Asher's weekend with Sister and Jim

Guest Blogger: Aunt Sara

Jim and I were very excited we could spend time with Asher while Nick and Wendi went off on their getaway. I've really missed having my one day a week to spend with Asher so it's extra special when I have extended time with him (and since I'm no longer one of his caregivers, I don't feel guilty spoiling him just a bit :)

Jim and I arrived Friday afternoon to see Nick and Wendi off and took the little Pudgin out for lunch. Asher was very excited to see us and was really loving his Uncle Jim right from the start. Any time Jim left the room or wasn't in Asher's sight, Asher would ask for him :)

Since the weather was just phenomenal all weekend, Jim and I thought it would be fun to take Asher on an adventure to the zoo on Saturday. Did you know you can get FREE zoo tickets through the GA library system? All you have to do is check out the Zoo Atlanta DVD from any library, and you get a pass for 2 adults and 2 kids (to be used within 7 days). So, after lunch we went on a trip to the library and then home for a nap.

Our day ended with a dinner out with Gigi and Poppy where Asher was a very well-behaved little man. He was even so kind as to hand out forks to everyone, being sure no one was left unprepared for their meal! He continued to be extra affectionate with Jim and was a little clingy to me (I guess being in the 'mommy role'), which I didn't mind at all :)


One of our favorite moments from Friday was after bath time when we were in bed watching Asher's nightly episode of Mickey Muck (that's Asher-talk for "Mickey Mouse"). He just loves Mickey and was very interactive with the show, answering or repeating when prompted to do so, clapping with the music, just precious!

Saturday morning I indulged in sweet Asher snuggles and enjoyed his selfie-photo shoot. 

Then, we had a visit from Blair and Josh who surprised us with coffee and donuts, which Asher did not waste any time double fisting.  

After his nap, we packed ourselves up in the car and headed to THE ZOO!! 

The day was just gorgeous and the zoo was pretty busy, but not too packed (FYI the free zoo passes also enable you to bypass the super long ticket line).

Our first stop was the elephants, I had to point them out to Asher, but once he noticed, he immediately leaned out of my arms to get as close a look as possible and said "Whoaa..." 

All of the animal exhibits were pretty good, we had to point the animals out to Asher and he enjoyed seeing them all but wanted to move on pretty quickly. I think he was just loving being outdoors around lots of people, and with all kinds of decks and hills and whatnot to walk and climb on.

The lion exhibit would have been cool if the lion wasn't taking a nap, so Asher decided to keep everyone entertained with his cuteness.

I think Asher's favorite zoo moments were the panda bears (or "pando bos") who were running back and forth and the train (more on that in a min).


The only disappointment for Asher was that he couldn't physically get inside each habitat. Without fail, every time we got to a new exhibit, he would press against the glass or fence and say "in pease (please)".

Our last stop at the zoo were to pet the goats (who really behaved like big dogs) and to ride the TRAIN!!! Even though it was about time for his afternoon nap and he must have been exhausted from hours of excitement in the sun, Asher was pumped for the train and was toot tooting the whole time in line. The train ride turned out to be quite thrilling for the little Pudgin. 

We didn't realize until watching the video Uncle Jim took just how Asher reacted to the unexpected tunnels (I think the zoo people should let you know beforehand, that the seemingly tame train ride is not for the weak hearted!). 

Asher was a champ though, he was a brave boy and by the time the ride was over, he was clapping his hands over his head, asking for more and toot tooting all the way to the car!

Even with his skipped napped and the hour and a half (thank you ATL traffic) ride home, Asher was such a trooper and was even up for a jam sesh in the car :) 

We enjoyed our time with Asher more than I can say! I'm just so proud of my sweet nephew. He is so well behaved and polite. Never have I heard a (not even) 2 year old, use please (pease) and thank you (thank hee) so much unprompted, he even says "No Pease" to politely decline something :) Mommy and Daddy and his other caregivers have done a great job raising our boy to be so well-mannered. He's so silly and super sweet-natured and affectionate. I miss him already and can't wait to play at his 2nd birthday party. 

We spent the weekend last March with Asher while Nick and Wendi left town for the weekend, so hopefully the annual 'Mommy- Daddy- Getaway' will also be an annual tradition for Asher, Aunt Sara, Uncle Jim and Chip (bip)