A wild week, it's a zoo out there.

I’ve been meaning to blog more and I wanted to blog about last weekend for Kiddo, but I got the flu and was down for most of last week.  Then it was Thanksgiving and the girls had Friday off, so that was busy and Kiddo also got a bit of a cold and so she had the sniffles and was just feeling down for a few days.  Add that all together and it equals not a lot of time to sit and catch up.

Firstly, Kiddo had a play date with H last weekend and they went to Century Park together.  It’s a large open space here.  Ponds and pathways and the like, but also so eats and treats and all that.  Plus, they have an area with rides and stuff like that.  She was beyond excited coming home and couldn’t wait to do it again.  Plus, she slept like the dead that night.  

The week was cold and breezy, but I didn’t do much due to the flu.  J and I, did however, get a good laugh midweek as we poked in to check on Kiddo one night as it was bedtime and it looked like her bed lamp was still on.  It was, but before we turned it off, I needed to get a pic or two.  Does it get more ridiculous than a 7 year old?  I think not.  And we keep the house at about 22C (69F) and that’s comfortable enough for us.  Maybe we will crank it up a bit as winter gets here, but we prefer it a little cooler and we can use sweaters and wear layers.  Besides, helps with the bills and also saves the earth a few kilowatts, so call it a win.  I wouldn’t call it hat cold, but then… I’m not 7.  HAHA

The real highlight it that it was a warmer weekend.  Temps around 18/19C (65ish) and J was ahead on work and done with her Masters finale (and yippy for her, she’s done with classes until February) so we had some time for fun.

Before that, on Saturday, Kiddo and J went to a park to feed some ducks and I did some grocery shopping and dinner prep.  Also, that afternoon, Kiddo and I went out and did some shopping.  We were on the hunt for J’s Xmas gifts.  We found something and got some ideas.  Kiddo also wanted a pair of boots or shoes that were warmer and not a stiff as Doc that she could “have warm feet, but also do gym class in”.  We found her these and she loved them.  Plus, the price was right and it was a no brainer.

With the nice temps yesterday, we got to the Shanghai Zoo.  It’s our first zoo trip since we lived in SD.  Kiddo loved the zoo when we we’re in SoCal, but she was 4 then.  Now, she’s older.  But she loves animals and tells us that she wants to be a vet.  So much so that she has been borrowing animal books from the school library and she will “study”.  She has a note book and she has notes and animal info in and that she adds to frequently.  It’s actually impressive how dedicated she is to the effort.  

The zoo, however, was lovely.  It was larger than we thought and we found most of the exhibits well done and well thought.  Some of the areas and animals reminded us of the SD Zoo in some ways.  We didn’t stay all day, only for the afternoon, but we would certainly go back.  Also, Kiddo was all in, all day.  She was chatty.  Commenting.  Just engaged and loving it.  The animals.  The walk.  The zoo as a whole.  As a whole we all had a great time and it was fun.  The weather was gorgeous.  The walk was nice.  Even the crowds were pretty good for the most part.

Getting home we decided to use the train.  That was crowded, but Kiddo took it in stride and showed that she a pro.  When you think about it, she really is when it comes to travel.  She’s done trains, planes, cars, buses, boats, tuks, motorcycle, and probably a few other that I’m not mentioning.  She’s done public transit in SF, BKK, and now here.  She really is a world traveler and adaptable to those places and situations.  I’m so proud of her for that.  Add to that how valuable that will be for her as she gets into her teen and uni years and beyond.  She’s already adept at figuring it out, rolling with it, and getting where she needs to be.

It was a great weekend after a not great week, but everyone survived and illness happens.  J was great and helpful when I was down with the flu for the couple of days.  Kiddo was also, helping herself in the mornings and getting herself ready so all I’d need to do is walk her to school and pick her up from.  

Another note, we finally got a chance to see The Wild Robot in English.  If you’ve not seen, do yourself a favor and see it.  Wonderfully animated and wonderfully done.  We all (Kiddo included) had a cry during the movie.  It was one of those.  

Let’s go, Kiddo…. It was a great weekend and we got to explore more of Shanghai.  There’s still 99% of it to explore, but we have time.  We skipped drum practice, but that’s ok as sometimes you need to take some time for yourself.  Mumma and I were happy to do it with you and take some family time.  Plus, we loved hearing your thoughts and knowledge while at the zoo.  You’ve done so much and it’s only a start.  There is so much more we can and will do.  Thanks for being you and being the sweetest and best Kiddo.