Mike has been itching to take Annie to the Zoo for ages. I finally committed to a date, but then I was sick so it had to be canceled. Yesterday morning he was like, “Feel like going to the Zoo today?” and I must have been feverish because I said yes. Having barely left the house for weeks, I’d forgotten it was now summer. I even brought a wrap with me. I realized my error when we pulled into the Los Angeles Zoo parking lot at 11am and it was already 82 degrees.
The Zoo sells hats and sunscreen! Very expensive hats and sunscreen.
I didn’t know how Annabel was going to do at the Zoo. On the one hand, she loves naming the animals in her books (Doggie! Doggie! Cow! DOGGIE! Piiiiiiiig!). On the other hand, she’s seventeen months old going on seventeen years. Girl has a ‘tude.
Gramma and Bampa met us at the Zoo, which was awesome. Annie prefers a large entourage. We left her in the stroller to start, which was a good idea because the first thing we came upon was Reggie the Alligator. Annie looked at Reggie and screamed. Reggie is famous in LA because some dummy had him as a pet, then LET HIM GO IN A PARK LAKE when he got too big. I think it took about two years for Reggie to be captured. I hope we all learned a valuable lesson.
Next we came upon a variety of birds. Annie likes birds that don’t make noise, like this collection of lawn ornaments:
Across the way were black neck swans, swimming with their five-day-old baby.
I personally don’t think newborns should be allowed in the water.
This meerkat is the first thing Annabel called a DOGGIE!
Annie got antsy in the stroller after about thirty minutes, so we let her wander. Then we got to this exhibit and she was yelling “UPPA UPPA UUUUUUP!” at me the second she laid eyes on this homey:
I could have watched him pick his nose all day long, but we had to move on.
The Zebra was the second thing Annie called a DOGGIE! She loved the Zebras.
This ram gave me the stink eye:
When we came upon the elephants, I made the mistake of telling Annie it was taking a bath. She kept yelling “Bat! Bat!” That is Annie-speak for “OMG I GET TO TAKE A BATH!” She was confused. My bad.
Annie ran off looking for a bath and led us to the giraffes. I am absolutely convinced Oprah was on the other side of this fence. What else would they be looking at so intently?
I learned that Giraffes are tall drinks of water with strange tongues:
Annie called this Giraffe “DOGGIE!”
At that point my body was like, “Yo, Heather. WTF is going on up in here? It’s like 800 degrees, you only had applesauce and toast for breakfast, and you ate half of Annie’s ice cream cone. You best be drinking some water or there will be another stomach riot.” I hate it when my body gets all bossy.
As we walked out, I passed this guy. I couldn’t stop looking at him.
I love that most of the people at Zoos are little kids, so I can just lean right over their tiny bodies to get closer to things. So I leaned in toward this guy, and zoomed in:
We locked eyes and it was intense, yo. Guy looked at me as if to say, “you think you’re having a bad day?
I asked Mike if we could bring him home and he said no. Such a meanie.
But me and Guy, we’re besties now. Don’t be sad, Guy. I’ll come visit you.
As we walked away from him, Annabel said, “Bye monkey baby!”
She’s such a genius.
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
I think our LOW is about 85F and……..the humidity is like being stuck in an armpit. Youch! So yeah, 85 is nice.
How much does it cost to get into your zoo? Where I live, the zoo is FREE! and it’s awesome (St Louis Zoo). Well, we pay for it through taxes so it would be free for all visitors from out of town.
Getting into the LA Zoo, even though it’s supported by tax payers, costs $14 for adults, $9 for children and kids under 2 are free.
That’s so cheap!! Over here in London it costs £19.50 per adult to get into the Zoo (which is like $31US) and £16.40 per child (which is like $26US)
Wish I could afford to go to the zoo.
Awesome, I love the zoo! Though I feel your pain on the heat. A few years ago I took my nieces to the Minnesota Zoo in August. It was like 100° with 98% humidity… Hot and stinky!
We took Jax to the zoo a couple of weeks ago. I… err umm HE loved it!! Actually, taking your baby to the zoo for the first time IS like going to the zoo for the first time EVER. It was awesome. I love the giraffes… getting around the bend to see them felt like a 100 mile hike uphill… I couldnt get him to them fast enough!! As soon as he saw them he started running, shouting “DOGS!! Mommmmma – DOGSSSS!!” It was the cutest thing! And then he saw the “Zebas” – he loved them too.
Looks like you guys had a great day at the zoo. My daughter loves the zoo, we go often. I remember when she was Annie’s age almost every animal was a kitty or a doggie or a monkey and all birds were ducks! The only animals names she knew
I grew up in L.A., and the second you mentioned the L.A. Zoo my first thought was about the searing heat. I swear it could be the dead of winter and the L.A. Zoo would still be 85 degrees. For some reason I also remember a lot of spilled cherry slushie goo radiating off the blacktop in the heat.
Your pictures are really awesome.
Sounds like a great day. Nice pix.
Upon getting home from my little one’s first trip to the zoo, we asked her what her favorite animal was. Her quick reply: “the train”. Well, there had been one at the zoo playground. And here we’d thought we’d all had a fabulous and educational time looking at the cool animals!
Love the pictures. Guy is the cutest!
Thank you for sharing these awesome photos. Because of my health, I won’t likely ever get to go to a zoo again in my life. That’s sad because the closest one to me is the Kansas City zoo which is teh awesome, but not as awesome as yours! Those swans are absolutely beautiful! Annie is gorgeous as always.
I’m really impressed by your animal photos! I never manage to get any good ones at the zoo.
I bet you can’t wait until Annie is old enough so you can threaten to leave her at the zoo if she doesn’t behave. My dad loved to pull that one on me.
It’s like 90 degrees by 11 a.m. here in The Ham. Blech.
My favorite zoo moment EVAH was when two giraffes got it on in front of me and a group of giggling adults. And kept getting it on. And yes, we all kept watching, a mixture of horror and glee on our faces.
aww…looks like you had a blast! makes me want to go to the zoo now.
I am very jealous of your zoo photos. Whenever I take my kids to the zoo habitats are always closed down for cleaning, or the lions are sleeping in their caves, or the elephants have gone out of pedicures, or the snakes are so camouflaged in their trees you can’t see them (that branch! Is it a snake) and if we actually do see an animal it is usually the baboons and they are usually masturbating. I love explaining that to a seven year old. Sigh.
OMG about the baboons!! LOL!!!!!!!
This was the most entertaining zoo blog post I’ve read
. Looks like it was a great trip!
Great pictures. When my daughter went to the zoo for the first time, her aunt took all the pictures and put them together in one of those photobooks from snapfish or something. It’s titled “M’s First Trip to the Zoo” and she wrote it up like a story. My daughter likes to read it at bedtime, and it keeps her far-away family members familiar to her. Maybe you could do something like that with these pics? Such cute memories.
Great pictures! Hope that you are feeling better.
I took a class in college called “Monkeys, Apes, and Humans” and learned so much cool stuff..I have a hard time going to the zoo and not just sitting and watching the monkeys and apes. It’s so fascinating. You got awesome photos of the Orangutan! Looks like such a blast..Can’t wait until I have kids and can take them on all of these fun adventures like you do with Annie.
The first zoo trip is so much fun! If it weren’t 9000000 degrees here, we’d have already gone this summer. As it is, we may be waitin’ til fall! Glad you had fun.
being a californian and all, has annie been to disneyland yet? that’s what i think of when i think california!!!
Only you could make such a funny post about the zoo!!! You are such a fun mama!
The blackneck swans are beautiful.
And I agree with Mommy, you are so funny! I love the comment “I could have watched him pick his nose all afternoon”. LOL!
Amazing pictures!! Looks like you guys had a great day.
{ 3 trackbacks }