A trip to the zoo

I took the boys to the zoo today. It's totally a boy's dream come true. We went with my brother's family who has 3 boys too, and a little baby my sister-in-law cares for. So, it was eight boys altogether. The cousins play so nicely together. They are very close and enjoy each other's company. My children are older and sometimes "mother" their cousins. My nephews idolize my boys and will copycat their behaviors. They boys' curiosity about animals and identifying with animal adventures were fulfilled. At the zoo, they can climb stairs, jump sidewalks, stand on tip toes to lean over the railings and run! Their excitement of seeing animals that they've read in books rather than seeing them live, is of no comparison.

Boys love the gross stuff at the zoo. They laughed at animal poop, monkeys poking each other's butts, slimy pond water, and bowls of pet food. The hands-on exhibits are definitely their favorites. I took plenty of photos of them petting farm animals and sticking their arms in salt water to pet and feed sting rays and nurse sharks. They were thrilled about holding cut up pieces of fish and sticks of bird seed for the aviary exhibit. Needless to say, they were exposed to tons of germs today. They would have reached in the cotton candy bucket without washing their hands if I didn't catch them before. I was very proud of these little men today. They behaved well, used their manners with adults, took turns helping the younger ones and never asked for food or toys. Finally, Grandma and I rewarded them with a trip to McDonald's. The drive home was even better with times of silence between ice cream licks and sharing stories of their day spent at the zoo.