Where the Wild Things Are

Rawrrrr!

I can't tell you how much I have been looking forward to this Friday. After a week of report card madness, followed by a week of parent-teacher conferences, I really needed a break. Fortunately, my hard work was rewarded by a day of no school. Couple that with a recent Atlanta Zoo groupon and some picture perfect fall weather, and we had ourselves a wonderful day!

Animal-gazing...

Boo at the Zoo - such a fun time to visit!

Violet is at an ideal age for the zoo. She was excited to see the animals, but just as happy to play on the playground. It was so much fun watching her take it all in. There's nothing like experiencing something through your child's eyes. We took two spins on the carousel and I finally fulfilled a childhood fantasy of riding the train around the children's zoo.

I haven't been to the zoo in ages, but so much of it was just as I had remembered, albeit smaller. Isn't it funny the way the world appears on such a larger scale when we're spending most of our time looking up at it. I still remember my elementary school field trip to the zoo. We spent weeks leading up to the trip drawing our favorite animals. Usually everyone had a new favorite every day, but I always drew a peacock. Don't ask me why, I don't remember having an obsession with these proud birds before or ever since, but that was my animal at the time. Every time a peacock wandered across our path (because back then they just roamed freely) my classmates would excitedly point it out to me. I loved the attention - it was like the peacocks were my own special animal. (Also I was secretly amazed that my classmates even knew who I was - I was a pretty shy kid back in those days.)

On the train!

Finally getting to ride the train at the zoo.

On the carousel.

This expression pretty much sums up our day. My feelings exactly.