Zoo!

I'm embarrassed to say this, but today was my first time to the Blank Park Zoo! I kept meaning to go but I always ended up taking my daughter somewhere else. I'm totally regretting it now because she just ate it up! With the perfect weather today and the small crowds it was just a blast for our family. Plus she's just sixteen months old so even the little ducks were impressive t0 her. The zoo is the perfect size to stop in look around and go, everything is so close together. I see more visits in the near future and for sure a membership next year.

Rachel Pierce

rpierce@myabc5.com

Summer

(My 16 month old little girl just loves picking and eating tomatoes out of our garden.)

(Variety the Children's Charity event, Polo on the Green)

Where has the summer gone...okay maybe its not over just yet. Lydia is at such a fun age where she enjoys playgrounds, pools, other kids (sometimes), bubbles, animals and anything outdoors.


We had a blast hosting family and friends in town almost every weekend this summer. We love showing off what the metro has to offer. And my husband and I also got some time to ourselves here and there, like attending the Variety the Children's Charity event, Polo on the Green.


(Ran to the playground for some fun this morning)

Rachel Pierce

rpierce@myabc5.com

ABC5 on The Colbert Report

In case you didn't see this in our newscast, enjoy. It's Brad's little 'response' to Stephen Colbert 'attacking' ABC5 on his show, The Colbert Report. Many of us are fans of the show and have gotten a good laugh out of our debut. Click here to watch the clip from The Colbert Report.

Granted, many people have taken Colbert's rant out of context. But we get the joke and we think it's hilarious.

Living History Farms

(Above: Lydia checking out the chickens and a turkey with the help of one of the farmers, below: Lydia and me enjoying a little snack in the shade of a windmill.)

This week when it was blazing hot with a heat index above one hundred, I decided, heck, lets spend the day outdoors at Living History Farms. Honestly it wasn't too bad, probably because we ventured out first thing in the morning. Lydia, my now fifteen month old daughter, and I met up with a long time friend of mine from Chicago. Since it was so hot we opted for the tractor ride to take us to the 1900 farm. That particular farm is great! There's cows, a horse, chickens, a turkey, pig, piglets and we even managed to find a cat. Lydia loved it! She hasn't seen most of those animals and was actually obsessed with the barn cat. She chased that barn cat everywhere. I told my husband about it and he said it looks like we're going to have to get a cat but he said she has to ask for one first (that may be awhile).

The "farmers" there were awesome too! They helped get the animals out so that we could see them and gave us all kinds of great information. It was a little hot but we stayed within the shade of the buildings and I did dump a bottle of water over Lydia's head and she did not mind one bit.

Lydia was wore out after all the exploring and passed out on the tractor ride back, works for me!

If you haven't been out there, I recommend going. Two thumbs up!

Rachel Pierce

rpierce@myabc5.com

(Above: Lydia taking a look at the piglets and she even got to feed them. Below: Lydia chasing around the barn cat.)

Go Mustangs!

Congratulations to the Davis County Mustangs! My high school Alma mater won the class 2a state baseball championship. I went to the game. My whole family was there at Principal Park to cheer them on, along with everybody else from Davis County.

Way to go Mustangs!

My quest for a misting fan....

I started out this week with a mission. I wanted to buy a hand-held misting fan... you know the kind right?

I was planning ahead for when I had to take my one-year-old to my older son's swimming lessons. I didn't want him to get too hot in the extreme heat while we waited for the lesson to be over. So, I set out to buy one of these fans. I convinced myself it was by far the best way to keep my little one cool. Long story short:

Bed Bath and Beyond (both metro locations) - sold out

Target - doesn't carry them

Dollar Tree - only have the fan, not the misting option

Walgreen's - called two locations, they HAD them a few hours before I called but were sold out. The only locations with any left were in Ottumwa and Ames.

Younkers - doesn't carry them

Hy-Vee Drug Town - only had non-misting ones

You get the idea... So what did I do? I went to ToysRUs and paid too much for a little mist sprayer (basically a squirt bottle), got some squirty fish things and called it a day.

And guess what? We survived! Even without the elusive portable mist fan.

Does this say something about my personality? Like, I'm stubborn? Hard headed? Not willing to take no for an answer? Maybe, I think I'll choose to label myself as "persistent" and "goal oriented."

Thanks for reading,

Amanda

Adventureland!

(Top: Lydia on her first ride, Bottom picture: My nephew David with his arms up, he knows how to ride!)

Even though yesterday was a ridiculously hot day...my family decided to venture out to Adventureland. And boy, we weren't alone. When we went to the water park it was packed! Thankfully we got their early enough because soon after the waterpark reached capacity and folks had to stand out in the hot sun to wait to get in.

We had a blast. My sixteen and five year old nephews loved the rides! Lydia was even able to go on the merry-go-round.

Rachel Pierce

rpierce@myabc5.com

(Above: My nephew David)

(Above: My sister Natalie, nephew Stephen and Jacy)

(Above: I'm in the middle on the right...screamed a little on this one, especially at the top when my brother-in-law pretended to unbuckle me)