Zoo Trips

Lately, our zoo pass has seen lots of use.  We've been taking full advantage on the last two occasions by sneaking cousins in.  The lingo on the annual pass itself says all kids under 18 are free.  I've been assuming it means any kids that happen to be with me, and not limited to my own! It's a good thing those little Cecchin cousins look so much like our kids.  In a pinch, I could always claim them as mine ;) 

Our first cousin trip was with Sara, Clara and Molly.  I had the little girls, and we were all busying ourselves while the bigger kids were at school.  With five little blond girls, we got more attention than we normally get with our five, mostly because Molly looks so much like the twins that more than one person stopped us to ask if they were triplets...

I can sort of see why they might think that!  

This post will contain no pictures of animals, I just realized.  But, it will contain pictures of little girls who are quite monkey-like!

I caught some goofy pictures of Tessa while the girls were playing at the zoo's main attraction -- the playground, of course!

We had Sara's stroller, my stroller, and our wagon, and it was a big help to have some little hands eager to pull the wagon.

Here's some more examples of our little triplets.  (Annie loves Molly!)  If that height difference wasn't there, we could take this triplet show on the road!

Oh, hi Mary!  There you are.  You were so quiet and content in there we almost forgot about you :)

Next up was another brave zoo trip with all eight little Raley cousins a few weeks later.  Sara and Tim were away for the weekend, and Mop and Pop were babysitting their three.  Matt had to work that day, but we decided to all go to the zoo together, and Kyle even came along, which upped our adult:child ratio a little, thankfully (to 4:8 or 1:2 I guess)!

Yet again, Matt's zoo checklists were a huge hit!  No matter how many times we go to the zoo, the girls don't get tired of these.  In fact, they take them very seriously :)

Here's Megan being extra-careful about noting whether her animal was sleeping, eating or playing.  (I never claimed these checklists weren't nerdy!!) And, Tessa had to check off her flamingo exactly where Joey was standing! (Hey, look! There are actually some animals in the background there!)

Uncle Kyle proved to be very useful with the craziest animals there that day, Clara and Bridget!

Finally, it was time for the pies de resistance of our day...the carousel ride!

We save these rides for special occasions, like coming to the zoo with cousins :)  At all other times, the carousel is "broken."  It's a shame it doesn't work more often ;)

Little Mary rode the carousel for the first time that day, safe in Mop's arms.  She loved it!  Like, giggling and laughing loudly kind of love.  Next up, Space Mountain!