We went to the zoo today. We haven't been in a long time, primarily because we live a lot farther away from it that we used to. Today, though, was Rebekah's first time to go and appreciate the animals. She is aware of them and knows about them. Before, she was just a little baby and just kind of looked at them and well...saw them but it wasn't a big deal.
We started out at the flamingos and went down the monkey trail to the hippos, saw the pandas and headed to the exit via the orangutans. All the animals were out and about, doing their own thing, eating and playing. The pandas were out and not hiding, we stood there watching for a long time, no one kicked us out because it wasn't crowded. Rebekah loved watching the hippos, flamingos, crocodiles, turtles and the monkeys. She woke up from her nap and said "monkey?" so cute.
While we were watching the orangutans a volunteer came and talked to us about the different animals we were watching. It was so interesting to listen to her talk about the behind the scenes stuff. Like the walkway in front of the orangutans is above some 'bedrooms' that house the orangutans. They are complete with a toy area and 'homey' stuff for them to live with. I had no idea. I thought they lived outside all the time and now I find out that they have cabins to live and sleep in! Anyway, the volunteer spent a lot of time with us, commending us for schooling at home and using the zoo in part of their education.
Hannah was really excited to have her own map. She used landmarks along the way to find where we are on the map. Totally self-guided. It was kind of awesome to see her do that on her own. She led us through the zoo :)
It was fun, we can't wait to go next time!
Watching the monkeys
Rebekah enthralled with the flamingos
On the hippo
Volunteer talking about orangutans feet and thumbs
Getting to know "Jane"
