It was a ZOO kind of day

We had the carpets in the entire house cleaned this morning and per the request of Mr. OXYFRESH man I left with the children for 4 hours until the process was completed.  We decided the zoo was the only logically place to go for that amount of time in the late morning and early afternoon.

My mom tells a darling story of me when I was little.  She had taken me to our parish carnival and lost track of where I was.  She was frantically looking for my Kindergarten self and finally spotted me sitting by myself playing bingo.  She was so relieved to see me and always tells me how much joy she got watching me sit there oblivious to the world around me while I played my bingo card.

I felt that way today watching Lillie.  She wasn't lost, but I watched her with the same awe.  John had taken the kids to the zoo a couple weeks ago and they participated in the penguin game.  They won 3 free train rides and were determined to win again.  The object of the game is to keep track of how many fish your penguin eats from the handler.  THIS TIME, Dominic and Lillie planned out their strategy and came equipped with pad and pen.  The zoo was filled so we were spread out and I watched Lillie from afar thoroughly paying attention and keeping track of her penguin.  Then I watched with eager anticipation as the handler called on her to tell her number which she correctly guessed.

 Mr. Walking Fact Book filled us the entire afternoon with every fact about every animal.  Did you know lions are afraid of peacocks?  Lions think that the eyes on their feathers are multiple eyes of animals looking at them through a bush which therefore frightens them.

 Vianney is frustrated that she can't sit on the bear with her sisters.

 Our favorite stop is the butterfly pavilion.  We always stay at this location for an hour while they catch butterflies over and over.

We rode the train, screamed through the tunnel, and enjoyed watching little Damaris delight in her first train ride.  We ate a hearty lunch at Applebee's and headed home to freshly cleaned carpets, afternoon swimming, and naps for the little kids.  What a good day!