The Nebraska Fillemans: 7 hour trip to the zoo!! WOOHOO!!

Last week we took a 7 hour trip to the zoo! As zoo members, that is a record! Usually we go, see a few exhibits, and are out of there in plenty of time for naps....3 hours max. With a zoo pass, we can go back as often as we want...so why stay longer right? Well...this day was meant to be short, but it turned into SO much longer...and SO much more. It was Member Appreciation Day, so they had goodies at every turn. For example, they had thes big bouncies....the kids loved them, and in years past this day has been hot, miserable and busy. This particular Member Day had magnificent weather, it was fun, and it really wasn't busy at all...the MOST we had to stand in ANY line was 5 minutes....and that was for these bouncies! The first picture is Cam coming down...then Jake...the Kenna.

Anyway, I told the kids that this day would be a day that we would do different things. We always seem to do the same things...the same exhibits everytime we go. So this time, we would do things we don't normally do...or I don't normally LET them do...like the petting zoo, the train...and the carasoul (however you spell that).

So, we started in the petting zoo....then headed to the train (which was free for members...hence why we did it). Then to the Carasoul...which wasn't free...but it was something we don't normally do...so viola! After the Carasoul, we went to the Aviary...we don't normally do this because Cam doesn't like birds...and they aren't my favorite...but if you have read any of my blogs in the past, they are Major's ABSOLUTE favorite...so we went in for Major, and because we don't normally do it. He LOVED it. He kept pointing and grunting and saying, "WHOA", "OOOHHH", etc. He was so sweet!

Then we did something we normally do...but only as a bypass to the next area that we don't normally do. We went through the gorillas, but we went quickly!

This Orangatang was hanging upside down...I thought it was amusing and had to take a picture!

Then we went to the Aquarium...no pics sorry. We DO normally go to the Aquarium...but this day we got to go ABOVE the Aquarium to see how everything up there works....so we were looking DOWN on the sharks and other sea life instead of at them. It was interesting! Then we went to the Animal Hospital, open only on Member Appreciation day to the public. That was interesting! When Cam saw a picture on the wall in the reproductive area...of two camels...um...."doing it"....he said, "Mom...are they breeding"? I said, "Yes, they are.", and moved right along. Jake said, "What's breeding mom?" Cam put his hand on his shoulder and said, "Don't worry about it Jake, you'll find out someday." I was floored! They don't need to know this stuff....NOT YET!!! :-) Then in a different area...the Madagascar area of the hospital a scientist noticed Cam looking at a picture of a Madagascar Lemur....the ones with the great big eyes! She said, "Do you know WHY they have such big eyes young man?" He said matter of factly, "Yeah...so they can see at night." She kinda disappointedly said, "Oh.....well, do you know why they need to see at night?" Again, matter of factlly he said, "Yeah because they are nocturnal." She goes, "Oh...well do you know what Nocturnal means?" Sounding a bit irritated he goes, "Yeah, it means they sleep during the day and are awake at night." Now...it was her turn to sound irritated, she goes, "Well...why do they need to be noctural then?" Kinda in a "DUH" voice, Cam says, "So they don't get eaten by predators." She goes, "Well...aren't you the little smarty pants!" And walked away!! I couldn't stand it any longer, I about fell over with laughter! Well...he DOES want to be a zookeeper he says. He has said that since he was 2 years old and knew what a zookeeper was! Anyway, after viewing the Radiology department and the surgery department we ventured over to the giraffe's where we got to have a birds eye view of them and how they are fed as they opened up the zookeeper only area for us to go through.

Next we went over to the Garden of the Senses. Major LOVED the Parrots over there that talked to him!!

Then we did the Butterflies...actually, we did that BEFORE the giraffes...I really don't like that exhibit...but I do it for my children! Then we went on the Skyfari. Now...let me just say, I LOVE scary rides...the scarier, the higher, the wilder, the better. But...if you read one of my previous posts, you know that I DON'T like slow, in the air rides, like ferris wheels...or ski lifts. The Skyfari is essentially a ski lift. It was me and my 4 children...how was this going to work? They let Cam and Jake go alone...even though Cam was 2 years younger than the age they have to be to ride with someone other than an adult. No...I didn't lie about his age...the woman showed me some grace and realized I didn't want to go on this darn thing more than once. So, she let Cam and Jake ride behind me.

I had MaKenna and Major. Now...Major at this point is tired and whiney and very squirrly...if you know what I mean. He was on my lap and I was holding ALMOST everybody's sandales because you couldn't wear flip flops on the ride. So...I was holding a 19 month old who may or may not cooperate, 3 pairs of flip flops, my purse and my daughter hanging onto one of my arms. I began envisioning worse case scenaries as we ventured over the Cheetahs. Major did just fine...but in my mind....he wasn't....then I started getting light headed and sick to my stomach, I thought I might hurl....then I saw the headline the next morning, "Woman throws up and passes out on Skyfari, dropping 19 month old into Cheetah exhibit in the process." Seeing that headline in my mind's eye made me sicker. I honestly wasn't sure if I would make it!!!! But I did! Whew...and Major did fine until the last 20 feet....he was ready to be done....but I could deal with 20 feet!

To wrap up the day, we ate dinner in the Treetops restaurant which is above the Tropcial Rain forest. You can watch the rainforest through glass walls while you ate. It was tons of fun and something we have never done. What I never knew was they sell the SAME exact thing as the rest of the zoo....at the same price...but with bigger selection...and it is in an air conditioned room, overlooking the rain forest! I will go back there more often!! I always figured it would cost more or something! So, I was excited!!