Zoo Day

Monday, October 3rd was Free Admission Day at the Baltimore Zoo.  After some deliberation because of the weather (it was supposed to be cold and rainy), we decided to go and call that a Joy School field trip.

(WARNING: picture overload beginning)

We got lucky--it ended up not raining, and while it was chilly, it wasn't too cold to have some fun.  

Besides, kids are so cute in winter clothes!

Catherine sporting her too-big hat and too-big gloves:

Seth, also sporting a too-big hat and too-big gloves: 

Honestly, I expected the zoo to be run-down, dirty, and disappointing (this is Baltimore, after all).  I was pleasantly surprised!  They had a TON of stuff for kids to do--more than we could do in the four hours we were there.

Seth would only touch this statue after I touched it first.

And even then, only with great trepidation.

Seth in a nest

If you look closely, right in the center of the window are two otters.

Seth was so perplexed as to why they were rolling in the mud.

Seth was not a fan of the fake cave.

"It smells bad in there."

I wonder how often they have to replace the fence around the donkeys' pen...

Seth would ONLY go down the giant tree slide on someone's lap.

Since I was too mean to do it, he conned Melissa into it.

Catherine was pleased as punch to be left out of all the fun.

Seth watching the animals.

This is a cheetah.

That thing we saw before was a spotted jaguar.

It's not that hard to tell the difference, people of Baltimore.

Gabe & Seth having a disagreement over whether this is a cheetah or jaguar.

Seth was correct, but Gabe was more insistent.

Angelina was just happy to have Seth there, cheetah or not.

For some reason this picture makes me feel like the giraffe is wandering around my high school campus.

Haven't quite figured out why--the building design?  

It's very uncanny to picture a giraffe wandering around your high school.

Three monkeys climbing to get a better look at some monkeys.

Angelina, Gabe & Seth

All the gorillas were out cold. 

By the end of the day Catherine wouldn't stay in her stroller, and Seth wouldn't get out.

So I held Catherine while Melissa pushed Seth, with Gabe's assistance.

I'm not sure who had it worse--me, holding the whiny baby, or Melissa trying to push that beast with two three-year-old boys climbing all over it (and her).

I wasn't sure how Seth felt about our trip until a few days later when he lined up all his animals (which he's never played with before) and made a zoo.  Guess he really did have a good time!   Now if only the Aquarium would have a free admission day...