First zoo trip of 2009!

Signs of spring!!




Yesterday, St. Patrick's Day, Carter was off of school. So that along side the WONDERFUL weather, I decided to take the kids to the zoo. It was our first trip this year, and it was a great day for it! The animals were all very active and I got a bunch of great pictures!



I think one of my favorite animals to watch are the walruses. They always seem to be so active! The youngest one loves coming up to the glass with the kids! I think he likes the attention as much as they do!



I think this next one is funny because of the reflection of a girl's arm that looks like it's coming right out of the walruses mouth! lol


The next photo-opp presented itself in the forest.

Let's try again...



I decided to put on Lylah's monkey back-pack (aka: leash) because I wasn't sure how she'd do without being in a stroller at all, and if she'd try running too far ahead. However, we didn't even need it. She stayed with me the whole time, not trying to run off even once. =) I was a happy mommy!


In the petting-farm the kids really liked being able to touch the animals.


Nathan especially like touching the (CRINGE) cockroaches. BLA! It was even worse for me after the lady mentioned the mites that live on them-- and I saw one! Ugh! She wasn't worried at all about them getting on her hand! I was gagging!


This was the meanest rooster ever! You couldn't get too close to the wire or he'd peck at it! Of course the kids all thought it was funny while I was panicking making sure they still had all their fingers! lol


I always love taking pictures of the giraffes! If you look close, you can see a gazelle behind the giraffe's legs in the back.


Look closer... see him! He was standing up rubbing his horns and head in and out of the long hair on the giraffe's tail!


Go-go gadget arms!


When we sat down for a bit of a break, the boys decided to start arguing over who was going to hold and look at the map. So, they each got a time-out at the table. I was mean and took a picture of them pouting! =)


Lylah wasn't in trouble, but because I was taking a picture of the boys pouting, she wanted to pout so I'd take her picture too! As soon as I clicked the picture, she looked up, smiled, and said "I wanna see the picture!" She's such a ham!


I finally decided to let them play at the park there. Usually we pass it up, but today I thought I'd let them enjoy it.




Here, Carter is mad that he lost at tic-tac-toe. I try to give him helpful hints, but- he's still learning. We're also still working on sportsmanship (hence the picture of his loosing face so I could show it to him later!).


Nathan is so silly sometimes! He decides to make the goofiest faces right as I'm clicking the camera! He was smiling right before this!




Just as I finally got both Nathan and Lylah to look at the camera AND smile, Carter decided to make a funny face! Thanks Carter! ;)


The sharks were especially friendly too! They usually make a few passes near you, and you're lucky if they're shallow enough for you to touch them. But, today they were eating up all the attention!


They would swim right up to you, and some would even turn kind of on their side, like they were begging to get pet! lol


Hey... I have an idea... how about we stop right in the middle of the floor and look down so we can see the penguins swimming from one side to the other!
Better yet- why would the designers of this exhibit put the see-through floor right in the middle of the walkway!? lol




I absolutely LOVE this picture! They're both looking at the map like they are really trying to figure something out! Look at the confused look on Nathan's face! Typical guys!



After we renew our membership next month, I know this year we'll have plenty more trips to the zoo, and plenty more pictures! The kids are looking forward to summer when they open the water play area back up and for the new 'Dragon' exhibit to open in a couple of months! I love that the weather is changing and we can say bye-bye to cabin fever!

It's March already!

Spring is just around the corner! And with daylight savings time coming up, along with the warmer days we're getting a taste of, we'll finally get to do the easiest and least expensive activity... Play outside! I can't wait! I mean... the kids can't wait!

But, before that time arrives, it's been cold! The last week of Feb. into the first week of Mar. Zach's mom, Shirley, came to visit from Arizona. I know she has missed the winter weather just a little bit, so mother nature was sure to give her a good taste of it! Despite the cold weather, it was warm inside and the kids loved playing with their Grandma! Top of the list was Tickle Time!




While she was here visiting, we planned a trip to the Children's Museum with her. The kids had a blast with her! So... of course... here are some pics!



Princess Lylah (She knows it too!)


The boys really really liked playing with the itty bitty tiny legos! So much in fact that I considered getting them some... If only I believed they would keep them picked up off the floor and out of the vacuum cleaner!


There were costumes the kids could put on to dress up as royality. Nathan was a knight and Aunt Britt helped him put on this costume to joust.




It was all he could do to keep the thing up! It was heavy! But- he had fun playing with it!



There is this oversized thrown for the kids to sit in. We tried getting a picture of all of them. But- have you tried getting 5 kids to all look at a camera the same time... not to mention to smile. Crap- we couldn't even get all 5 of them to sit down!

And don't even get me started about me not being able to get my camera to focus because of the light from the background! (I swear one day I will get to reading the directions to figure out what all those other functions on my camera besides 'Auto' mean!)


Nathan enjoyed playing with this squishy stuff you're supposed to mold over the dino head. FYI- when it's rolled into a ball and thrown hard to the ground, it gets a pretty good bounce!!


Little T liked playing with it too! (I think he's actually watching Nathan bounce the stuff!)


It was really important to Carter and Nathan to get a picture of Spiderman.


Yes... there is a sign that says to keep off the back of the car. I just didn't notice it with Carter standing in the way! lol


Aunt Britt was helping Nathan play this game.


And then Lylah wanted to share her food!


I'm pretty sure Nathan's taking this apart. He's always been a destroyer of things! lol


Carter taking a timeout to smile for the camera!


From Princess to Super Hero in a matter of hours - That's my girl!!


Trying to get a cool mirror picture. Nathan is in the phase where he purposely closes his eyes for pictures sometimes. He thinks it's funny!


At home we tried to get a couple pictures with the kids and Grandma, but we only got a Take 1 and Take 2 before my batteries needed recharging.



Also- coming with the slightly warmer weather... is the need to breed. ... FISH that is. I was watching the fish last month and noticed one doing some... um... rubbing on another fish. It was actually quite interesting -until I realized what I thought they were doing and started questioning if I was a pervert for watching my fish get it on. ? lol Well- I was right- they definitely were doing their thang! The she I referred to as he had 22 babies. Two babies died, leaving me 20 to catch. It took an hour to get all those suckers out of the tank and into their own growth tank for safe keeping until they're not small enough to be eaten. They were smaller than a dry grain of rice. I figured it out to be 3 minutes per fish to be caught. But... I didn't loose my patience once! Yay! Anyway- here are their first pictures. (I'm a dork, I know!)





They've grown a bit, and they're starting to get slightly oranage colored bellies (like their mommy- RIP). But, mostly they're still gray. I'm interested to see which fish they're going to resemble- the mom- a calico large bellied fan tail goldfish - or their horny dad- a yellow molly. hehe


In addition to so much going on between the baby fish (which, FYI- are called 'fry', and Carter decided to remember this by associating it with frying fish!) - Anyway- we also babysat my brother's children last Friday night and Saturday afternoon. It was fun having a house full, but was definitely ready to relax after they were picked up! It brought back great memories having a newborn in the house, but I forgot how unpredictable they were at 4am. lol! The kids loved playing with Mya and having a sleep over with her. Lylah and the dogs, Cali and Reno, were very protective of Matthew and hardly left his side!











Carter was excited to help feed Matthew.


Here's Mya- she's getting to be such a big girl (with her own little attitude complete with hands on hip and head wave!)

(PS- check out Nathan behind her picking his nose! That's my boy! Maybe one day he'll find gold...)

One night the end of Feb. when I went out to celebrate Christy's birthday, Zach and the kids camped out downstairs. Here's what I came home to:


How sweet!


The happy couple: