The Cleveland Zoo

Saturday we took a trip to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo with friends. Despite some rain in the afternoon, we had a really great time. Xavier and Ben had so much fun with the other kids and seeing all the animals, including elephants (they were getting their baths when we were there!), giraffes, zebras, stingrays (in a "touch" tank!), a hippo, monkeys, gorillas, chimpanzees, etc. I thought it was interesting that the chimpanzees were watching us just as much as we were watching them!

Here's my favorite picture of the day - I said "Xavier, mommy is going to take your picture." He looked at the monkey, and then turned towards me, smiling big.


How do you compare to the height of a newborn giraffe?? They're 6 ft tall at birth - Xavier, Ben, and Abby are about half as tall!




The kids had fun standing under a fan blowing cool mist - a welcome reprieve from the humidity!



Here are the lions, which, miraculously, were awake when we went by. Apparently, they sleep 22 hours a day!


Ben and Abby watching the lions.



And here's Ben making me nervous teetering on the brink of falling off of a wall by the lions.


Ben and Abby playing on a climbing structure. Ben said, "I'm going way up there, Mommy!" (Ben ends almost all his sentences with "mommy". Its very funny.)
He also told me, when we were looking at the hippo, "I want to go swimming with the hippo, Mommy." Um, no Ben, very bad idea.


This poor gorilla looked so forlorn and lonely. Or maybe he was just sensing the rain coming? Here are Nick and Ben watching him fiddle with a rope. He alternated between that and...


scratching his belly. :)


Xavier and Abby enjoying a relaxing moment at the end of the day.


Xavier was very happy when surprised by a zebra from our friends! Benny got a kangaroo, which he quickly named "Abby". Thanks again Lisa! Looking forward to seeing you all again soon!