Yay Zoo!!

In a lot of ways, I think I'm still 5-years-old.

I still cut the crust off my sandwiches (they're gross!).

I love Gushers, Pop Tarts, and most things fake but delicious that I know I shouldn't eat but I do anyway.

And I tend to get inordinately excited over the silliest things.

Case in point: Not a month after we moved down here to Phoenix we got a zoo membership and have already been there a couple of times. I can't tell you how thrilled I was when I got that little pass in the mail! I can go to the zoo as much as I want? Heaven!

I have always loved going to the zoo and aquariums. I had the typical childhood fantasy of becoming a biologist of some sort (Marine biologist was the front runner until I realized that involved a lot of time underwater - no thank you!) and spending my days up to my armpits in smelly, wonderful animals. Once I decided to be a mom instead of a scientist (Was it really ever on the table? Yeah, not really, but it's a nice thought.), I knew that my love for animals was one big way I could connect with my toddler.

Yep. I'm still kind of a toddler, too, I guess.

The zoo is so much fun with Mav! He's so curious. I don't know how much he sees or understands yet, but he gets very interested in certain animals (the giant Komodo Dragon, for instance) and just stares in stunned silence - a feat not often accomplished with our little chatterbox!



Here's my boys, having fun together:





This is why Phoenix Zoo is so cool: you get so close to the animals! In the picture above you can kinda see a spider monkey just to the left of Mav's turned head. In that exhibit you're actually walking in and around the monkeys! How cool is that? They just tell you to not touch the monkeys or pretty much anything in the enclosure because they pee on everything. Below you can see how cool the cheetahs' exhibit is and the new orangutan exhibit. They've got 4 in there, including this funny little guy:





Lastly, for Grandpa Holmgren, an adorable koala that we were lucky we got to see since he and his friend were on their last day at the zoo:



Aren't they cute, lazy little fellas?