Zoo day!

Our zoo class started on Thursday. I did my first class with Ladybug when she was about 20 months. She enjoyed it but we enjoyed it more when she was two. So I started Batman when he was two. He just wasn't ready so we are trying again at three and he did so good and it was very enjoyable.

I love the zoo classes because they schedule them in the off season so the zoo is very rarely busy. Even though there was snow on the ground, we headed down about two hours before our class and had some time to enjoy the day together.


I think if Batman would have had his way, he would have kicked all the snow piles off the bridge. It is hard on Batman to have an older sister because, he doesn't always get to do what he wants to do. With two kids, one can't run ahead and one stay behind, and I can't be chasing him around. He has lots of rules to stay with mommy, hold my hand, no running etc. So on rare occasions, I give him a little free reign. His only rule is if he wants to do something, he has to take mommy with him. So I let him make the decisions of where we were going, and how long we are going to spend at one place.

We enjoyed a little time outside. He had to walk back and forth on all the stumps that lead to the bathroom and here he is sitting on a big on to get his picture.

Isn't he a cutie!

The meercats came right up to him at the glass.

Another reason I love going in the off season and early in the morning, is you see a lot more of the interaction with the animals, watching them get feed, cleaning their cages and over all more moving around.

Here he was watching them clean one of the snake cages. He was siphoning the dirty water out into a bucket.

Then we got to watch them feed the Rhinoceros Iguana. One was named Lady and she was in her 20's and the other was a male and he was captured in the wild 46 years ago! They don't know how old he is. I have seen them fed before and it amazes me every time. The iguana's usually don't move but as soon as he comes to open the door the both head straight toward him. Funny also, he said Lady always picks out her fruit from the bowl before eating the lettuce.



We also got to watch him clean the fish tanks. Another worker was nice enough to come tell us he was taking a snake out of the cage so we went and watched him take the Indigo Snake (long black one) out of his cage and put him in trashcan full of water. He was letting him soak in the water because he is from a more moist environment and the water helps him shed his skin. Cool huh.

Now on to class. A little coloring to start out with.

Ms. Julie taught about Back yard animals today or animals that you would see here in TN. She brought out a bunch of stuffed animals for the kids to guess what they were. Ms. Julie has been teaching the class for five years now. She has done all the kids classes.

Out comes the big zebra!

And the long alligator.

And the opossum. Yep this one is alive. He was very tame.

Batman got to pet him.

And did you know the opossum likes goldfish (the cracker kind) for a treat!

Then she brought out a crow. This was the crows first visit with the program. She said she has been working with him for a while now. If you notice, she is holding on to his feet with her fingers. His name is Sculley (from x-files) and he got a little excited before she put him away. We couldn't pet him. His favorite treat was raisins.

Then our craft was an opossum. Batman painted glue onto the paper and decorated his opossum with craft balls.

After craft, they have a story time and snack.

Fun class today. Batman did great and we had a good day together!