Let's Go Fly a Kite ...

and go to the zoo, and ride a train, and have a picnic, and chase pigeons!

On Tuesday we loaded up the family and half the household all requisite items and headed off to the Houston Zoo in Hermann Park.  We made it through the highlights of the zoo before Sadie entered total toddler breakdown a period of fatigue.  Our first stop at the zoo was a pool with 2 sea lions in it.  We kept trying to tell her they were sea lions and she persistently countered us with her idea that they were dolphins.  She never did back down and we gave it a good 5 minutes.  School will be fun for her teachers, no?

 

"No, Daddy ... it's a DOLPHIN.  See?"

We saw tons of birds and antelopes and zebras before making it to the Children's Zoo and carousel.  Sadie really liked the carousel ... so much that she had to go around twice and at the end of the second time around she screamed so load all the wildlife quieted and bowed before her shrill jungle cry daintily dismounted her warthog steed and skipped merrily into my waiting arms and then it took two full grown adults and a 10 year old sibling to force her into the stroller where she was wheeled out of the children's area like Hannibal Lecter hopped directly into her stroller and even buckled herself in for safety.

 

 

As we continued on to the exit we were able to see the lions take a nap and the tigers take a nap and the giraffes and elephants.

 

 

Yes, Zoë was with us too ... just not that many photos of her.  Bad Mommy.

We exited the zoo and stopped by the van to pick up our picnic supplies and ventured into the park.  It was a great day - not too hot, not too cool with a nice breeze every now and again.  The park has a huge lake with pedal boats for rent and a miniature train that takes you around the park and museum district of downtown Houston.  We totally pigged out and then David took Sadie on the train ride while Zoë and I kicked back and told grosser than gross jokes discussed politics and human rights.  Sadie reluctantly returned from the train ride and immediately wanted to go back.  David later told me that the only way he could get her off the train was to tell her that she needed to come and tell me and Zoë about the train.  So she did ... and then she was ready to go back.  She was funny.  We had extra bread from our picnic so David and the girls went to feed the ducks and Sadie happened to see her newest fascination - PIGEONS. 

 

Still un-napped, Sadie threatened to unravel at any moment until we brought out the Pooh kite.  Oh boy ... I know I sound like a typical parent, but the 2 year old has natural kite-flying ability.  The 10 year old, not so much but David assures me that it was the wind in both circumstances.

 

 

We packed up for fear of hitting traffic before Zoë and David could do the pedal boats but we will definitely go back.  Sadie zonked out before we even hit the interstate and slept until we woke her up after we got home.  It was an awesome day.  I learned something interesting ... when you buy a zoo membership, the whole thing is tax deductible whereas if you pay as you go, it isn't.  So, if you have a zoo near you and intend upon visiting it frequently, not only does buying a membership pay for itself, it winds up being free at the end of the day.