Summer at the zoo

I'm not generally a big fan of zoos, but I swear that we have been to the Nashville zoo at least 2-3 times a month since March.  Tip -- membership is dirt cheap if your kid is under 2.  Annie loooves the zoo, and we love any place where we can arrive at 9:00 am (even on Sundays - woo hoo!) and get her good and tired before naptime!

We've had a recent breakthrough - instead of sitting on the little bench, she's started riding the giraffe on the merry-go-round!  Of course, now that she will ride the giraffe, she is obsessed with it.  (The parenting books would say she is "focused.")  Unfortunately you can't get to the elephant and giraffe exhibits without going past the merry-go-round, so she whines, points, says "music" and demonstrates her dancing skills the whole time we're looking at the elephants. 

She also loves he petting zoo area, where very patient goats allow small children (and adults) to brush them. Annie often feels the need to have two brushes.  She would probably take the whole bucket if she could carry them.

The zoo also has an amazing and huge playground that we have generally been able to avoid thus far.  Annie's still too little to run around on such a massive playground without us, but I am sure by next summer she'll be off and running.  Not that we'll be waiting for next summer.  I'm sure we'll still be there twice a month all winter long, come snow or sleet!