Celebrating at the Zoo

We celebrated Emmy and Eli's birthdays today with a trip to the zoo. Since their birthdays are only 8 days apart, a joint party was always the plan. As November drew closer, it became apparent that a large gathering may not be the best idea as we continue to limit contact and practice social distance. We decided an outdoor adventure with our closest family would be the perfect way to celebrate instead. The Houstons and both sets of grandparents were able to join us, and from the youngest to the oldest, it was a fun day for everyone! 

The zoo is using timed reservations and a one-way path to manage the crowds. Visitors must also wear masks when in the viewing areas, and there are several of the indoor exhibits that are closed. Even with these modifications, the whole visit was a very positive experience. The weather certainly helped with that. Temperatures were in the mid-60s, and compared with some of our previous summer visits, it was so comfortable. The animals must have liked the weather too because they were very active and visible. Eli fell asleep pretty early after we entered the zoo, and unfortunately he missed most of North America where we saw the sea lions, artic foxes, black bears, bison, elk, and ocelot. He woke up for lunch at the Junction Plaza and stayed awake through Africa. The gorillas were especially active, and on the prairie, we got a close view of the elephants. It was really sweet to see the wonder in each of the kids' eyes as we spotted the next animal. Maddox, Zander, and Emmy were often running ahead to the next exhibit as the adults tried to keep up. 

The grandpas hung in there through all the walking! During the second continent, they got pretty good at spotting an open bench to rest before moving on to the next animal. After we completed the Africa loop, we returned to the Junction for cupcakes and singing "Happy Birthday!" Eli wasn't too happy when we set him down on the turf for a photo, but he perked up after he had his first taste of cupcake. I think he quite liked the sugar. Emmy got to blow out candles too. We had individual cupcakes so that no germs were shared!

We spent about 6 hours at the zoo. Eli surprisingly stayed awake on the car ride home, but Emmy was knocked out within a few minutes. Between the fresh air and all of the walking, we will sleep well tonight. There has been talk of making a November zoo trip a new tradition - perhaps this is the first of many birthdays at the zoo!