The Zoo

In an effort to 'get out', we headed to the zoo on Saturday. We were pleased to learn it was Family Free day at the zoo, which meant we only paid for parking. Sweet! We had hoped for just a little sun, knowing that asking for a warm, sunny day in early April in WI, was probably a bit of a pipe dream. It turned out to be a gloomy day, but we were prepared with extra layers, hats, mittens and blankets. We were thankful for the indoor exhibits to break up the cold, but really it was a perfect day.

Animal sightings/activity at the zoo can be pretty hit or miss depending on the time of day you're there, weather, etc. We got lucky because in most of the indoor exhibits the animals were sitting in plain view right in front of the window. Even the ones that were sleeping seemed to rouse at some point to give us a little show. Mallory was thrilled and I was excited for her ... it's so much easier than trying to say ... "Do you see the lion? Waaaaay over there, behind that rock, you can barely see his foot sticking out. There he is!" Anyway ... here's one of many:

...checking out the orangutans...

We asked my cousin, Megan and her husband, Kevin to join us. (The lion was definitely performing for the camera...)

Abby smiling at Kevin
(we think she may have finally gotten over her fear of men!)

...some lazy grizzlies...
(they might be lazy, but we could see all four of them!)

...another lazy grizzly...
oh. wait.

The sea lions were cracking us up. They swam around a while until the little one 'hopped' right up onto the rock. The big one followed. Then the little one smacked the big one! We proceeded to start a running dialog as the little one jumped back into the water and the big one watched in sadness, as though to say, "Ohh, where are you going? I just wanted to play..."
Mallory loved the kangaroos. I think there were six or eight total, just hopping around. This one started to hop, so I picked Mallory up and started to 'chase' it. As soon as we moved the kangaroo stopped. It would hop a little more, we would chase, it would stop. Mallory couldn't get enough. I had her belly laughing in minutes.
Mallory loves my cousin Megan (maybe because I love Megan so much, but more likely because Megan loves her) and had a blast following her around all day. I was happy to have Kevin and Megan with us so Mallory could spend some one-on-one time with them, but selfishly, I was also excited because Megan takes pictures of me with my kids! That rarely happens!
The giraffes were so much more impressive in this exhibit than they are outside, mainly, I think because it's a more confined space. Either way ... they're so neat!
One of the trainers led the giraffes into a different room and Mallory was very concerned about where they were going...
I CANNOT believe Mallory posed for this picture. Not once, not twice, but three times! She just makes me smile!
Here is 'Daddy', doing what daddies do. Mal was especially intrigued by the kangaroos and the giraffes during this visit, so Daddy got her some 'Mold-A-Rama' plastic toys. There is no smell that compares to this molded plastic and no experience that can match watching the machine make yours while you wait! Do all zoos have these?? I have no idea... Anyway, this is a childhood memory for me for sure. Casey said he would have bought her every single one if she'd asked. :)Of course, they are now her new favorite toys and she literally would not leave the stroller without them the rest of the visit.
On busy, crazy days like this, I often have to remind myself to be thankful ... such good travelers and little sightseers we have, so good at going with the flow (more often than not, anyway, let's be real, just today Mallory had a meltdown when I wouldn't let her bounce an apple ... it's not always rainbows and sunshine ... I'm just saying, they're generally good girls). I love this age that Abby is right now. The "snuggle-in-the-stroller-with-a-bottle-and-her-blankie-and-take-a-nap-amongst-the-madness" stage. I just want to kiss her face.

The cows are a must-see in this Wisconsin zoo.

Abby is doing it AGAIN. Smiling at a guy!

What's that? Mallory shared her giraffe?
GASP!

On our way out of the zoo, she saw it.
The carousel.
A two-year-old's dream, right?

Well...there were some technical difficulties with the ticket machine and we decided to grab a hot dog and come back. With promises to ride the carousel before we left, she was fighting emotions. Here she was saying, "I upset wit the carousel!"
As we ordered some lunch, I looked over and could tell Megan was a good distraction. Mallory was in full swing telling a story, hand gestures and all.
I really hope you all saw this coming ... do you remember our last visit to the zoo? Mallory was very excited to ride a real pony, and as soon as she climbed on ... fear set in.

Apparently, fake horses are no exception.

The carousel was not her favorite part of the zoo. She will actually tell you that she was scared, she cried and Momma helped her, but she was still scared. She's actually smiling in the picture below ... she did warm up ever-so-slightly near the end of the ride, but she was not interested in riding again, haha. Frankly, Casey and I are a little worried how she's going to feel about rides on our trip to Disney World next month. Oh boy.
This is the brief moment Abigail was awake on our way home.
And this is minutes FROM home ... I kept shaking Mal's leg trying to keep her awake. She went inside, went potty and walked immediately to her room. When she walked in, she said, "Ohh ... my bed." Nearly four hours later, she was ready to talk about it all over again. (I'm telling you, the giraffe and the kangaroo have not left her side.)
We were pleased that the weather held out in that we didn't get rained on. And the best part ... the crowds really didn't start flooding in until we were on our way out. I think I love the zoo as much as Mallory.