Magical Child

Elena arrived early this morning for our girls' day in and out and about.  First stop--the Community Garden down the street to look at poppies and other flowers.


Second Stop, Kiddie Park on Broadway--riding on the 100-year-old carousel.

Those little four-year-old hands are doing so many things--including taking pictures with my camera.  Here's "Yenna and Lady Liberty" by Elena Pritchett:

Third stop, the zoo.

Just before going into the zoo, we stopped to talk to a family who had just gotten a new puppy.  Elena spotted a little fledgling bird, all alone on the grass.

"Poor little guy," she said.  "He can't fly."

"He's trying to fly," I told her.  "Hold your hand out and let's see if he can fly and find his family."

As we were walking toward the zoo, she was looking for the perfect place to leave him, away from the danger of puppies and ducks.  A docent directed us to the Education Center, where Elena showed the bird to the women who worked there.  "Can anybody fix him?" she asked in such a grown up voice.  "We don't know what's wrong with him, but I think he knows."

They were very attentive to Elena's rescued bird and we discussed several options.  Finally, they suggested we return him to where we'd found him. He'd apparently fallen out of his nest and "his mommy would be looking for him."

"You're so good with animals," they told her.

As we were walking the mile or so back to the place where we'd found him, she said, "I think he loves me so much he doesn't want to let me go."

After she'd put him back near the tree, she said, "When I grow up, I'm going to work at the zoo and be a doctor for birds."