A Visit From the Fellow Komodo-Lover

We had the best week last week when my sister, Lynn, visited!! For all of the fun we had, we didn't take a ton of pictures. Every time Lynn comes in town, we brainstorm something new and Seattle-ish to do. This time we went to my favorite local kids bookstore (that's probably closing next month!!), where they have an entire room dedicated to signatures of authors and artists. The walls and ceiling are covered with illustrations and greetings from your favorite authors - the Bernsteins, the author of Max & Ruby books, the author of "Streganona," and I'm sure even Stephanie Meyer is on there somewhere. It is a really fun place to come and browse. Robby likes their play structure:

We visited the zoo (of course), like we always do. This is Lynn winning Jacob over - which didn't take long. He loved her and let her hold him, babysit him, and even feed him! Thanks for all the help, Lynn. Coming to visit your sister with three kids isn't a total vacation. ;)

Lynn was kind enough to take a picture of me and (2 of) my kids, since those are few and far between:

Riding the Carousel was really fun - I haven't been on one in over ten years. The only bad part was when I realized I had put Robby on a horse that didn't go up and down. I went over to switch him in the middle of the ride. At first he told me he wouldn't switch. I asked him if he was scared and he said he was only scared that I would get in trouble. :)

Here is a picture of Lynn with all the Seattle kiddos:

When we first arrived, we were greeted with this site. This also happened about two weeks ago when we came to the zoo with my cousins!

The tiger is usually sleeping when we go, so I thought I'd snap a picture. He started growling right after we walked away (of course).

Lynn and I have always had a love (I shy away from the word obsession, as a general rule :) for Komodo Dragons. It's my favorite animal at the zoo - she didn't have them at the zoo she volunteered at last summer, so we always have to go to the WPZ to see them. I don't know why we love them - probably because they terrify us. Knowing there is an animal that can run faster than you, swim faster than you, and would probably love to hunt you is a little freaky. I love how muscular their legs look when they crawl around.

There was one of the Komodo Dragon's that was obsessed with my children. He would follow them on the glass and kept flicking his tongue at them. This is the least blurry picture, but you get the idea:

I love that the majestic eagle is our national bird:

We polished off the visit with a trip to Ye Olde Curiosity Shop (highly recommended for a great touristy place), Ivar's Acres of Clams during sunset (where we saw an otter playing on the dock! My first thought was that it had escaped from the aquarium...I forget we live on the coast), Cupcake Royale (yum!!), the Ballard Locks, and a MARINERS game!!

THANKS FOR COMING, LYNN!! And for all your help.