Lia and the girls went to the D.C. Zoo today. This was a high adventure for the girls, who thrilled at seeing real, live elephants and leopards and oryx after reading about them in their series of Africa Safari books. Our beloved trio were accompanied on their outing by Jessica and Lorelai, a mother and daughter whom they met at the playground this morning. Julia was wonderfully well behaved during the outing, 
walking the length and width of the zoo on her own (not to mention walking to and from the Metro stop) without uttering a single complaint. Eli was very good too, alternately riding in the stroller and walking on her own as dictated by fatigue and fancy. The girls were rewarded for their sweetness by an evening screening of “Aladdin.” 
An additional note on Eli: Of all the exciting (because different) toys and gewgaws the girls have discovered in our apartment, Eli has most fiercely latched onto a plastic octopus, the diameter of which cannot exceed an inch and a half. She asks for the octopus when she awakens; successively seeks, finds, and loses it during the day; pleads with the fervor of her toddler soul to be permitted to play with it in the bathtub when evening comes; and speaks fond words in its favor when night falls.
Also, Eli threw a monumental fit yesterday and remained inconsolable for several minutes afterwards. Justin ran through the gamut of cheering activities—song or game, cuddle or story—to no avail. He then asked her if she wanted a piggy-back ride. The weeping ceased immediately and was replaced by the mirth of laughter as she bubbled her assent. “Yeah!!!” Justin lay on his stomach while Eli climbed giggling onto his back and clasped her little arms around his neck. She was in fine spirits for the rest of the evening.
Tonight while Justin read “The High King” for bedtime, Eli walked up to Lia with her Sleeping Beauty doll in hand. It turns out that Sleeping Beauty’s outstretched arms reach exactly the corners of Lia’s mouth. Inspired by this discovery, Eli pressed her doll against her mother, the former forcing the latter to grin uncomfortably. “Mommy!” Eli cried. “Sleeping Beauty smiled you! She smiled you!” Then, fearing her mother was slow to understand, Eli further explained by frowning most vehemently and grumbling emphatically the heroic refrain, “If you chance to meet a frown, / Do not let it stay . . . .”, at the end of which Eli beamed radiantly so that Lia could see just what Sleeping Beauty had done for her.
Justin had his first two days at work yesterday and today. These were devoted to the unflaggingly exciting process of orientation, at the end of which Justin found himself most resoundingly facing Eastward, as orientated as he ever hopes to be. It was a barrage of information and admonition, alternately anxiety-producing and too dull for words. Tomorrow he begins work in earnest.
walking the length and width of the zoo on her own (not to mention walking to and from the Metro stop) without uttering a single complaint. Eli was very good too, alternately riding in the stroller and walking on her own as dictated by fatigue and fancy. The girls were rewarded for their sweetness by an evening screening of “Aladdin.” 
An additional note on Eli: Of all the exciting (because different) toys and gewgaws the girls have discovered in our apartment, Eli has most fiercely latched onto a plastic octopus, the diameter of which cannot exceed an inch and a half. She asks for the octopus when she awakens; successively seeks, finds, and loses it during the day; pleads with the fervor of her toddler soul to be permitted to play with it in the bathtub when evening comes; and speaks fond words in its favor when night falls.
Also, Eli threw a monumental fit yesterday and remained inconsolable for several minutes afterwards. Justin ran through the gamut of cheering activities—song or game, cuddle or story—to no avail. He then asked her if she wanted a piggy-back ride. The weeping ceased immediately and was replaced by the mirth of laughter as she bubbled her assent. “Yeah!!!” Justin lay on his stomach while Eli climbed giggling onto his back and clasped her little arms around his neck. She was in fine spirits for the rest of the evening.
Tonight while Justin read “The High King” for bedtime, Eli walked up to Lia with her Sleeping Beauty doll in hand. It turns out that Sleeping Beauty’s outstretched arms reach exactly the corners of Lia’s mouth. Inspired by this discovery, Eli pressed her doll against her mother, the former forcing the latter to grin uncomfortably. “Mommy!” Eli cried. “Sleeping Beauty smiled you! She smiled you!” Then, fearing her mother was slow to understand, Eli further explained by frowning most vehemently and grumbling emphatically the heroic refrain, “If you chance to meet a frown, / Do not let it stay . . . .”, at the end of which Eli beamed radiantly so that Lia could see just what Sleeping Beauty had done for her.
Justin had his first two days at work yesterday and today. These were devoted to the unflaggingly exciting process of orientation, at the end of which Justin found himself most resoundingly facing Eastward, as orientated as he ever hopes to be. It was a barrage of information and admonition, alternately anxiety-producing and too dull for words. Tomorrow he begins work in earnest.
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