It’s been getting pretty hot recently, so the other day, we invited Mio’s friend Junna over so the two of them could cool down and have fun in the wading pool we pulled out in our backyard.
Junna-chan and Mio are only 2 months apart!
Mio loves the water!
Splashing away!
Water flying up! Junna-chan was not a fan of Mio’s enthusiastic splashing…
Lately, Mio likes to lie down like this in the pool… and in the bathtub, too!
Junna-chan taking a break on the swing in our backyard.
Mio can play for hours out in the pool! She has her Daddy’s fair skin, though, so we’ve been making sure to liberally the sunscreen. 😉 We’ve also got Mio signed up for toddler swim class lessons at the local rec center starting next weekend, so that should be fun too!
We hadn’t made any real plans for Memorial Day, so we were delighted when our friends Pat & Theo invited us to go with them and their daughters to the National Zoo on Monday. It’s no secret that Mio loves animals, and although she’s been to the Oakland Zoo and the San Francisco Zoo, this was her first time going to the Smithsonian National Zoo! This is the zoo that I grew up going to, and boasts 163 acres which serves as a home to 2,000 animals from 400 different species. As one of the nation’s oldest zoos, it’s part of the Smithsonian and therefore doesn’t charge admission. We decided to take the Metro over to Woodley Park together, and walked to the zoo from there.
Sitting down for lunch upon arriving at the zoo.
Hungry girls! 2 year olds Mio and Anna, both April babies!
The girls on their Daddies’ shoulders.
Looking at the red panda.
Mio had such a good view!
A fishing cat resting on a branch.
The two cuties on the Asian sloth bear statue.
Mio: “CHARGE!!!”
The cutest girls at the zoo!
Male panda Tian Tian at the National Zoo, munching away on bamboo.
Female panda Mei Xiang at the National Zoo
Adorable Anna atop the red panda statue. “Sifu!!!”
Mio and I with the red panda statue.
The Asian elephants at the National Zoo. Such grand animals!
Mio and Anna walking hand in hand through the zoo.
Holding hands. I can’t handle the cuteness! They’re such sweet friends!
Mio on top of the anteater statue by the small animals exhibit.
Anna reaching up towards the statue.
Mio conked out towards the end of the afternoon at the zoo. Anna was like the Energizer Bunny and just kept going and going…
The Nguyen-Cao family, including 2 month old Cara. (She had just turned 2 months that exact day!)
Thanks for inviting us along to the zoo! We had such a great time and Mio loved seeing all the animals and spending time with Anna and Cara. 🙂
Dan’s sister Hyo came to visit us for the weekend of May 4-5, which also happened to Cinco de Mayo and Kodomo no Hi weekend! She snapped some great photos of Mio while she stayed with us, which I wanted to share on the blog…
Thanks for the awesome pictures, Hyo! Here are some of my own snapshots (mostly taken on the phone) from the weekend…
All smiles at lunch.
Red curry, tamarind shrimp, and pad see ew from Natta Thai. So delicious!
Azaleas in the yard.
Mio holding a koinobori for Kodomo no Hi (Children’s Day in Japan)
Picnic at Nottoway on May 5 for Cinco de Mayo
With Auntie Miwa
Designing ice cream sundaes on the iPad… ma petite artiste! â¤
Cuties Gianna and Mio were born only 20 days apart! They met for the first time the other day for a playdate in Columbia, Maryland. Here are some photos…
Mio giving Gianna a present for her and 2 week old Abram. We met up at Lake Elkhorn Park.
Gianna giving Mio a hug. So sweet!
We later moved to a play area within The Mall at Columbia, due to the cold. Gianna was so active!
2 year old cuties! Both April babies.
Nan Young said that Mio reminds her of a panda… lol. I can definitely see it!
They played well together!
Riding the carousel within the mall. Mio, who still thinks horses are the same as cows, wouldn’t stop “moo”-ing!
So glad we could meet up! Thank you for the fun playdate.
Afterwards, we went to eat some delicious authentic Italian-style pizza at Facci Ristorante in Laurel. It was so nice seeing Gamay and Nan Young again, and meeting their sweet kids Gianna and Abram. We’re looking forward to more playdates with them in the future! 🙂
