Toddler's Eye View of the Zoo

Does anyone else remember Zoobilee Zoo? It was grown-ups with latex animal noses and face paint. I remember one episode vividly in which the lion who was a painter ended up in a world with no color. I suppose they resolved it with some singing and dancing thrown in, but I have no memory of a resolution. Hmm.. Nevertheless, on Sunday we headed out to adventure that is the zoo.

I took the kids to the zoo back in December to celebrate Riley's boyfriend's first birthday. It had been cool weather so all the fountains were off and it was long enough past Christmas that most of the tourists were gone. Today we went with Riley's best friend, Boo, and her family. This time it was hot and sunny so the fountains were on and it was a weekend so it was crowded. Wet screaming kids everywhere. That being said my kids had a completely different, but no less thrilling zoo experience.

The kids were amazing. I couldn't have been more pleased. I think they matured over the 4 month since I brought them last. Maybe it was because Mike joined us this trip or because we had a 3 to 1 adults to 18mo olds ratio, but it was an incredibly easy-going fun trip. Maybe zoo trips get better with practice like date nights. This time we headed straight for the petting zoo in the kids area.

Yup, that's a goat eating some kid's unattended popcorn from a stroller cup holder. Where's the hand sanitizer?

Here's Riley warning Boo that there's a goat behind her.

They had as much fun as you can have in a pen of 20 goats with the nerve to call itself a petting zoo and then we moved on. They all rode the train that did about five trips around the track at walking speed and loved it. After that they found the playground and screams of delight and roars of laughter echoed through the climbing structure. Proof once more of the contentment a one year can find anywhere. It was rough pulling them away, after all you can't climb on the playground any day of the week (read with heavy sarcasm). Alas, we tore them away because there were animals to be seen.

My upside family

Isaac went off with Boo's Grandma to see the dinosaur exhibit. I hear he went through a time machine to get there and slid down a dinosaur's back. Pretty darn cool. The rest us of took the girls to see the African animals. Zebras, Rhinos and Elephants Oh my!! The girls even fed the giraffe.

Boo and Roo loved on their souvenir giraffes, but no wild animal could compare with the allure of the elephant transfer crate. It was just a giant green box, but up they went stomping and laughing.

It was around then that my camera battery died. So, tragically there's no footage of our after zoo picnic. It was wonderful. We made the mistake of letting Riley sit on the table while we were setting up and then sitting anywhere else wouldn't do. We ate sandwichs and fruit and cookies. The girls ran through benches like they were a maze laughing. After that to prove she's my daughter Riley insisted on taking the stage. Mike helped her climb onto the amphitheater stage and pretty soon Isaac and Boo joined the cast of "the run around screaming show".

Wonderful day. Good friends, giraffe feeding, benches and tubes to climb and good food.