Overnight with niece

Yesterday, I got up and took off for my sister's house. I slept in since I was later coming home the night before. Had to go grocery shopping. Pushed niece in those car shopping carts and man was that hard to turn corners. I felt I was guiding a ship from the back. When we got back, the cats came out as I unloaded the car. Frodo came downstairs and freaked a little at my niece's eager presence. Precious keen on following his master explored outside and came upstairs when I did. Frodo rushed up to escape my niece. He took his time coming down from the fridge. Niece played with her toys as I got supper ready. I put in 101 Dalmatians (Puppy Movie in niece terms) and called my mother. She always wants to speak to niece. Niece told her we were going to the zoo tomorrow. I asked how long does one cook corn on the cob. 15 minutes. I didn't have the holders for the corn, forcing my niece to adjust by using her fingers to hold it. Then watched Peter Pan. She loves Tinkerbell but never seen the movie. By the end, niece was tired so put her to bed w/out stories. Then she came in the living room to say she couldn't sleep cause the toy cat keeps meowing. I turned it off.

Hear niece playing in the living room and eventually calls my name. Serve her oatmeal breakfast. Do the cats chores and take cats outside. Frodo runs away at niece's attempts at petting him. Precious was more calm about it. Neighbor dog came out and we petted it. Guy said 2 ground floor apartments flooded, courtesy of the pond that appears every time it rains in front of the building. He saw much carpet in the dumpster. I'm on the 3rd floor and he is on the 2nd so no flood damage for us. Niece ran around with Precious and said she wanted inside because she was cold. I think she is getting her hot and cold mixed up. Later in the car, she asked me to warm up the steaming hot car cause she was cold. Frodo came back and went for the door, but time wasn't over so he played with Preicous and ran off again. I followed him around until it was time to go. I picked him up despite his hiss and got scratched when a neighbor had to shut their car door spooking Frodo. iIt was just as well, the maid was vacumming the hallways and would never come in with all that noise. Go in and pick up the apartment. Load the car and Precious is ready to go in. Take Precious upstairs. I leave niece to occupy Precious so Frodo will come in. He doesn't and my fishing pole breaks. Grab niece calling for Frodo from the window and head for the zoo. Niece complains the car smells. That's because it is hot, when we drive a little with the windows down it cools off. Stop at the bank for cash and we are on our way. Niece keeps calling the zoo, the jungle.

See all the animals and niece is better with people hanging around her. I saw 2 school buses and a parking lot full of cars. Had rock hard ice cream and slush puppy w/out a straw or lid because straws are a choking hazard for the animals. Guess somebody doesn't know how to toss their garbage in the trash can where it belongs. At first she didn't want to ride the train and didn't want to see anymore animals. We rested and got ready to see more animals. Then she saw the train go by and wanted to ride. We were eating at the time so we had to wait on that. We skipped the camel ride from last year's refusal to get off the animal. Rode the train. She didn't want to feed the animals either so I announced that "I" wanted to feed them, so we are feeding them. I fed the goats and both fed the fish. The fish food kept landing on the bridge instead of the water so had to brush it in. Saw the sea lions get fed and do tricks. Niece wasn't sure about all the people around the pool so had to shove with her hard resistance into a gap so she could see better. A boy next to her was on his knees so she knelt down too, the railing hit her eye level.

Got her a stuffed animal (leopard she picked out) at the gift shop and went home. They are selling artwork t-shirts from the elephants, but all it had were a few stripes of paint. Abtract elephant art. Then I knocked my niece over when I shut the car door at her house. I thought she had walked up the nearby steps not realizing she was right behind the door. I hugged her and told her I was bad for not looking before shutting the door. My sister had been vacuuming and rearranging the furniture to clean peoperly. Told sister all about the zoo and niece calmed down. Did laundry and niece fussed on where the stuffed animals were, the panda bear, the tiger, the penguin. My sister got out the penguin I got her last year, but it wasn't the right one. They don't have a tiger or panda bear, she might mean my stuffed animals sitting in a basket. I have a baby penguin. Then our mother called saying my great-uncle died and Mom's cousin called earlier asking my brother-in-law to be a pall bearer. The funeral and visiting are on days I work so I can't go. I have to save my vacation days for my sister and make-up school. Niece got a little fussy since we skipped the nap from visitng the zoo all afternoon. Sister went outside to chat with a neighbor and my laundry dried so went home. Hugged and kissed niece.

Came home to Frodo howling in the parking lot and Precious meowing in the window. I think they recognize my car because I hear them meow before I get out. Put laundry away and do the cat chores again. Precious is sleeping on my feet and Frodo is on the cat tower. Good night. Post later.