The McCarty Family: Zooin' it up!

Last week by friend Brantley and I decided a trip to the zoo was in order...we are in the middle of spring weather here in the Midlands of SC and it was time to start taking advantage of it...so because Ruth Ann and I talk about everything at length I told her about our up coming trip to zoo with our friends. Then I realized I had a doctor's appointment that morning so I had to cancel...Brantley understood...Ruth Ann did not. We rescheduled for this Friday and while the temps were about 20 degrees cooler than last week it was still sunny. So because I wasn't going to cancel plans on Ruth Ann 2 weeks in a row...we bundled up and headed to the zoo. It was a perfect day...any day when I leave the zoo without sweat running down my back is a success in my book. The crowds weren't bad...although we did notice spring field trips are starting...that means the child to adult ratio is dangerously out of proportion! As always, our kids had a lot of fun...

You'll notice that most of the pictures are of the back of the children's heads. If you go to the zoo with a child...this is mostly what you look at all day.

Mason tried to joining the turtle exhibit! Brantley and I decided zoo keeper may be his future profession!

Arch & I had our wedding reception at the zoo. Here are our kids 5 years later outside of our reception venue...

This is my favorite animal at the zoo...I could watch this little black footed cat all day! Today they were more active than usual so I made Ruth Ann watch them longer than normal!

We really are so fortunate to have such a great zoo just a few miles from our house. This kangaroo/wallaby exhibit is so neat...you walk through their habitat...there is no fence separating you from the animals!

All the animals were so active today...I think they're happy to have warmer temperatures too. I don't think I've ever seen the flamingos stretch their necks out like this before...

We voted on riding the train or the ponies...both Mason & Ruth Ann decided the train looked more fun today...poor Roper needs to speak up around these two, but he looks like he had a fun time...

Because I had Tripp-man with me, Brantley had to be the parent to ride with the kids. I'm debating about calling the zoo out on this fact...they require children ride with an adult...and then they try to charge the adult $2 to ride! Anyway, while they rode...Tripp chilled out with me...

I snapped this picture as a reminder to myself as to why 3 children are not in my future...notice Brantley holding the hand of one child while holding the other on her hip...all the while the 3rd child roams free. While it's impossible for anyone to have children with their age combinations (Ruth Ann & Roper are only 6 months apart in age)...I still salute those who have or plan on having 3 children...I'm not strong enough to handle it! Brantley made it look easy...which is good because I'm hoping being a mother of 3 is in her future!

This picture makes me want to plant a field of tulips...

We headed back to the bird exhibit, but since I had Tripp once again Brantley was the parent to accompany all the children...

While I safely watched from outside the net I discovered my child may have inherited some of her Grammy's fear of birds...

Apparently a bird tried to land on her shoulder...that's enough to strike fear into the hearts of anyone...or is that just me and my mom??

But Brantley renewed her faith in the bird exhibit and she left a happy girl...

Before we left I asked Brantley to take a picture of me and babies. Is it just me or do all moms have more pictures of the kids with others rather than with their own mother?? I'm making it a goal to take more pictures with my kids this year!

And then I got one last picture with Ruth Ann and Tripp. Brantley commented on how if feels like yesterday that Mason was Roper's age sitting on the bronze animals at the zoo. In a year I'll probably start crying when I look at this picture because Tripp will look so much different...