Family Zoo Day 2013

Usually Daddy misses zoo day, due to the crazy concept of actually working everyday. This weekend we decided to take a family zoo trip so Daddy could get in on the fun. For those of you wondering the perfect plan on how to 'do the zoo' I have it down to an art. Here is how it's done. Arrive at the zoo around 9 am. This is early enough to beat the crazy crowds and gives you plenty of time to see everything before nap time.  Head to the Painted Giraffe Cafe around 1045, by the time you get all your food and get settled it's lunch time. At this time of day no one is there. Give it thirty minutes and the place is a mad house, with fights over high chairs, and stroller wrecks. We head out by 11:30. As we head out we pass tons of people coming in, tired children in tow, who are going to need a nap way before they are done with the zoo. We also pass the children who have rocked over and their parents refuse to accept it, the grandparents their with multiple grandchildren, way over their heads, and people stocking cars for parking spaces. Zane falls asleep on the way home and all craziness is avoided.

Saturday's trip followed these rules to a t. Zane requested seeing Wilbur first. We went through the children's zoo for free since it was 9am. Wilbur was smaller than Zane thought he would be, but he loved saying hi and showing him to daddy. The otter area is under construction, which is my favorite part of the children's zoo, so really Wilbur was the only highlight there.

Next up the snake house. Zane has a love hate relationship with the snake house. He always wants to go there, but always ends up scared of the snakes. Zach's theory is that Zane wants to make sure they are all still there, safely in their cages, not out trying to get him. The snake house grouses me out. Snakes are evil and disturbing. The only cute thing in that house are the green poisonous frogs, which Zane refuses to look at. This trip the Anaconda turned around and looked Zane in the eye, leading to screams, and leaving the snake house.

On to the monkey house where we stop purely for the bathrooms in the basement. Up to Red Rocks where somehow the giraffes were MIA. Where do you hide giraffes? Then Daddy got to ride the carousel with Zane while Ro ate his lunch. Apparently on the carousel Zane was that smarty pants kid who crushed the little girls dream who thought she was riding on a penguin.  Zane told her "it not a penguin it a puffin!"

On to see the penguins and puffins!!! I love the penguins, Zane loves pretending to be a penguin, and now apparently Rowan loves them as well. It was probably the fact that it was dark in there so he could actually open his eyes, but he grinned and giggled the whole time.

Then we ate our early lunch and headed home. The parking lot and Forest Park were both unbelievably crazy as we left, we had missed the insanity yet again. Zane was so excited to get to show Daddy all his favorite things. Zane talked like he was the expert of the zoo, telling daddy all about everything. Zane got to ride on daddy's shoulder's and I had an extra hand to help with doors, potty breaks, and lunch time. Zane did want to go see Wilbur again as we left, but we will have to go see him another day. It was a great day, can't wait to do it again soon!!