Yay for Labor Day!!

I love Labor Day because it gives me a whole day with my hubby right after school starts up again; which is always tough after a summer break.

We went to Phipps Conservatory in Schenley Park.
It was so cool!
I didn't think it would be so great since it is a building full of plants...
but we ALL really enjoyed it!

Brinkley and I stopped off at the wishing well to make a wish.
Betcha can't guess what I wished for!!?! Well, stop guessing, I didn't really wish for anything. But, maybe I should have...
If you can tell, Brinkley is in the process of whacking my face with her tub of goldfish crackers. It hurt. Perhaps I should have wished that my wonderful child wouldn't maim me.

Here is Josh and Brinks emerging from a tunnel in the butterfly pavilion. We kept giggling about this particular room because of Brian Regan's skit on butterfly pavilions. We were hoping the worker there would say: 'I'd be happy to answer all of your butterfly questions.'
So that we could respond: 'All of them?"

And we watched a butterfly hatch. Is that what butterflies do? Hatch?




There was a special bit of garden just for kiddos. Brinkley had a great old time.

She played (and got soaked) in the little fountain.


She grinned as she explored all the quaint little pathways.
And tromped on a few plants in the process.

She smiled at all the other passerby's, and even charmed one lady with this head tilt thing. I've never seen her do it before. But believe me, it melted the lady's heart.


She especially enjoyed this bridge that passed over a small river.


She frolicked around.



In the lily room I learned that vanilla beans come from a lily.
I had no idea. But that's pretty cool.

Also, there was this delectable plant. (I can't remember it's name)
But no kidding, it smelled just like chocolate! I was in heaven!

Oh, see. There I am... fully enjoying myself.

There was one garden that looked straight from the movie 'Ever After.'
Brinkley got a big kick out of smacking the bushes.



In the 'desert' room Josh saw a plant he recognized from his Arizona mission...
A JOSHUA tree!
I wasn't so fond of that room. I was paranoid the whole time that I was going to fall on a cactus.
I swear one of them reached out and touched my bum because I was felling all prickly in my pants. Josh just laughed at me. It wasn't until we exited that room that the pricklies went away. I guess Josh was right. I didn't get ambushed by the cacti.

Aren't these bug glasses super attractive?
They have all these angles so you can see how a bug sees.

You don't even have to tell me how awesome I look.
We couldn't get Brinks to try them on. We tried a few times but she just turned her head and scowled. But she did think it was funny to see mom and dad in them!

After our trip to the conservatory we headed to Chick Fil A for a free chicken sandwich!

Brinkley enjoyed the fries. Just like her dad.