At the Zoo

It's been a long week at work, so Mommy came up with a great idea this morning as we were rising.  It was such a lovely day outside, so why not a spontaneous trip to the zoo?  Everyone got ready and out the door, excited to go on another family outing!

We arrived at the Atlanta Zoo with no problem whatsoever, and Madison was already running around, excited.  Early on, there was no way you could keep her in the stroller.  She saw the elephants and knew exactly what they were - she was making elephant noises and cracking up when she saw them start splashing about in the water!

We saw a rhinoceros taking a mud bath, splashing all around, and baby gorillas playing with each other, wrestling and pounding on their chests.  The bird house was fun as well, where Madison pointed out all the colorful birds, and laughed at the love birds kissing each other.  

It bothers Daddy a little, but one of the words that Madison really knows how to say is this:  SNAKE.  Yes, we saw the reptile house.  Just how many exhibits of snakes do you really need?  Especially that huge anaconda.  I mean seriously!

Fortunately, she gravitated towards the turtles as Daddy gravitated towards the exit of that building.  Our next stop was the panda exhibit!

Madison got to see a panda up close through the glass there, which would be the first time she's seen one.  The whole area had a Chinese feel, with decor and structures taking you back to China.  Of course, we were back in China last year - and of course, we saw a TON of pandas.  For those of you not in the know, after the huge earthquake, they moved a bunch of panda bears to the Beijing Zoo temporarily for their own protection.  When we visited the Beijing Zoo, there had to be at least twenty pandas there, all nice and up close.  The place was infested with pandas!

Anyway, after the panda exhibit, we went to a pretty small petting zoo, and then the Kidzone, where we rode on a carousel and a train.  She really liked the train - she was so insistent that we ride that together.  The carousel, of course, was made up of more than just horses - there were birds, tapirs, giraffes and even dolphins.  Madison rode on a monkey holding a banana.

We had a meal there, and could tell Madison was starting to get tired when she let Daddy put her in the stroller.  But by that time, we had pretty much seen the entire zoo, including the red pandas and the kangaroos.  

It was a wonderful day - and when Mommy and Daddy got home, they were exhausted!  Madison was content to watch Cinderella for the umpteenth time, while Mommy and Daddy sat down on the porch deck and stared off vacantly into space!  I think it'll be an early night for all of us tonight, but what a great day it was!