A Trip to the Zoo

Today me and my little ones went to the Fort Worth Zoo. I had forgotten how much fun stuff like this can be. The last time we went to the zoo was a year ago. We've got to go more often!

It was Homeschool Day, and although much of the educational stuff available was for older children, the zoo was set up for families and learning. We went to a live animal show and saw a snake, baby alligator, a HUGE frog, and a couple of penguins.

My son has developed a fear of live moving things (other than humans) so it took him a second to realize that the snake was not gonna bite him. It was a little embarrasing there for a moment cuz I was THE mom with the screaming preschooler and people were looking at me. I hesitated for a second, thinking that maybe we should move, but I decided against that and instead told him that the snake wasn't going to "get him", encouraged him to look at that snake, and held him close until he relaxed a bit.

We made sure to see the basics, lions, tigers, and bears..."OH MY". The favorite was watching the elephants splash around in their "pool" to cool down from the Texas sun. They kept running in and out of the water, rolling around and spraying one another. I'd never seen animals so active. Hated that my digital camera was too low on battery to get some shots.

I did get some great shots of the turtles though. It was so great to see my kiddos SO interested in hanging around an observing them. I had to move them along after a while!

Looking for more turtles...

OH...there they are!

The fish were a hit with the boys. Anytime they see fish, they are looking for Nemo and Dori. We found 'em :) They were hit for Mom too...we were out of the sun and in the shade while fish-watching.

Brushing the goats at the petting zoo turned out to be the area that the boys had the most trouble leaving. All I could think about while watching and shooting some pics, was how much the petting zoo reminded me of changing dirty diapers! We washed our hands REAL good!

I'm so glad to have the opportunity to be with my children on days like today. It is truly a privilege to be present to observe there "wow" moments. Everything is new to them and I get sheer joy at watching their responses as they take in novel sights and experiences.