To the San Francisco Zoo
This post would have shown up earlier in the week but was postponed by more important events.
Last Sunday we took the boys to the San Francisco Zoo to meet up with Adlai's little friend, Ben and our friend and Ben's Mom, Rachel. Adlai had never been to a zoo and the last time Simon was at the San Francisco Zoo he was around Adlai's age. Simon has never been particularly interested in caged animals and we fully support and agree with his opinion that watching wild animals sleep behind bars isn't a particularly joyful experience. Alas, Adlai deserved a turn at the zoo and we were set for good time.
As one might suspect, Adlai had pretty much the same reaction as the rest of us. Ben laughed with glee at some of the bigger animals and found the flamingos particularly worth a close inspection. Adlai pointed at the animals but was much more interested in pushing the stroller, toddling along with Ben, and playing with Ben's toy truck and rake. Both Simon and Adlai did enjoy petting the baby chicks. Adlai kept going back for more.
The two boys are adorable together but they don't actually interact much. Sadly, Ben will be returning to England with his family in a month - around the time the boys would have started to play together. Adlai did, however, hand Ben a blade of grass which Ben gladly accepted prompting this photo opportunity...
Besides the company, the best part of the zoo turned out to be the small steam train ride Simon insisted we take. Also a high point, we ran into this peacock strutting his stuff for a peahen on the way to the train.
The boys were exhausted by the time we left. Adlai passed out as soon as he was strapped into his car seat. Simon managed to stay awake until we returned home but only because of his expert stay-awake skills.
You may have noticed that I suddenly have more time for posting. The extra time means we're getting more errands done during weeknights and weekends so that means more concentrated time for fun. Over the next few weeks or so we're going to try to take the boys somewhere interesting, fun, and new at least once a week. Who knew switching jobs could be so relaxing?