Just like Zoo TV, except more fun.

We’ve all recovered from that nasty bout of food poisoning, thanks for all the concern you guys! Kirsten basically slept for 20 hours on Friday and woke up on Saturday morning looking her spritely usual self, smiling and toddling around so we knew she was much better. So yesterday, we decided to bring the kids out for a bit of fun at the zoo. Again. Because who can resist a trip to the zoo?

I mean, wild animals + a huge water play area = great success.

During our last trip down, baby girl was still too young to appreciate the awesomeness that is the zoo but this time, she was loving every moment of it. Even the snakes and slimy lizards, which is more than I can say for myself (more on that later).

Oh, here’s a tip if you’re planning to bring your kids to the zoo: Rent the wagon. At $15, it’s a bit pricey but it’s worth every cent, especially if you’ve got 2 kids who are too young to walk long distances and too old to sit still on the pram. It’s easy to maneuver and we managed to get the kids to stay on the wagon for the entire time, which is very impressive considering how my kids seem to have ants in their pants all the time.

In fact, I’m so impressed I’m thinking of buying one so they can sit still during all our shopping trips and excursions. Anyone knows where I can get something like this?

Then when Tru gets bored sitting in the wagon, he can actually get out and pull his sister on the wagon while we stroll on beside him and shout words of encouragement.

There was a lot of peering at animals, pointing at animals, waving excitedly at animals while we pretended to know the difference between leopard and jaguar prints. I was all like, “look at the size of that rosette with spots in the middle – definitely a jaguar.” Then the husband was like “but look at the distinct shape of the skull and the jaw, it’s got to be a leopard. You know, the kind of thing we do to entertain ourselves when staring at cats get a little boring.

The white tigers were pretty awesome though. Kirsten was trying to speak to it in various pitches of roars and Tru wanted to go touch it but seeing how the last guy who tried that stunt got eaten, we weren’t entirely keen on the idea.

The other animals were pretty standard, like flamingos and elephants and scaly reptily lizards and the kids looked on as we took them on a real life National Geographic lesson. They got to learn stuff and we got to sound smart and important. Total win-win situation.

Speaking of lizards, we saw this vile creature displayed on the glass top in the reptile enclosure. So obviously, I stood some distance away and asked the zoo person if it was real or not because come on, it looks like it’s alive and very malevolent.

And the lady was all like “Oh, it’s 90% real because it’s stuffed. Would you like to touch it?” and she brought it closer to me. But then of course all I heard was “it’s real and it’s coming to eat you” and the only thing you do when someone offers you something that looks like that is this. You scream and run for your life and don’t look back. Which I did. At which point the husband fell on the floor shrieking with laughter and the other visitors in my immediate vicinity started smirking.

All I can say is if it was real, my strong survival instincts will make sure that I’m the last person standing while all you other brave souls get devoured by giant lizards. Just saying.