Zoo Day

"Something tells me it's all happening at the zoo,
I do believe it, I do believe it's true" - At the Zoo, Paul Simon

Since our little prodigy has been making so many animal noises for a few weeks, and the weather here has turned from unbearably hot to perfectly cool, it seemed the perfect weekend to take Maeve to the Denver Zoo for the first time.

Although we picked a Saturday which featured a Tillamok cheese giveaway, a free day for Pepsi employees, and a day when everybody else had noticed how nice it was and decided to take their kids to the zoo, too.  The entire parking garage was full, so we parked next door at the Museum of Nature and Science and walked over, which worked just fine.  The zoo is so big that even when it's busy, it doesn't feel crowded once you get past the entrance.

The first thing Maeve got to see was the zebras, and it was so fun to watch her connect the dots in her brain, realizing that that crazy stripey horse she reads about is real!  She was bored with the lions and tigers who were catching an afternoon nap, but the giraffes were a huge hit!  She waved to them, and just stared at their long-necked spotty awesomeness.

She also loved the elephants, and gave them a miniature trumpeting salute in her best elephant impression.  We're excited, the Denver Zoo is building a nifty new elephant enclosure which looks like it's going to be so great for our elephants! 

We let her wander around the great apes area, and she was so enthralled with all the plants that she plumb ignored the orangutan and gorillas that were hanging out, staring at her. 

I love the magic of the zoo, the feelings of wonder and imagination that bubble up in my heart.  I love having someone to share it with, I loved showing my baby girl her first improbable and exciting creatures, in the flesh.  It's all happening at the zoo!