Lions, Tigers, and Toddlers---Oh My!

Today the four of us got up bright and early, excited to set out and visit Zoo Atlanta.

Jack and Rowan have always loved animals.  They enjoy making various animal sounds on a daily basis, so we couldn't wait to see their reaction at the zoo. 

If you are planning on visiting, I would highly recommend going to your local library and checking out the Zoo Pass DVD.  I went to the Cornelia Library, where you actually watch the DVD there on the library's computer.  The whole process took about 25 minutes, and afterwards we were set with four free tickets to the zoo.  

Before going, we knew that we needed a solid game plan for getting around the park.  We decided on buying the boys backpack "leashes", because we knew there was no way that they would stay put in a stroller for the whole time.  I'm so glad we did, because Jack and Rowan loved their backpacks! They are getting into the "I can do it all by myself" stage, so the backpacks gave them just enough room to feel like they were independent. . .without really being independent.  I heard one dad tell his preteen daughter that he was going to buy her a backpack like that, and then maybe she'd quit running off and losing the family.  So, you see, our good idea even assisted in helping to discipline another child.  Win, win!  :)

The day worked out perfectly, with the boys alternating between wanting to walk and wanting to be carried.  Mostly though, they just wanted to walk, which was fine by us!  The boys have a funny habit of screaming with complete glee when they think they are walking by themselves in a public place.  You know, the old, "Look at me, I'm doing something that my mommy usually doesn't let me do," scream.  At one point during the day, I kept hearing this strange sound and wondered what in the world it could be.  Then I looked down and realized, Oh, that would be my child....sending out the battle cry because he thinks that he has gotten away from his daddy....who is holding the other end of his leash and walking calmly behind him.   

Here are a few highlights from our day:

We bought new hats.

We rode the carousel. 

We took a snack break on a bench.

We watched the birdies.  

We hopped a ride on a Komodo dragon.

Sometimes we paused long enough to get a picture.

But most of the time, we didn't.

At the end of the day, we had a complete and utter blast!  Happy and exhausted, it was a fun experience for us all.  As we were leaving, Jody said, "Yeah, we'll do this again.  In three years.  No sooner."   

OK, so maybe Mommy and Daddy were just a teensy bit more tired than the boys!