The Zoo

Today the kids and I joined up with the Flores clan and went to the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC.  It was a short hour trip (thanks to DSI's and Iphones).  It didn't start that way--can I just say that from now on I will not plan anything the morning of the day we spring ahead!!  The boys were cranky and we actually thought about the time change and had them go to sleep early.  Bryce had a sleep over at a friends and stayed up late and was not in a good mood either.  We did manage to shake the bad moods by the time breakfast was over.  Thank goodness because I was ready to have Vicki take me back to the house.

So we are at the zoo and it was AWESOME!  The best zoo I think I've ever been to--not the biggest, but definitely the best.  First, and this was probably a seasonal & weather thing, the animals were more lively than I'd ever seen them.  We say the big monkeys playing around and swinging (not just sleeping), we say the tigers, lions, and Gorilla's moving around--the Gorilla's were even putting on a bit of a show by tearing off parts of the bushes and eating them--and going to the bathroom (the kids loved it)--right in front of the window.  The snakes were swimming in they water or moving on branches.  So, it was a great time for all of us.  Oh--and the kids got to feed birds.  Jace was somewhat of a bird whisperer and the birds would come to him. 

The kids also got to do a multi-level rope bridge type course.  All six of us started out--Zak got scared as soon as we walked up the stairs and ended up going back down.  Tyler and I made it over one obstacle and then he didn't want to do anymore either and I used him as my excuse to go down ;).  Vicki, Bryce, and Jace were troopers and finished the whole 3 story course.  I was impressed!!  Vicki didn't even scream ;). 

 Picture above--Jace on the ropes ;)

 Vicki making it across!

 Yes--that blur on the very top by the sun--that's Vicki too!

 A View of the whole course

Another view of the whole course

It was a great day.  The kids had a blast and so did I.  I am so glad I have Vicki to be by Battle Buddy during this deployment.  

I also wanted to post about something I'm asking Danny to do on his end & what I'm going to post here sometime later this week.  I brought up to him that I want to create a bucket list.  Not a bucket list for us--but a bucket list for what we want to do with the kids before they graduate high school.  So look for my list later this week!