School is for the birds!

Only the coolest mom in the world would take the most beautiful day since school started and check her baby out of school to visit the zoo!

That's me, coolest mom in the world. Or at least I like to think so.

Last Thursday, the weather was better than it's been since school started. We may have just entered the "it's tolerable" portion of summer. It's almost fall. Even though it doesn't feel like it most days, we are getting there. On this random fair weathered Thursday, I put Lincoln down for an early nap and when he woke, we checked Jackson out of school for am impromptu zoo visit. We are members of the zoo but haven't visited ALL summer. When the weather is that hot, the animals prefer us to stay home in the air conditioning so that they can do the same. We gladly obliged them and expected to visit with the "tolerable" temperatures approaching.

We love having a zoo membership! It's so nice to be able to go to the zoo and not rush or feel the need to "see everything". We might only get around to a few exhibits but it's no stress, we'll be back again soon. This trip, we decided to take the road less taken. The one NOT the direction of the famed monkeys. It turned out for the best. We entered the Lorikeet feeding exhibit just to look at the birds. Jackson immediately started asking did I have any money. I usually just say no but feeding the birds looked like fun and they did look hungry. I had him go get the money and we bought a cup of the silly bird nectar. Jackson took it in and those birds were more like vultures. About 6 of them flocked to his arm, head and arms to get the cup. He was a little freaked out by it and just before he dropped the cup and ran, I grabbed it from him. As soon as I did, the little friends that were attacking my 5 year old turned on me. I wasn't scared of the birds but I can see how Jackson might have been. I held out my arm and 4 of them fought over the little $1 cup of nectar we bought. We did end up buying another after the boys decided it was fun to feed the birds. I probably enjoyed this more than they did. I could have stayed longer, and thus spent more money!

Next we walked over to the house for which the zoo is named. It's called Grassmere and it was a really beautiful home place. It also had farm animals which we all know how thrilled Lincoln was at the sight of them. Cows! At the zoo, how thrilling. But it really was for Lincoln, oh, how he loves cows! We also visited the family graveyard at Jackson's request. He likes graveyards and wants to know how everyone in them died. I have strange kids, with strange preferences. Most kids are whining over the carousel or train, mine whine when we leave the cows and the graveyard. Whatever.

We then spend a few minutes at the zoo's playground. It would be worth the cost of the membership just to play on this playground. It's really cool. Jackson spent his time climbing a rope climb that went over the water while Lincoln and I did belly flops in the toddler bounce area. We had to head home. The traffic was going to be significant already. But there was little fuss for our departure. We'll be back sooner than later. We belong to the zoo!


I claimed this was like Jason and I. Just two little lovebirds, picking the lice off one another.

Yep, that's us.



My little Lincoln. Born to be a farmer. Luckily, we've got an IN with John Deere!
School is for the birds! We're calling this zoo trip, progressive education. Or we could call it quality time with mommy. Either way, we're calling it a GOOD idea.