Two Plus a Handful: Nomading Midwest Trip, Day 9 and 10: Cincinnati

Wednesday morning we went to the zoo. Clara got us in free on her membership, but then had an appointment to go to, so she didn't stay. It was really nice for her to get us in, though! We've got a membership to our zoo and go monthly, so we just focused on seeing the animals we don't have in our zoo. At that, we were still there 3-4 hours. I didn't catch the time exactly.

{Four, Three, Five}

{Suzie, Three, Two}

I love all the bamboo!

The Africa habitat was amazing. Animals that would normally share space in Africa and think nothing of it were all kept together. Vultures, gazelles, ostriches, wildebeests, crowned cranes, pelicans, kudus, guineafowl, impalas. It was just a little mind blowing to see it in real life.

Not even September, still hot and humid enough that sweat was dripping down my back, and leaves were changing color already. I'll believe it when I feel it, Fall.

We saw Fiona the hippo, and we astonished zookeepers with our ignorance of her. Fiona was born prematurely, 200 pounds too light. People came from all over the world to see her. Everyone thought she was going to die. But Fiona is The Hippo Who Lived. Here she is with her momma, trying to push her out of the way from blockading the waterway. Momma would not be moved.

The kids were fascinated by the fish hanging out by the hippo's skin. I explained that the fish are eating bugs that stay on the hippo's skin, thus helping the hippo and the fish.

We rode the train! Clara gave me her membership card to use when she left, so we were able to ride that for free, too. Five would not stop harassing me every time he heard the whistle. After we rode, he happily chirped, "That's my train!" The rest of the zoo time was much more peaceful once we got that boy his train ride!

Riding the rear-facing back row.

{One, Five, Three, Two}

Sad faces with Four

Flamingos really are pink!

In the bird house.

{One, Two, Three}

{Five}

Rhinoceros hornbill

Penguins!!!

I love manatees and can't ever get away without singing "Barrrrbara manatee! (Manatee, manatee!) You are the one for me! (One for me, one for me!)"

Two loved the dome that went into the habitat.

{Two, Four, One}

Tree lights by the insect house!

{Five, Three}

{Two, Four}

Butterfly!

Flower display of what's growing in the zoo.

{Four, Five, Two}

In the Reptile House not long after we finished listening to The Reptile Room (book #2 of A Series of Unfortunate Events). Two is with her "Slytherin" banner.

Look at these covers in the parking lot! They're solar panels and I just can't express how much I love solar! Also, good idea for my home zoo...

Popsicles on the doorstep.

{One, me, Five, Four, Two, Three}

Saying goodbye to Clara and Suzie so we could head over to Rex and Delsi's house for our sleepover.

Two and Three's interpretation of "sad face" is to pretend to scream, "Wahhh!"

{Two, Five, Suzie, One, Three, Four, Clara}

Five's favorite picture pose.

We got to Rex and Delsi's an hour late. They were super understanding though, recognizing that my day plans of zoo and visiting more cousins would probably leave me late for dinner. I had to drive out of the way to get to Scott and Ally's house (another cousin and wife) because we wanted a little cousin time there (even if it only ended up being 15 minutes) and needed to pick up some headbands Ally had gotten for my girls. With traffic and heavy rain, the drives were very slow. Yet another cousin, Craig, came over to Rex and Delsi's for dinner. I hadn't seen him in 3 years. Craig had to leave after dinner, but the rest of us played hide-and-seek, Chinese jump rope (leave it to Delsi!), and Just Dance. Michael and Suzie swung by for a quick picture since I hadn't gotten one with him earlier. It was so funny seeing Michael and Rex together. They're just as goofy together as they were growing up (cousins, not brothers) and the three of us hadn't been together for I don't even know how many years. Michael demonstrated a turkey call impression, which Rex practiced with him, and I suggested they follow Sheldon Cooper's example and practice Mongolian throat singing. I'm pretty sure Michael would be excellent at it!

{Four, Delsi, Five, Two, Suzie, Michael, One, Three, Rex}

I'm learning that my kids are much more cooperative with smiling and looking at the camera for a picture if I let them do a silly one afterward.

Just Dance

Two telling Rex all about her friends. Five is just there for the cuddles.

Rex and Delsi cooked us pancakes for breakfast before they had to go to work. Four was too tired to eat breakfast and just fell back asleep on the couch. The kids wanted another picture with Rex. Four didn't want to be left, so she came out, but just couldn't even.

{Three, Four, Rex, Two, One, Five}