The day after our trip to the pumpkin farm, we took a relatively impromptu trip to the zoo! A trip I'd been wanting to make since we got married, and having Mara at a stage where she understands and recognizes the animals and sounds... there was no way we were procrastinating any longer! We were lucky that Cherry was able to accompany us. The great thing about being there when the zoo opened was no crowd, and front row viewing!
Watching Mara see these animals for the first time, and to see the joy on her face, it made my year.
The first animal she saw was a zebra - and we think that since it was the first one she saw (and the last), that it was her favorite. She'd say "Zeebas!" Look at this:
I had to say her names like 20 times before she'd turn around. Those zeebas were way too interesting to give her attention to the camera lady.
This was my usual shot - Mara watching the animals. Not that I blame her.
It melts my heart to see my little family, and all the love surrounding it.
We thought the gorillas would be a big hit, but they weren't doing anything interesting.
The lemurs were jumping around, though, and Mara decided she wanted to walk and run around. She probably walked a third of the time we were there (3 hours total!)
There was a lot of carrying, though. We didn't mind.
This eagle was very interested in my family. Probably didn't hurt that Zack was making noises at it, and it hopped and flew closer and closer until it was this close. Mara looks slightly worried.
Cherry was amazing, as usual, with Mara. Mara has talked about Cherry and Grahampa all week since we've been reminding her of tomorrow night's trek to Lewisville.
I didn't post any pictures of us in the aviary or the nocturnal houses, but she liked seeing the birds running around on the floor, and the ocelots were very feisty! We also checked out the rainbows of colors of the poisonous frogs. I did snap this shot of them and a flamingo.
We made a special trip to see this bear. We had to walk from the "Africa" side of the zoo to the "North America" side, but I think he was worth it.
Mara was very tired at this point and she'd eaten about a Zack-handful of goldfish crackers.
We were so happy we got to see the giraffes. "JAF!" as Mara says.
One of our last stops was to see the elephants, and look how close one of them was!
Daddy pointed out another one over a pile of boulders and Mara all but climbed on his shoulders to see.
Mara even got to ride one!
At the end of the day, she had collected some acorns and handed them to me while she got in her stroller. Thinking nothing of it, I tossed one away, and she reached out for me to hand them back. I handed her some of them, but she realized it wasn't all and asked for the other one. When I said I didn't have it anymore, she said "pockets!" The girl asked me to turn out my pockets! Or assumed I'd stowed them in there. How do they learn to think like this?
She slept the whole ride back home (1.5 hours) but we've been talking about the zoo ever since. What am amazing time, and such a beautiful first-time experience to witness.
One more thing - Mara told me "thank you" for handing her a paper towel to clean up milk spilled on her arm... unprompted! I smothered her in hugs and kisses, to which she promptly told me "trash!" and handed me the paper towel.
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