R mentioned that many scholarships are determined by how well a child scores on the patterning part of a standardized test.  Hmmm.
    M introduced himself to them as "I am M.  I’m 5 years old and I’m creative." 
He wanted to do everything with Uncle D.  Lately he has been declaring that since there are no 5 year olds at church for him to be best friends with, Mr N and K are his best friends.  They are respectively 86 and 30 years old.  So Uncle D is right in his age range!
    B was a little more quiet, but everyone noticed his helpfulness, and sweet ways with K.
    After those of us who were sleepy, napped; and those who were antsy went to the grocery store to stock up on more blueberries, cherries and strawberries, we walked to the Capron Park Zoo.  Which has a new "white lion."

    Aunt R got these photos by lining her lens up with the holes in the steel mesh fence.
    I couldn’t find quarters at the llama feeders, but a passing couple handed them to the children as we searched pockets.



The black Llama liked looking at K.
Aunt R noticed the shy goat and made sure it got some treats as well as the more extroverted llamas.
     The zoo was playing Andean pipes and Dora the Explorer music, which was quite charming.  Some of the hornbills were hopping along their tree branches in time with the music.  Uncle D said that Aunt R was like the birds, when she hears good music she starts hopping.
    We tested our arm spans against with wingspan of various birds.  DH matches up to a sea gull, but he is cuter.
    M as always looked forward to the dinosaur dig sandbox and play area.

– we were resting and digging there when the zoo announced that they would close in 10 min. 
We knew it was closing time anyway because the animals had begun to snuffle at their inside doors (dinner!).  So we decided to power-walk through the nocturnal house and rain forest house
We changed a diaper by the kangaroos, then walked home.  DH carried M on his shoulders so we’d get to the ice water faster.
     The whole day felt like a holiday, with DH off from work, and Aunt R and Uncle D visiting, as I preheated the oven, I suddenly realized that my mom would be coming home from work soon, and that she loves to join us for homemade pizza.  I checked with everyone, then phoned her.  So, we had a nice, messy dinner party, the more the merrier!