Oakland Zoo

On Saturday Papa Bear, Ama and I took the boys to the Oakland zoo, for approximately the 100th time this year. As you know, M is obsessed with animals and loooooooves the zoo more than almost anything so he was just as excited to go as if it were his first time.

Upon arriving, M insisted that he carry his Sesame Street "Who's at the Zoo" book with him and wouldn't put it down. As we walked through the zoo, M directed us to which animals he wanted to see and then turned to that animal's page in his book. It was so cute. Here was this three foot tall kid in a hoodie and jeans clasping a book that was way too big for him and marching through the zoo. (I forgot the camera on that day and I'm so bummed.) At one point he turned to the picture of the giraffe and said to me, "Let's go to giraffe. I have to show him picture." How cute is that?!?

Another favorite activity for M at the zoo is riding the train. After we had finished checking out the animals that we were ordered to by our boss, we told him that we could ride the train today. In order to thwart his usual toddler-like dawdling, I told him that we had to hurry or we would miss the train...he doesn't need to know that it runs like every fifteen or twenty minutes. M literally ran all the way up the hill and almost out of the zoo without me, he was that worried that he wouldn't get to ride on the train. He rode the train with Ama and had a blast.

M then insisted that he ride on the cars that ride in a circle. I told him we had to leave and he became very distressed. I took pity on him and told him that I didn't have any money so he needed to ask his father. To this M replied, "I get token from Ba-Ba, now." M took off towards to Papa Bear and conned him into a ride. M had so much fun riding his car, which this time was actually a motorcycle. He actually smiled and laughed which was nice to see, because he is usually so serious about his rides.

P.B. then decided that both boys should go on the Merry-go-Round. M insisted on being placed on the elephant, of course. P.B. placed B on the giraffe and then decided that he would be better off sitting on a bench seat instead. B had other ideas and started screaming until P.B. again placed him on the giraffe. Ama stood in between both boys who had a great time. In fact, B cried at the end when he was removed from the ride.

Ah, the zoo. So much fun for the kids, so tiring for their parents.