First Trip to the Zoo

And consequently there are about 50 pictures in this post.  Just a warning.  :)

My mom took us all to the zoo on Wednesday.  What fun!  I had been (oh so many years ago), but we’ve never taken any of the kiddos.

I can’t remember what animal we were looking at here.  Antelope or something.

Zebras!

The girls are at a fun age for the zoo, but Joanna especially enjoyed it and really got into everything.

The girls enjoyed brushing the animals in the petting zoo.

My mom was taking these pictures; I think this next one’s hilarious.  :)

But that put the animals at the perfect height for brushing.

Joanna kept cocking her head to either side, trying to get a good look at this guy’s eyes, I think.

Just cute.

Petting…

This is what James and I were doing while the girls and Gran were in the petting zoo.  Just hangin’.  I promise, no matter how it looks, I was not in fact strangling him with the Moby Wrap.

Just a cute look on Joanna’s face as she listens to the animal noises.

Prairie Dog houses!

Joanna’s telling Natalie she can see me.

My mom was back there with the girls and had to go down the tunnel to rescue Natalie!  She sadly couldn’t figure out how to get back out (the straight tunnel.)

Some Joanna faces on the back of a turtle.

This is definitely a Joanna face, and we caught it from two angles!

Mom and I were both taking pictures, which is one reason there are so many.  :)

More pics from inside the dome.

I went back with Miss Joanna this time, to see the mystery of the tunnel.

I love this shot!

I am very embarrassed as a mother though, that apparently Natalie could not find her way down the straight tunnel.  Maybe the other one had a bend in it?

Isn’t she so cute?!

I was very intrigued by the porcupine.

So James and I posed by him.  Not the most flattering picture of either of us though.  Oh well, the porcupine looks good.  :)

Some Jamesie snuggles at lunch time!

Even though it was a nice, pretty overcast day, I was starting to feel a little too warm wearing James at this point.  And I think he was having trouble settling on my too-warm self.  I was hoping he would enjoy a nice ride in the stroller.  (Ha!)

Isn’t this hat the cutest, though?!  A teeny tiny baseball cap!!

Gran let Joanna get one of those smushed pennies, and I tried to get her to pose with it.  This was the best she would give me, stinker.

Cute Natalie looking at the baby elephant!

I can’t even remember what animal we were looking at here, but I think the picture’s cool.  If you look in the reflection of the glass you can see Natalie, James and Me, and Gran.

The girls enjoyed looking at the meercats (I think… right?)

I was trying to get James to pose with them too, because he’s cute and little, and they’re cute and little.  He was soooo tired though – see him nuzzling into Joanna?

A little resemblance, don’t you think?

Almost out…

The girls really enjoyed watching the orangutans.

We saw these cute little guys, and I stopped to read the sign about them.  I’m liking the part where right after Momma Tamarin delivers the babies, Poppa Tamarin and any older sibling take over caring for them.  Give Momma some rest!  :)

Aren’t we the cutest?!  James is totally crashed now, and I’m wondering how long I can manage to hold him.  He’s heavy and hot!

This was rather a failed experiment, but he did stay asleep in that horribly awkward position for a little while. 

This seat just doesn’t lay all the way down, but I knew it wasn’t cozy enough for him to lay in there on his back.  I almost wish we’d brought the car seat in (it snaps into the stroller) as he’s pretty cozy in it, and he likes watching me as we stroll, but that would have meant that the girls couldn’t both ride in the stroller at the same time.  No perfect situation existed as far as I could tell.  Oh, well!

My mom took a turn holding our heavy monkey.

Little cute primate on the left, little cute primate on the right!

Pretty shortly after this we all pooped out and decided to head home!

Gran and the girls rode the train first though.

James was huuuunnngrry!  And there are no benches, just so you know.  I almost took my shoes off to put my feet on the cool pavement.  I was extra toasty by this point.

Some pics from the train ride!

I love these next two with the big billowy cloud in the background, and the same look on the girls’ faces!

My sweet four year old!

Their train…

Coming back to the station!

James – full and in his cozy seat looking at his Momma!

An extreme rarity for us – three sleeping kiddos!  (Again, the same expression – don’t they look like sisters so much here?)

And if you’re still with us, thank you.  I enjoyed blogging about our first trip to the zoo!