unplanned field trip

mommy was unexpectedly at home with jack yesterday (as roxana was unexpectedly sick), so we made an impromptu, ad hoc and otherwise unplanned visit to the zoo yesteerday.

first stop, as always, was with the giant pandas ...

jack pretended to eat bamboo ...

and cuddled with the panda statue.

we saw mei xiang sleeping in a cave, and the "baby" -- who is now three years-old (and jack would hardly consider that a baby) -- tai shan, sleeping right next to the glass. sadly mommy was too busy fulfilling the plaintive request, "pick up meeee!!" to take photos. but it was a lot of fun to see them. however, soon enough, jack declared, "let's keep going," and we were off ...

... to the

construction???

yes. they are building a new elephant yard, and this might have been jack's favorite part of the visit. he did not want to stop watching all the trucks and machines at work.



eventually he was persuaded to go visit the current elephant house (background, left in the above picture) and when we arrived he declared, "it's stinky p.u. in here!" but, he decided we could stick around a while when he saw that the elephant was getting a bath.

we also witnessed a pachydermal pedicure ...

but soon it was, "let's keep going, mama" again and we went to find some monkeys. we didn't see too many gibbons or siamangs, but we did find a mirror in which to take our own picture ...

the orangu tans, however, were out on the "o-line," climbing freely above us, and jack reached up to try to grab them ...

"almost!"

if we couldn't catch the orangs, at least we could chase the armadillos. jack squealed with delighted as he and this armadillo ran back and forth, chasing one another through the glass.

and he enjoyed some hide-and-seek of his own with mommy as we headed to grab some lunch.

sometimes the best times are spontaneous and unplanned.

and that is the first and probably last time anyone will ever witness mommy utter those words.