It Was a Zoo!

This last weekend we went to the Henry Doorly Zoo with Tyler, Melissa and Mason. 




We love catching up with the kids and finding out what is new with them.  We text a lot back and forth, but nothing beats spending time together.



We met at Cracker Barrel and had lunch before heading to the zoo.  Mason has such a good appetite, but his favorite was his Dad's macaroni and cheese and steak fries with catsup.

I was going to take my camera, but the forecast was for possible thunderstorms and I didn't want to chance damaging my camera, so I just had my phone to use for pictures. 

And of course it didn't rain a drop while we were at the zoo.

First we headed to the petting zoo where Mason got up close and person with some goats.  One goat just wanted to head butt the kids.  No other goats were hanging out with him. 

Even most goats know you are supposed to be nice.

Then we went to the cat complex - and there were lions, tigers, etc. You know in the past I would have been taking pictures like crazy of the animals.  But as a grandparent I am a little distracted.

I took pictures of Mason :)

When he was standing still.


Which wasn't often!

Then there were the bears!  I LOVE polar bears!! 


And there were grizzly bears and sun bears.....

and Mason!

Trust me... we really were at the zoo.

Sorry, I accidentally got some actual zoo residents in this photo of Mason.  He was having a blast running along this curved wall chasing the fish back and forth, just giggling!

And he loves other children. At one spot in the aquarium there is a "hologram puddle" (my technical term for it) on the floor. Kids were having fun jumping on it.  It looked like they were jumping in a real puddle as it would "splash" when their feet landed in it. The other kids were also having fun trying to step on the fish in the image. Mason was giggling with all the other kids... but simply because he was having fun watching them.

He tried to take popcorn from another child (we are supposed to share, aren't we?)... then when he got his own popcorn other kids were taking it off his stroller tray (they've heard of the sharing thing too).

He shared.   He knows to be nice. 

That  one goat could learn a thing or two from little Mason. 

His stroller tray must have looked like a buffet table on wheels to the other kids with the popcorn,  peanut butter crackers, and water.

Then there was my favorite of all  zoo animals - the penguins!  One was an especially crazy penguin.  He would swim back and forth - zipping around.  I never realized penguins could swim so fast!  He would build up speed.  Then pop up through an opening in the "ice" and land on both feet, like a gymnast.

If I was a penguin, I'd want him for a best friend :)

The gorillas are just amazing to watch.  They are so much like us.  Don't you just wonder what they are thinking? 

And when the big 400-pound gorillas grabbed their blankies, threw them over their bodies and walked around....

well, I totally connected with that. 

By the end of the zoo trip we had been reminded that life moves at a fast pace with an energetic 18-month-old child! We grabbed kisses when we could catch up with him (boy do I realize I am moving slower!!) and held him quick when he was standing still.

Sorry I don't have any pictures to post of the zoo animals

 but you know what they look like anyway.

Did I show you a picture of Mason????

Michael and I really liked the penguins.

But for us, the best part of the zoo

Was Mason :)