What a Zoo

First of all, let me just say that I am glad that my computer and internet are in perfect working condition once again. For the last week, things have been off and on and I have missed checking every one's blogs. And secondly I have come to realize that going to the Zoo on a Saturday towards the end of summer is not always the best idea.

My niece and nephew who are adorable (check out my sister-in-law Debbie's page) have been staying with my mom and dad for the last week and we decided to meet up with Rich and Deb at the Zoo in Portland on Saturday to get the kids back to them. So into my parents mini-van we went (mom, me, Morgan, Kendle and Zack and Maelin), and everything went ok until about the last hour of the drive when the kiddies started to be a little unhappy sitting by each other and did their part to fight and whine because they were a little too close to each other. Well, ok to be truthful it was mostly Kendle doing the whining.

But hey, at least one of my kids enjoyed the ride-

By the time we got to the Zoo there wasn't one parking space to be found so were forced to drive a mile or two down the rode to the shuttle parking and ride a big old school bus back up to the entrance, which the kids loved #1 because they have never ridden a school bus before and #2 because they weren't the ones packing a baby, stroller, camera, and diaper bag onto the said school bus. Did I mention it was also starting to get really hot? It seemed like there were a million people who all decided to come on the same day.

Ok, so we're finally inside the Zoo, guess who's ready for a bottle? Little man Morgan has woken up and so 2 feet into the Zoo me and my mother sit on a bench and wait to feed Morgan while my awesome brother and his wife go on ahead pulling the kids in a wagon they rented. Ah yes, I'm starting to remember why most people don't take their 2 month old's to places like this. After he got a good chug we were back on our way and found the other guy's not to far ahead. It turned out to be a great day despite the constant stops for food, changing diapers, tantrums, drinks, and the hot weather. Here are some of the inhabitants we saw:

Kendle's favorite exhibit was the penguins, and I think she could have stayed there all day. They were quite the performers for us but the kids were surprised to find that they didn't surf, sing or dance. Kendle also enjoyed the petting zoo and the African safari station.

Through it all Morgan was such a good sport, and so was my mom for giving me a break and pushing the stroller the majority of the time.

And let's not forget Rich and Deb for pushing and pulling the wagon full of kids the whole time. I think they got quite the workout, especially towards the end where we had to head all the way back uphill to the entrance! I don't know if we would have made it as pioneers.

Before leaving we stopped in at the Gift Shop and got a few souvenirs and took this outside next to the big bears-

Needless to say, after all of that walking and fun in the sun, we needed some food before there were some major meltdowns. So we made our way over to a family favorite of ours. They make the best burgers!

What a fun filled day, we didn't get back to my parents until very late and we were completely exhausted. I can't believe what good shape my mother is in, she is amazing to go all day like that. At Fuddruckers she used her "senior" discount for the first time, and they thought she was lying that she was 55! She is so fun to go on these little excursions with, and I hope I can be half as good of a grandmother when my time comes.

For those of you thinking about taking your family on a trip to the zoo in the future here are some helpful hints:

-don't go on the weekend

-bring your own food, drinks, or snacks

-forget packing your own stroller since you can rent them or rent a wagon (if you can pull one)

-bring sunscreen

-and don't forget your camera to record all of the great memories you'll make