Busy Day at the Zoo

Wow! We have had such an exciting day! First off, I bought an annual membership to the zoo. Online. Yes, I am that awesome! So, we decided that today was the perfect day for me to pack up all 3 kids and head for an outing.

Of course, we didn't get to the zoo until right at 3 p.m. It closes at 5. More on that later...

As I was getting everything sorted out and paid for online, I sent the older 2 kids and the dogs outside. They were out there for probably about an hour. Now, Aurora had come in and told me something about how she knew where the dogs were getting the red-colored dirt in their whiskers. Over the past week or so, they would come in with very Scottish-looking, previously white whiskers. I didn't pay much attention to WHY she was telling me, though. I just kind of shrugged it off, thinking she had found the dirt. Poor Aurora. She was trying to tell me something.

When I called the kids inside to eat before we left, I saw the dogs. Their paws and whiskers were caked with dirt--wet dirt, at that! Aargh!!!! I had just given those pups a bath yesterday! We were practically all packed up for the zoo and I didn't want to have to waste more time bathing the dogs before we left. So, I went upstairs and told Rob to leave the dogs outside until I got home. He gladly obliged; the thought of NOT meeting Sassy and her toe licks on the stairs made him happy.

So, the kids and I left for the zoo. When we got there, parking was crazy! People were parked on the grass outside of the parking lot. There was a place with good parking spaces, but it cost $5 to get in there. If I had brought some cash, I would have gladly paid for those spots. However, as I was driving around, a truck was backing out of a spot fairly close to the gate. What luck! (On St. Patrick's Day, no less.)

We were able to just scoot on in with our membership pass, which was wonderful! Ellie had never been to the zoo before--which I'm sure surprises you all, right? I mean, how many 2 month old babies have been to the zoo before? *severe eye roll at my own expense* I think I got more photos of Ellie smiling in her stroller than I did of any animals. I got lots of pictures of the kids in the petting zoo area, though, so that offsets it. We did all the fun things that we wanted to: the children's petting area, the rainforest room, the elephant exhibit, and the koi pond. Everyone was pretty exhausted by the time 4:30 rolled around, so I said "Let's go to the Gift Shop and then go home." Apparently, that was everybody else's idea, too! I could barely get the kids in there, much less me and a stroller! I'm pretty sure the Fire Marshall would have had a cardiac in regards to the number of people in that store! We left without getting to look at very much.

I had to feed Ellie in the van before we left. The kids thought that was pretty neat. It was like camping, they said. We really need to show them what camping really is! Once Ellie's belly was full, we headed home. Where I knew there were 2 crusty dogs waiting for their baths. That was the first thing I did. Neither one of them appreciated it, but I really didn't care! It's not ideal for me to give them a bath 2 days in a row. Now I have to clean the tub out again!

On top of the zoo, bathing dogs and feeding babies, I have also been doing laundry and continuing my Spring Cleaning today. I need to get the vacuum out and go over the downstairs with it. As you can probably imagine, I'm tired. Hence, my rambling in this post instead of doing what I should. *sigh* I think I'll wait to vacuum until after the kids are in bed tonight. After all, they contribute to the mess almost as much as the dogs do!

I seem to think there is something else I did today that was noteworthy. And, no, my showering is not it, although I was so glad to be able to wash my hair!