We Took Our Animals to the Zoo

 Last Friday the folks from Diaries of the Happy Sanitarium met up with us at the zoo.  The kids rolled down hills, rode on the carousel, ate cotton candy, chased each other in circles, played in all the little caves and animal burrows, climbed on all the animal statues, and occasionally stopped to look at the other animals.

 Hey Natalie, that's the very same fox cave that you and I got our picture taken in 10 1/2 years, 2 husbands and 5 kids ago : )

 This would have been a very different experience had there been no fence between us.  See him napping there?  In the wild, I would have been in his belly.  At the zoo he can only dream about such things.

 A Golden Eagle.  I actually have seen one of those in the wild--and he didn't try to eat me.

 There were two things that were different about this trip to the zoo.  First off, it was busier than I've ever seen it.  The school bus parking lot was beyond full.  In fact, the entire second grade from Ezra's school turned out to be there. 

 The other different thing was the amount of time spent there.  Usually we get there around 10:00 AM, wander around, stop to play at the indoor playground, wander a bit more and then head home by 1:00 or 2:00 because everyone is tired out or nap time is causing issues.  THIS time, there was no stopping at the indoor playground and there was no going home at 1:00 or 2:00.  Nope, we walked (or ran, in the kids' case) around and around that zoo for 6 hours.  My legs were pretty tired out and achy by the end of the day.  I couldn't be a wimp when my pregnant friend wasn't complaining, though :) 

Taking my animals to the zoo and meeting up with friends is a pretty nice Friday, in my way of thinking.  We only have 8 weeks left in this school year, which means only 8 more Fridays off.  Next year Ezra starts first grade and our Friday outings will have come to and end : (