Zoo field trip

Last month we went to the zoo with our home school group. I was so thankful that the weather turned fantastic just for our trip to the zoo. It had dropped 20 degrees, just so we could have perfect 70 degree weather for our field trip. I was in heaven!

When the boys were little, we would always make it a yearly tradition to go to the zoo. Now that there are so many littles running around, we can only afford to go with the group/field trip rate, which means that Ryan usually can't go with us because he is at school. That just means that I am in charge of keeping track of 5 little people (all with their own ideas) with only my 2 eyes and 2 hands. That doesn't always turn out as well as I would like.

The kids enjoyed watching the animals. V was especially excited, since it was her first time. She was really curious about the orangutans and loved to watch them climb all over and hide in the sheets that they were given to play with.

 Looking at the orangutans. She did not want to leave them!

 All the kids loved the farm, like always. They could not get enough of the petting zoo, cow milking, or tractor climbing. We ended up having to walk through the farm twice, just to appease all the children.

 Posing on the tree bench where they ate their snacks.

While I was getting more snacks out for the kids, I turn around to realize that V was not next to me anymore. It took all 2.5 seconds for her to take off and head for the play area. Thankfully I had other little bodies to catch her and hold her hand while I got snacks out for everyone. She is definitely my cute little run-away!

This little one just loves the camera!  She will give me the best faces when I pull out my phone to take a picture of her.

After I took this picture, all the kids were shivering from sitting in the shade. They were begging me to let them sit in the sunlight again.

Of course, all the kids had to ride the wood horses. 

 As usual, as soon as Aimee starts to concentrate on something, her tongue comes out. (It makes me smile every time--Daddy's little girl.)

 

 Ethan was really getting into it. It was quite funny.

  

 V (with a mouth full of cheese) wasn't so sure about it at first.

After a while, she loved it and didn't want to get off.

 I had to include this picture to show what Aimee normally looks like, with her hair right over her face. (Sweet girl has her momma's hair. I remember my own mother asking me if I was ever bothered by my hair being directly in my face.)

And now with her real face showing, after a little momma intervention. 

 V had her chance, too, but she wasn't as excited as everyone else.

 

The kids also begged me to stop at the statues, so they could pose next to each of them.

 

 V's little expressions just crack me up!

 

 

 

 The girls wanted to pretend they were in The Little Mermaid, and began to sing. V just wanted to get out of there!

 

 

 

 Aimee was so thrilled to be up here.

Jayke wanted to have an updated photo from when he was 3, except this time he didn't choke Timon. (Awww, he was so chubby and cute!)

 

After we left the farm, we had one more potty break to take and we were ready to head out. We had just got to where the elephants were (halfway to the potty), and I turned and noticed Kate wasn't with us anymore. Somewhere between the trail up the hill (she was with us at the end of the trail) and our walking a few yards towards the bathroom she had lost us. I gave instructions to Jayke to stay right where he was and make sure everyone stayed with him and I ran off to find Kate. This was actually the first time I have actually ever lost one of my children. I was terrified, but at the same time, I knew she couldn't have gone far if she had just wandered off. It was the fear that someone might have actually taken her that had me so scared. I went back to the last place I saw her, yelling for her the entire time. I looked by the elephants, even went past them, just in case she had turned left when we turned right. I went back down the trail...she was no where and I began to panic. Then I stop and look around and I see this lady staring at me strangely, so I walk towards her. She asks if I am missing a little girl. (Duh, I am running around like a crazy woman, screaming a girl's name.) She tells me that her mom had just taken Kate to the main office and then she called her mom to let her know I was found. I guess Kate had become distracted at the end of the trail. She lingered, looking at something for a minute, and then she turned left at the top of the trail instead of right. When she couldn't find us, she found someone with little kids and informed them that she couldn't find her mom. Of course, she couldn't remember my phone number, so they just took her straight to the office. I am so thankful that Kate knew exactly what to do and even more thankful that there are kind people in the world, willing to stop what they are doing to help a little child. I am most thankful that my other kids obeyed my commands and did not move an inch from where I left them.

At the end of the day, the kids had all enjoyed their time at the zoo, I had enjoyed the nice cool weather, and all 5 kids made it to the car with me. Next time, I am getting a leash for all my children.