The Cleveland Zoo and Rainforest

While in Cleveland, we waited for a warm day and made sure we took a trip to the zoo (sixty degrees was the "high" that day).  Kayla had not been to a zoo since we went when she was a couple of months old and visiting Cleveland.  Yeah, Charleston could really use a zoo.

 

Avery and I rode the tram to the top of the hill to check out the gorillas.



 This poor, tired, old lion is catching some rays and Vitamin D before his seasonal affective disorder begins this year.

 Avery running in the rainforest, missing half of the sights.

 "DON'T TAKE MY PICTURE!!!!"  Sheesh.  Message recieved, kid.

 I am not sure what these things are, but they must be steroid-consuming, second cousins to the guinea pigs that I had as pets while growing up.  I also like this picture because if you look closely, the mom is doing all the work, feeding four kids, while the dad just sits there, oblivious to the dirty kitchen and dishes piling up.  Note: this is not a passive-agressive dig at my awesome husband, Phil, who does his share of helping out in the home.  It is merely an observation on the genetic wiring of most men, that apparently does not discriminate between species.

I tried to over-simplify some of the animals in the rainforest to the kids.  At this particular exhibit, I said, "Look Avery, there is a monkey!".  To which he replied, "No mom, that is an orangutan".  Oops, my bad.



 Maw-Maw and Kayla in front of the awesome waterfall at the entrance of the rainforest (my "photography" skills did not do this waterfall any justice). Sidenote: Phil and I almost picked the rainforest as our wedding venue seven years ago.

 Cute elephants placed around the entire zoo.

Avery in awe of the gorillas, his favorite exhibit at the Cleveland zoo.

 I wish I had time to switch to my zoon lens on the camera.  The things we don't have time for when we are "supervising"our children.

Speaking of "supervising", I thought I was being an awesome mom by letting Avery run free at the gorilla exhibit, to get all of his pent-up energy out from the 13 hour car ride to Cleveland....

 ....but apparently, I didn't see the big trip and head butt into the concrete coming.  After three and a half years, Avery had his first major nosebleed from breaking the fall with his nose.  I tried to play it cool in order to keep him calm, but the sight of all of that blood pouring out of my baby's nose wanted me to yell, "NURSE!!!!" (too bad I wasn't at work).  Check out my poor baby's swollen nose (that was still dripping with a little blood).

 You know your kid has seen "Madagascar" one too many times when he refers to this animal as "Marty" instead of, "Oh look, there's a zebra!".

 I give up trying to get pictures of my children.  Seriously????  Let me just go find a boring flower somewhere and click away.