Zoo-tacular!

This morning we woke up & decided, let's Zoo it.  So after Jack's morning nap, we packed him up & headed for one of our favorite places (Andy & I used to go on dates there all the time) - the Knoxville Zoo!  I got a tip from Jack's Aunt Sissa that teachers get in free and since Jack is also free it was a very economical outing.  We were also pumped b/c this is the first time Jack's been since he started walking which opens up all new possibilities for us!

  Case in point - we got to stand by the otters and bang on the glass to get their attention.  Always fun.

We tried giving Mr Otter a high five but it was kinda hard to pull off.  He was very friendly though.  In fact, Jack wanted to leave before Andy & I did.

We went inside the little play area to check out the chickens and bunnies.

Love this :)

One thing we have never seen is the Butterfly enclosure.  It was SO pretty inside & is making me have garden envy.  Jack desperately wanted to pull the heads off all the flowers so we didn't stay too long.

Just long enough for a butterfly to land on Andy's head :)

Jack got to meet a Pygmie Toucan.  I'm not gonna lie, birds aren't the most exciting thing ever but it was cool nonetheless.  Especially when she showed us how he lays back & suns himself.  

 Cute huh?

We got to pet a camel.  And thankfully no one was spit on.

I noticed a trend at the Zoo.  Jack was more interested in the other kids than the animals themselves.  I think the meercat sensed it and that's why he's ignoring Jack.

The monkeys were showing off while we were there.  Jack loved it of course.

I think Jack is jealous of his jungle gym.

We made sure to check out Andy's favorite animals - the big cats!  While it looks like Jack is saying "Wow!" he's actually yawning.  Which is fitting since the snoozing kitties may have rubbed off on him.

 Next we checked out the Kids Cove - hands down the best part about the Zoo.  Jack got to brush a goat (with my supervision and help of course.)

He accidentally stepped on the goat's tail but to his (her?) credit, he(she) still let Jack brush him(her?)  We may need to wait a few more months before trying that again.  Those horns just make me nervous.  Plus I don't trust something that can eat your shoe as a snack.

We tried out the giant sandbox.  This was Jack's first real foray into sand and in typical Jack-style, he was cautious at first.

Then he dove right in.  Although he was more intrigued with the toddler next to him than the sandbox.  I suppose if you think about it, since playing with other kids is his favorite activity, taking him to daycare each day is like a vacation! Right? I'm just gonna keep telling myself that.

He looks like such a little boy here.  :)

But perhaps the best part of the day was discovering the cool slide at the Kid's Cove.  Jack wasn't big enough to go down himself so Daddy rode with him.

It was slightly awkward getting onto the slide.

 

But look how excited!

Weeeee!!!!

Even Mommy got to ride with Jack!  I look slightly terrified b/c there was a bolt at the bottom sticking up & I did NOT want to run over it.  But we made it safe and sound & Jack is already talking about going back next weekend with Gramma and Lizzitante!  Hooray for the Zoo!