We Went to the Zoo

The thing I was most excited to do when my parents came to visit was to take Ellie to the San Diego Zoo. Ellie loves animals. She watches birds in the backyard like it's her job. She squeals and sits up tall in her stroller when we pass a person walking their dog, or pass by the ducks in the pond, or when a squirrel runs across the path in front of us at the park. On Wednesday morning me, BJ, my mom and dad, JaLayne, Aaron, and Ellie all piled into the car and made the nearly two hour car ride down to San Diego.

We made a pit-stop at the restroom, bought some water and sunscreen at the gift shop, and we were off. The weather was idyllic (like it always seems to be in southern California), and Ellie was excited and rarin' to go.

The thing that fascinated and impressed me the most about the San Diego Zoo was the incredible habitat it provided for all the animals. The grounds and environment would have made the trip worthwhile in and of themselves. There were parts that were lush and tropical, just like a little paradise.

The animals, also, were incredible. We were laughing because we passed stroller after stroller carrying kids that were dead asleep, but Ellie not only didn't sleep a wink, but was as excited looking at the polar bears at the bitter end of the day as she was looking at the birds at the very beginning. She would point and gasp and say "ohhhhh" while her mouth formed a perfect little "o".

Flamingos build "nests" out of mud to protect their eggs. The mother and father take turns protecting their nest. All those built up mounds of mud have inside them baby flamingos waiting to be born.

We were shocked at how big the lions were. Their faces alone were absolutely gigantic.

Right when we went over to look at the elephants a worker threw some branches over the fence for them to eat. They came right up near us to eat the branches. It was fascinating to see them up close.

Did you know that female Panda bears only have three days out of the calendar year that they can get pregnant? They have to have their egg fertilized, and then eat and eat and eat to put on weight in order to keep the egg. If they don't gain enough weight in that small window of time, they'll lose the baby and have to wait an entire year to try again. This sweet panda bear was eating and eating and eating, and working hard to keep her baby. I sure love mama bears. I can relate to their feelings of commitment for their littles.

Thanks for taking us, mom and dad.

We had such a wonderful time. I hope to go back again, and again, and again.