Put Me in the Zoo

Here is a pictorial of today’s trip to the zoo.


Mommy and Abbie had to cross a rickety bridge at the front of the zoo. Ian and Tory had to watch from the wagon because there was no way I was taking something with wheels on that bridge.


I’m guessing most four-year-old girls would freak out being so close to a couple of boa constrictors. Not ours, though. This guy was slithering when we found him, giving us a chance to watch his asphyxiating muscles work.


Abbie watches the non-rubber duckies.


Ian is staring at the caimans. The boys loved the caimans. They knelt down and giggled at them, which made me glad that glass wall was separating them.


Abbie and Ian are staring at jellyfish, an aquatic creature I guarantee I will never try to keep in one of our home aquariums.


A sea otter is showing off for Ian and Abbie. The otter swam like this in a figure-eight for a few minutes, much to the delight of Ian and Abbie. Tory stayed locked in the wagon because his cast shouldn’t touch the wet ground, and was furious at our decision.


The kids are watching a peacock. I’ve seen peacocks running loose in many zoos. Someday, one of our kids will catch one of them. Hopefully the damage will be repairable.


Ian watches an emu, or as we had to refer to it, a rhea. Thanks to the “Go, Diego, Go!” episode “Rhea is an animal rescuer,” The kids were convinced that this large flightless bird was a rhea. When a helicopter flew overhead, they warned it to turn into a bush. The emu was not amused.


Here comes the train to take us on a tour of the zoo. The kids would’ve been happy taking a tour of the golf course next door, just as long as they could ride a train. Ian’s fuzzy scalp waits in the foreground.


Everyone is waiting patiently for the train ride to start. Abbie looks dejected because a four-year-old can only wait so long. In case you’re curious, I should be between Abbie and Ian in that seat, but I stepped off for a second to take a picture before we started moving.


Abbie and Tory are watching the sea lions swim below.


The zoo had a great deal. For $5, we got six graham cracker-like treats to feed the giraffes. Here Ian is enjoying the experience immensely, and mommy is enjoying it more than I think she’ll admit.


Tory got a little closer to the giraffe than we’d like. Abbie was too terrified of (or possibly just grossed out by) that huge black tongue to get close to the giraffes. I can’t say I blame her.


Tory is pointing out the elephants. There’s a baby elephant standing, a mommy elephant lying down, and a brave keeper brushing them.