We go to the zoo again!

Everyone was all excited to re-visit the zoo. We had gone last week for the first time, and since we are "members" we can go every single day for the next year without any extra admission charge! So … we ate a big lunch, had a huge ice cream cone at the Beach House, then loaded up my backpack once again (with snacks and water) and we were off to the zoo! 

We stopped and visited a few places that we didn't have time for last week (pictured above). We also went into the frog exhibit and saw all kinds of interesting frogs from around the world, big and little, and so beautifully colored! 

 The boys were excited to "hunt" stingrays and shark once again, so we gave them a good amount of time to do that. 

Oops! This picture was supposed to go with the
frog pictures … this is Ems peaking through an aquarium at me!

 Emma didn't really want to touch any stingrays or sharks, so she and I stayed outside the roped area and ate a few of our snacks.

 We hiked the stairs up to the top of the zoo again … this is the top of the waterfall ...

 We played for quite awhile at the Treetop Outpost ...

Christopher!!! I LOVE your happy face!

 Emma kept her map nearby (always) and showed me where we were going next ...

 Chris and Emma love looking through this telescope-thing … mostly at each other!

 We had a funny thing happen at the baboon exhibit. Mr. Baboon was nicely sitting by the glass where we could see his lovely "mug" and kept watching us as we were watching him. We were talking about how funny looking he was, when Emma extended her spread-out hand in his direction!

 Oh my goodness! Mr. Baboon turned and faced Emma with the most hideous face, baring all his teeth! Emma jumped about a mile … I was so stunned that naturally, I missed snapping the picture of either the baboon OR Emma. But then we all had a good laugh about it! 

We stopped to check out the pretty turtles sunning themselves ... 

 And then we went to see the River Otters ...

We missed the penguin feeding AGAIN this week! We are going to have to remember that they feed the penguins at 3:30 and then they are finished for the day. We had a good time today at the zoo. The children behaved themselves so nicely, and we had fun chumming around together. 

We stopped by the gift shop on the way out. Each of the kiddos had brought their allowance money, and since we had looked around last week, Emma and Chris knew exactly what they wanted to buy, and they each got a little zoo token that they loved. 

But our main goal at the gift shop was a birthday present for their mama's soon-coming birthday. Emma had a whole plot concerning it! We had seen this lovely gift last week and as soon as Emma saw it she declared she was going to buy it for her mother! So she and I kind of worked on the boys (!) and they contributed towards the gift as well, so that everything was fair and square and all of them can give her this beautiful gift on her birthday! What sweeties!

This is the "mood" necklace Emma picked out for herself with her allowance money. Chris got a shark tooth bracelet, and Matthew picked out a few small items as well.