Field Trip #1: A Little Zoo

I decided we should celebrate the first day of school this year by taking a field trip to the local zoo.

 Field trips happen very infrequently for us.  It can be pricey to take the whole family to places that require admission.  Last Christmas we received a year-long pass to local museums and zoos (best gift ever) that is due to expire this December.  So I thought it would be a perfect time to get in a field trip to the zoo (for free) and celebrate the new school year by starting it off with a bang.  I waited until the first week of school because homeschoolers get to do all the fun stuff when all the other kids are in school- no crowds!  Woohoo!  (Turns out, the zoo did not participate in the membership pass and so, didn't accept it for admission.  Whaaaaaaaaaa.  Thank goodness I had cash on me or the day would have gone very differently!  So much for the 'free' trip.)

We rarely go on field trips but little did I know how true the proverbial "when it rains, it pours" can be.  We were blessed with several opportunities for (actually) free field trips all within the first two weeks of school...which was fabulous and fun- but VERY busy and made getting the gears of homeschooling to turn well  quite a bit more difficult.

The next few posts will be devoted to these field trips.  And then maybe I can finally post pictures of Corynn and Judah's birthday (way back in September- like two days ago.  Or not.)  And maybe our anniversary trip.  (We took one!  In August.)  And maybe then, I'll be caught up enough to blog regularly again?  Ha. 

First Up: a trip to a very small, local zoo.    The whole zoo is only a mile from start to finish and the largest animal was the leopard.  Mostly smaller, more native animals in this zoo.  The free carousel was out of commission (BUMMER!) but we had a great time despite it.  My sister-in-law and her kiddos joined us, making it all the more fun.

The highlight of the day was when Andrew spontaneously jumped into a pile of ferns and caught a wild chipmunk.  What a surprise!  It was too late to warn against biting- it was already tucked safely in his hands- so everyone gave a little pet to the back of the not-very-enthusiastic chipmunks head before he was let go and scampered off. 

It made me happy that my grown-up thoughts of "Don't do that!  He'll bite you!" didn't have time enough to surface and prevent such a neat experience.  Grown up worries can be such downers! 

I love these kiddos and all the YES! moments they throw at me.  They keep things FUN.