Monkey See, Monkey Zoo

What an exciting day this was for Ollie! What an exhausting day this has been for Daddy and me!

We skipped church this morning and slept in until almost 8:00. Once we finally got moving, Daddy had the brilliant idea to go to the zoo. Ollie and I agreed that it would be a good time, so we packed up and headed out. Ollie promptly fell asleep in the car and struggled to open his eyes as we unhooked him from his car seat upon arrival.

It's been a few years since Daddy or I had been to the zoo and there have been tons of improvements. The new Vine Street entrance is really nice, especially the rhino sculpture that practically begs for riders. Ollie wasn't sure what to think, but realized he was in for an interesting day.

Once we made it through the gate, Daddy and Ollie paused to map things out. Even though I would have preferred to just start walking and see where the road took us, I agreed to make a plan so we wouldn't miss the major exhibits.

First we made a b-line for the elephants. Even though the pachyderms are one of my favorite animals, I couldn't take my eyes off of Ollie's reaction to the gigantic animals. Sure, he's seen Grandma's cows, but they are nothing compared to elephants.

The next big animals we spotted were the giraffes. Definitely my favorite African animal, but again Ollie distracted me, because his fascination with the unusual creatures was even more exciting. Giraffe exhibit side note: Most parent's with strollers are completely and utterly inconsiderate, unaware, and downright rude! We make every effort to not park the stroller in the middle of walkways or push our way through crowds, using Ollie as an excuse to cut in front of others. However, this can not be said of all parents, and I am appalled at the lack of consideration that most stroller users show. I suppose I am extra sensitive because strollers have always been a pet peeve of mine, but I certainly hope that I will NEVER become one of "those" people.

Before we realized what time it was, Ollie started getting hungry so we found a place to chow. While he was eating his apple/mango/kiwi baby food the peacocks kept walking by and distracting him. I suppose I would have been distracted too if I had never been that close to a bird that big.


After lunch we took the mandatory train ride which gave us time to digest and regroup. Ollie loved the waterfall in swan lake and couldn't take his eyes off the ducks. He also liked the choo-choo of the train and smiled as we passed through railroad crossings.

The children's zoo is right next door to the train station, so we decided it was a good time to check out the nursery and farm animals. Ollie fell in love with the goats and kept asking if we thought Grandpa would let him keep one on the farm. I tried to tell him that goats and Grandpa don't mix well, but he really has his heart set on getting one for a pet. I told him he had to take it up with Grandpa himself, and I wasn't getting involved.

All along the way we saw monkeys, but the ones that put on the show swinging and talking were Ollie's favorite. Every time the vocal one would scream out, Ollie would jump and then smile. I'm not sure if he ever figured out where the noise was coming from, but he was happy, so I was happy.

Eventually, we made it back to the elephants, which turned out to be a great idea because Ollie was mesmerized. The evidence is the back of his head in every single picture below. The more I think about it, if I had never seen an elephant I probably wouldn't be able to take my eyes off of it either.


After 5 hours in the zoo Daddy and I were tuckered out. Lugging baby gear (and we only take essentials) is exhausting and confining. I'm not sure if I'll ever get used to the extra baggage, but I can't get enough of watching Ollie experience things for the first time. Somehow, he helps me look at animals in a new light, and remember just how remarkable the many different species on this planet really are.