The ZOO

Evie and Braylen get enough hand-me-downs from various families, so in lieu of more crap in my house toys and clothes, I am encouraging "experience gifts" from grandparents for birthdays and holidays.  There are quite a few great children museums and activities in the area that can be pricey to do.  A family membership is a great way to experience these places with my kids and it's ok if we are only there for one hour.

Pops and Paula got the ball rolling by giving us a membership to the Maryland Zoo for Evie's birthday.  I've gone twice with the kids this summer.  

Outing #1- June with Hettinger cousins (and Auntie L)

Look how tall Evie is!  That mop of hair is Cole :)

The zoo is pretty much a zoo.  The part I remember most is the kids playing musical stroller seats.  Braylen was the only one who nicely stayed in his assigned seat the entire trip.  The rest were fighting over who sat where.  Auntie Laura ended up with 3 kids on her double stroller... and about 6 water bottles on board.

This is a picture for the ages

Outing #2 August with Lisa and Emily

This time I ditched the heavy stroller and used my more-storage-friendly side-by-side stroller.  We anticipated musical stroller seats again.  We didn't factor in Emily getting upset when Braylen rode in her single stroller... So sometimes we pushed around our bags in the strollers and carried kids.  You know how it is.

The polar bears are worth a membership.  This polar bear planted
himself right by the cool air. 

The ostriches were in the water

Evie watched the elephants for a long time

The crew for this outing

Get ready for Evie and Emily cuteness!

Running to see the lion

Emily was scared on the tram ride, so Evie held her hand.

Another end of the zoo picture :)

Next time, we are taking Daddy.  I felt like I ran a marathon when I got home.  9 more months of zoo adventures.  Let me know if you want to join us on our next trip.

Thanks Pops and Paula for a fun, free event!  My guest are enjoying the discount they receive too!