Do the Zoo...the Blank Park Zoo!!

I don't want you to get the wrong idea and think that we do a big outing with the kids each day. I know it may be easy to think this since we went to Reiman Gardens just yesterday and today we ventured to the Blank Park Zoo! We love taking trips as a family and doing things so our kids have many fun, interesting, and educational experiences. We knew we wanted to take the girls to the zoo again this summer, though we knew a trip to Omaha again this summer wasn't feasible (or desirable) with Mylie being so young still (I hesitate to say 'little' because she's not so much). When I put up the June schedule, we knew we needed to get a date for the zoo planned immediately (and to have a backup date in case the weather was poor, which thankfully it wasn't!). Between gymnaastics, bible school, and swimming lessons, we were down to about 5 days this month that could work for the zoo. July is busy with trips to Okoboji and basketball camps for B. So today was the day, and it ended up being the perfect day for the zoo.

We left Ames about 10:30 with plans to stop in Ankeny for lunch. This would 1) break up the trip into two feasible parts, 2) get our bellies filled up (and partially digested before walking through the zoo), 3) cater well to Mylie's feeding schedule, and 4) allow for a potty break. I chose HuHot as the lunch destination. It's been over a year since we've been to HuHot, but it was the perfect place to get filled up (maybe a little too much so....hence the need for digestion to begin before arriving at the zoo). Myah and Maysen LOVED it! They had been there before, but this was really the first time they got to pick out all of their vegetables and sauces so it was a lot of fun for all of us!


We arrived to the zoo around 1:00, lathered up with sunscreen, and hit the ground running. We were all excited. The zoo was busier than we expected, but we never really had to wait to see anything. There are several parts under construction this summer so be aware of that if you really want to see the Australian Adventure (reopening July 19) or the Sea Lions (you'll have to wait until next summer).

This summer's featured exhibit is the animatronic dinosaurs. M&M have seen the commercial for the exhibit on TV for the past month so they've been really excited to see it. However, when we got close to the building, they grabbed onto our hands and weren't so sure about it. We had the 'it's going to be loud (we could hear dino sounds 75+ feet away), and it might seem a little bit scary, but I PROMISE!!! they can't touch you or hurt you' talk. Everything went just fine, and they even begged to go back to the exhibit towards the end of our trip. We didn't go back since we were hot and sweaty and it was hard to get around with some of the construction.






Have I ever mentioned that this girl is such a trooper!?? Yes, I notice the picture is not orientated correctly, but right now I'm too tired (and lazy) to fix it. She slept the whole time we were at the zoo. Of course, it helps that we are totally in-tune to her schedule and plan our travels around her eating and sleeping schedule! (For all of you new parents, parents-to-be, or parent wannabes, be sure to read 'Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child'...it's very insightful and I attribute Mylie's contentness with the strategies offered in that book!!)


Daddy and the girls feeding the Koi fish and goats. This is totally his thing, and totally NOT mine.



M&M in the Prarie Dog observation hole. We didn't see any Prarie Dogs today, though :(


M&M petting a turtle. Crazy story....one of the other girls asked the zoo person where the turtle came from. Her response: the pet store. How anticlimactic when you're at the zoo!!


Posing in the aquarium window.


We took our annual Father's Day picture (a day late...a little too late for Mylie as you can see she's crying....she was pretty tired and ready for bed--it might also be that Maysen is holding her like a Rag Doll--this doesn't ever happen that the girls hold her so haphazardly)! We gave Brandon this shirt and hat for his first Father's Day and he's taking a picture holding the girls like this every year since. Kinda cool.


What's your favorite animal at the zoo??