Zoo Days

After a break of over a year, mostly for financial reasons - thank you, 'economic downturn', we have finally renewed our membership to the San Diego Zoo. I've missing going to the zoo so much and I was super excited to be there when Elliott went to the zoo 'for the first time'. He wasn't even a year old the last time he went, so I knew the zoo would have a whole new meaning for him now...especially since now he knew he was looking at animals (not just 'the background') AND these were very special animals he had only previously seen in books!

We made a mid-week zoo trip at the end of March to get our memberships and miss most of the weekend crowds. It was so nice to take a day off work just to be with my boy...and mom and aunt, too :) ...By the way, I could really get into the whole SAHM thing...pretty sweet gig if you ask me!

Elliott was pretty much in awe of everything and mostly pretty reserved.

And naturally he found some things more entertaining than others...

I never realized how many padlocked doors, secret doors, pipes, valves, drains and other assorted 'goodies' were at the zoo!

The polar bear exhibit is full of all these 'contraptions' now which I don't like esthetically, but Elliott sure enjoyed them!

He even pretended to be a seal!

And flying a helicopter? Who could resist that!?!

We also made our way to the children's zoo, where goats were petted...

And we even found the Mouse House! A particular favorite since Elliott's favorite things to say at the time were mouse and house.

We also took some silly pictures that make me smile whenever I see them!

Elliott's already been back to the zoo twice (including yesterday with grandma and aunt Karen) and will probably go again in the next couple of days (with grandma and grandpa from Texas!). I'm bummed that its almost summer - more crowds - but we know how to work it, so hopefully, we will be able to go a lot this summer, too!