Parenting Builds Character: We're Going To Zoo Zoo Zoo, How Bout You???

For those of you like Chad who look at the title and say, "what is that about?" it's a very lovely song by Raffi that should be known and sung by all. If you're as lucky as me, you can download it on your iPhone and listen to it in the car 47 times in a row, at your 2-year-old's request.

But back to my original point... last fall, we bought a zoo pass after visiting as Danielle and Reed's guests and having a lot of fun. It's such a great thing to have with kids Max's age because we can get there when it opens, see everything, eat lunch there that we brought from home and be back in the car, headed home, by nap time. And of course, since it's outside and involves a moving stroller, Jack is game, too! We've already gone to the zoo about 8 times since buying the pass- we've gone with several friends, we've gone with Uncle Eli, we've gone with Annie, and then this past week, we took Gabe-- which naturally presented many photo opportunities :)

Gabe was out of school this past Thursday and Friday, combined with absolutely wonderful Georgia weather in the midst of March, and two other delightful blue eyed boys, and we had a winning combination!

Gabe hadn't been to the zoo for years and he was pumped! Max loved following him around, and Gabe made sure Max knew and pronounced the exact names for all the animals- it was fun!

The weather was so good, that all the animals seemed to be out and about and so happy and playful. Monkeys were jumping, gorillas were carrying their babies around, the tiger and her babies were frolicking, the elephants what eating and turning about, and all the animals in the petting zoo were up for a good petting and a new hair-do-- and we loved the show they were all putting on for us!

Maybe you noticed Max's wardrobe change halfway through the pictures... that was because he decided to wet his pants while sitting in his chair at lunch! Why?? Who the heck knows, but I had to pack everyone up, all the food, and traipse over to the bathroom. I set Gabe up outside with the rest of his lunch, I took Jack in with me, strapped in the stroller, and had to position him outside the stall because it was tiny, and then I begrudgingly pulled off Max's wet, nasty clothes. You know, I never pack a change of clothes but decided to just incase, and see what happens? That's what I get for being prepared! And about 30 minutes later, when we were leaving the zoo, I remembered that I didNOT wipe down the chair Max was sitting in at the time of the accident. I was horrified. Ahhhhhh, hopefully no one discovered that the hard way.