Zoo Day

Last Saturday promised to be unseasonably warm and so we decided it would be great fun to get out of the house and take a day trip to the zoo.  Hard to believe Joshy is in short sleeves in January.  We got there around 10am and although the parking lot was hardly full, only one ticket window was open and outside it a 20+ person line.  Jess and Ross were meeting us there and so I went ahead and bought everyone's ticket simply because I get annoyed when I have to wait.  The idea of standing in line for 15 minutes and then waiting for them to arrive and then waiting another 15 minutes made me feel grumpy at best.  Our first stop was the Children's Zoo.  Being January, most of the attractions inside were not running as they involve water.  John was not in the mood for the Lorakeets as they generally bite his ears and I couldn't convince Joshy to go with me to feed the goats.  All Ben cared about was finding turtles.  We actually spent the longest time watching the coi swim.  They were giant and beautiful and reminded me of Nijo Castle, a hibachi restaurant we were taken to as kids.  You crossed over a coi pond on the way into the restaurant and I remember standing there and watching them swim back and forth beneath the little bridge.  By the time we made it out of the Children's Zoo and through the herpatarium, I was thirsty.  Thirsty, hungry and in a bad mood.  The bad mood born of the thirst and hunger.  Some people don't do tired.  I don't do hungry.  Pizza and diet coke to the rescue.  In the aquarium, we watched the Sea Lions and each said why we wish we could be one.  Joshy wanted to turn circles while he swam.  I wanted to breathe underwater.  Yeah, I know.  Sea Lions don't breathe underwater.  Donned on me about 10 minutes after I said it.  We rode the carousel and Joshy wanted me to ride on the animal next to him.  Now, I have gained quite a bit of weight since the fall, courtesy of stress and chocolate cake, and as I stared down that monkey, my fear was two fold.  First, breaking a zoo merry-go-round seemed less than appealing.  Probably not good for the ego and who knows how much mobile monkeys cost nowadays.  Second, I am well aware that what goes up must come down and as the ride slowly comes to a stop, all you can think is Oh Lord, Please let me get off of here gracefully.  Gravity is not the chubby man's friend.  Luckily, all was well and Joshy did not have to wrestle me free from the child's amusement ride.  He just sat on his tiger and we pretended to race.  I love the conversations that we have.  After the last stop at the bats and carrying Ben what seemed like a mile, we called it a day and headed home by way of Chilenos, where Joshy learned he liked enchiladas and Ben ate his weight in chips.  It was nice to be out of the house.  Nice to spend time with the boys.  Ben and me cheering on the sand turtle trying to climb the rocks.  Joshy instructing me on how flamingos sleep on one leg and which types of frogs are poisonous.  Ben on John's shoulders, leading him by pulling on his ears.  Random men touching Hadley's face.  It was a good day.

(More pictures from the day are availabile on Jess's Blog.  My camera died about 10 minutes in.)