Zoo Day

So this is yet another long-time-in-coming post. I'd actually forgetten I hadn't posted our trip to the zoo, but honestly it was in July.

Anyway. Let's pretend that didn't just happen.

We decided that it would be a good idea to walk to the zoo with our hotel friends (same friend from high school-Melissa, plus another-Charlie and kiddos). In the middle of the morning. In Hawai'i. A mile away.

Not as great an idea as I first thought. A LOT of whining, very sweaty, red-faced and tired children by the time all was said and done. But I didn't take pictures of that- I only took fun pictures. So we'll focus on that.

The zoo was a lot of fun for the kids and even though it wasn't super impressive and we made the mistake of going left instead of right at the fork (I'm not really a bird person. I mean, they're KIND of interesting, but I don't go to the zoo to see birds.) There were a couple that were really cool, though.

The flamingos were right at the entrance and the kids loved em. I'm particularly fond of flamingos myself and was pleased with their pinkness. Roman also approved.

As I said-- birds. Oh and you may notice that Roman was the only male in our trip. He did well to represent though, men.

See, kids, wasn't that long walk SO WORTH IT?

But Mom, where's the bird?

I found it, guys!

This is pretty cool, I guess....

Oooooooo! Guinea pigs!!

This was actually a really cool petting zoo. The guinea pig display had a kid-size guinea pig maze/tunnel where the kids could crawl through and poke their heads up inside to look at everyone and the guinea pigs (which were of course relaxing in the shade of their hatch instead of energetically running around their maze and wheel and whatever else.)

Roman and N. checked out the llamas for quite some time. Rather than chase our own kids around, we eventually figured out it'd be easier to divide and conquer based on the speed and interest of the kids. I think I got the easy ones.

There were goats all over in this section and the kids loved getting all close and personal and touching them. Xandri especially loved washing her hands afterwards in the trough they had set up for it and held up the line pretty well until I "helped" her move it along.

One of my favorite things was how close the tiger display was to the playground (which was also amazing... totally kicking myself for not getting a pic!) Seriously though, I basically got a year membership to the zoo (like $30 or something) for the playground alone. The kids all loved checking it out, but of course Roman was particularly interested and watched them closely when he wasn't chasing the girls around the playground.

By this point, I was fed up. The kids kept running away (Roman in particular) and trying to push two umbrella strollers sucked. Charlie devised a strategy to tie them together, thereby creating a double stroller. Kind of. The wheels ran into each other a lot. So while it seemed like a good idea at the time, it soon became apparent that I would never be walking the kids to the zoo again.

But anyway, in addition to these, we saw elephants, alligators, crocodiles, turtles, koi, ducks and geese, giraffes, hippos, tortoises and some other things I can't remember. Anway, the kids enjoyed it and it was fun. But yeah. No more long walks with the monkeys.

Although lately (October, no longer July) Avril and Xandri have been going on "runs" with me. Lacing up their running shoes and going to run and do our "workouts". Even though my workout lasts twice as long, it's cute and fun and I'm glad my commitment to exercise and health is rubbing off!