Field Trips!

It's barely believable, given that it's mid-January, but recently we've have some daytime temperatures as high as 65 degrees. For a family of three just getting over our winter colds (and, therefore, beginning to feel a bit closed in), such weather provides a not-to-be-passed-up opportunity to enjoy a little bit of our great outdoors.

But, where to go? The park is probably pretty muddy from all the melting snow. The museums are all indoor excursions. Hmm... over the past month Jonah's interest in his two youngest housemates--our cats--has shot from virtually none to complete and utter fascination.  Maybe that means it's time to visit the zoo!

Yes, we took Jonah on his very first trip to the zoo last week.  There, playing to Jonah's tastes, we made a safari of exhibits featuring particularly large, active, or colorful animals. The flamingos were a hoot, for sure, with their bright pink parkas and loud, unapologetic squawks. The baby elephant and Jonah shared an obvious rapport. And, though the monkeys were disappointingly demure and the polar bears refused to take a swim through the underwater observation area, the fluorescent fish in the aquarium made for a fun finale.


Here are a couple of pics from our excursion:

There were two baby elephants at the
zoo (this is one).  Not as cute as Jonah,
but pretty cute nonetheless.

The ray and Jonah check each other out.

Earlier this month, we also took Jonah on a late-night romp through Phipps Conservatory.  Their winter light show closed shortly after Christmas, but we managed to catch it just before it ended.  Bright lights are always a hit with kids Jonah's age, and this experience was no exception.

Jonah and his dad check out
an outdoor light tree.

Inside the conservatory, we stopped for
a pic in front of the big Xmas tree.

So many new and exciting experiences, but this is just the beginning.  Looking forward to many more to come!