A Day in the Life: The Zoo

Yesterday we went to the zoo with the kids and our niece M. We had a really good time. On our way to the Twin Cities we stopped at our favorite Mexican restaurant. We had great food as always, but we were seated at this funny corner booth. I don't know if any of you can imagine three kids and two adults at a corner booth, especially when one kid is in a high chair (he blocked the entrance to the table completely once he was in place) and the other is in a car seat. After that we headed to the zoo. As soon as we got in, Captain was practically jumping out of his chair with excitement and wonder. It is just so neat how he is so curious. After a while, we let Captain run around. The zoo was not terribly busy and we were able to keep a good eye on him but still give him a little freedom to explore. He stood at those fences and looked and looked. We had to pry him away just to get to another animal so he could look and look. Burbles enjoyed looking too. She watched the monkeys and watched the polar bear. I can't wait to see that excitement in her as she gets a little older. M was very excited to see the zebras and giraffes. She wasn't so sure about the polar bear, although she did finally go by the glass to watch it swim laps. After the zoo, we drove around looking for this sausage place that Fundi likes to go to when we get to the cities. We weren't lost, but we put the Navigation system CD in (we have had the van for over a year but still hadn't even tried it out). As we were driving to get on I94 to head south, we came across an officer directing traffic. A block after that, I asked Fundi if we would be near the I35W bridge that had collapsed. He said that he thought it was the I35E. At that moment, I looked to the right and there was a huge hole where there had once been a bridge. I got goose bumps and shivered a little. What we could see of the devastation had been cleaned up pretty well. I can't imagine visiting the Footprints of the World Trade Center. Words can't describe how a person feels when they are put in that situation. It was really strange driving over I35W and seeing that no one was driving on it. That lack of traffic (in a city where traffic prevails) was eerie. After getting back to I94, I directed Fundi onto Kellogg and we went to our favorite little Italian Restaurant called Cossetta's. On our way home, I studied the navigation system and kicked myself for not familiarizing myself with it before.
Here are the photos from the zoo trip: