A Day at the Zoo

Well folks, mark it down as a red letter day.  I went to the zoo, and I didn't sweat.  Nary a drop.  Miracles do happen.

Lets just get one thing straight....I HATE sweating.  There are only two times when sweating is ok, EVER; those times are: when you exercise and when you're getting your bow chica bow bow on.  That's it people.  No other time is sweating acceptable.  Now let it be said, let it be written.

Usually, my zoo trips have not been all that pleasurable, due to the fact that it's AZ and even in February for whatever reason, the sun blazes down upon us and as you're navigating all the hills and dales of the Phoenix Zoo, you sweat.  ANNOYING!

Today.....pleasantness abounded.  Therefore, I shall forever remember it as a day I actually enjoyed the zoo.

We went with Maggies preschool class.  Well strike that.  We went with BROOKLYNS preschool class, Maggie just got to tag along because Miss Ranelle is all awesome like that. And by Maggie tagging, Max and I tagged.  Which meant that instead of costing an arm, leg and a boob, it only cost me like two toes to get in, and we got to ride the train and play with the stingrays.  Good times.  Sidenote:  Max was SO excited that we were gonna go to the zoo today, he could barely even go to sleep.  He spent MOST of yesterday afternoon asking if we were going to the zoo yet.  So freaking cute!

A quicky group shot on the toad outside the zoo.

Is it me, or does Brooklyn look like a million feet LONG?

The 3 cousins

Brooklyn, Maggie and Jayce

Maggie has become such a little poser for pictures.

So, for the record,  TWO seconds after we started walking, jayce started whining that his feet were already tired.  I don't believe the zoo was HIS favorite activity.

It was interesting going with a group, we entered in a place I've never been before, and we sort of went backwards.  Also, we avoided almost half of the zoo, like the whole little kids area.  We rode the train, which I've never done before.  Meh, I'm not so much a fan.  Yes, by riding the train you get to sit on your bum bum and avoid all those hills.  BUT, then you miss out on great exercise, AND you don't really see any of the animals.  However, you cover a lot of zoo in no time.  And I'm quite sure this is why I never broke that nasty sweat.

This is the first whole group shot. Mostly I'm amused with EVERYONE looking, except Jayce, who was completely immersed in his map.  That kid knew everywhere we were because he recognized the little symbols on the map.  Smarty.

After our totally strenuous train ride, it was time for lunch.  Seriously, the kids were beside themselves with hunger at this point.  At 11:00 a.m. the world WOULD have ceased to rotate if they didn't get to eat.  Which is so interesting, because most days, I can't really even convince my kids to eat lunch. Whatever.

Maggies posing gone awry.

Once filled up on delectable picnic lunches, there was a potty break and then we were off to pet/feed the stingrays.

(I totes swam with the stingrays on our honeymoon, in case you were wondering)

These kids willingly and excitedly took dead fishies into their hands to feed the stingrays.  EWWWWW!

Yep. Happy to hold stanky dead things.

However, I wish I had a picture of her the rest of the time.  She set the fish on the ledge, and then would look at it.  Pick it up, put it down.  Look at it with a look of disgust or concern.  Finally, Miss Ranelle walked over there and Maggie looked up at her and said..."Miss Ranelle, THIS is disgusting."

So true little one, SO TRUE!

Needless to say, she never did feed the things.

Aaaaack!  I can NOT take his cuteness sometimes.

He was in HEAVEN laying on the ledge and watching the fish and touching the water.

The stingrays were cool to watch.

I love this boy, even if he is whiney.

After petting, watching, playing, getting wet, FOREVER we finally left and went to look at the AZ reptiles.  Max had been asking to see snakes ALL day.  Really?  Snakes?  But whyyyyyy?

For the record, I will NOT abide by my child liking snakes. 

Me no LIKEY!

This really is a cute bunch of kiddos, and well behaved.

Some random lady (a teacher from some school) came up and asked us what school we were from, and then proceeded to compliment the kids on being all kinds of awesome and well behaved.

Gooooo Color Outside the Lines preschool.

We got there at 10:00 a.m. and it was now nearly 2:00 p.m. and I was READY to leave.  We said goodbye and made our way to the "roller coaster" (what Maggie calls a carousel)  because the kids had been begging alll day.  And really, it was worth it for the happiness on their faces.

Yep, LOOK at that face.

He was sooooo excited.

I missed the pic of her acting totally silly in her excitement.

This time was so much better than the last time we rode this, in which she cried the whole time.

She did require me to take a picture without my glasses right after this.  But, I didn't like the way my eyes looked.  Just sayin.

All in all, it was a successful and fun day at the zoo.

The kids had fun, and they napped HARD!

SUCCESS!

THE END!

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