Bye bye everyone!

Yesterday, after a quiet morning ...

... we went to the Oregon Zoo!

Madeline's favorite animals were the sea lions.

But she liked the tigers, too.

Our camera battery died then, so we couldn't capture Madeline's interactions with the leopards, polar bear, penguins, giraffes, elephants, lions, and -- another favorite -- the ocelot.  (All day today, Madeline kept saying, "Come on, ocelot!  Come, kitty!")  As we'd move from one animal to another, Madeline would let the animals know: "Bye bye, polar bear!  Goin' to see penguins!"

After the zoo and a delicious dinner, we took the opportunity for a family photo shoot.  Here's a nice shot of the whole Allen clan.

We had to leave for the airport extraordinarily early this morning.  Most of us were zombies (as, perhaps, you'd be before 4 am).  But Madeline was wide awake and ready for fun!  She told Summer, "I'm goin' to work!"  Summer asked what kind of work Madeline does, and Madeline replied, "Food!"  "Are you a chef?"  "Yes!"  "What kind of food do you make?"  "Pies!"  "What kind of pies?"  "BLUE!"

Despite the early hour, everyone got up to see us off.  Madeline, who's been giving everyone individual goodnights and then heading up the stairs with a "Night night everyone!  Goin' to bed!" saw us off with a "Bye bye everyone!"

Madeline was a bit of a handful from Portland to Chicago, but she slept through the entire Chicago-to-Providence leg.  On the drive home, she engaged in one of her favorite word games.  "What are you doing back there, Madeline?" we asked.  "Dinosaur's talkin' to Daddy!" she replied.  "Oh?  What's dinosaur saying?"  "Dinosaur's singing 'Baa baa black sheep.'"  Then she launched into a rendition: "Baa baa black sheep, have you any DINOSAUR?!?!?!"  Raucous laughter ensued.