How to enjoy beautiful weather...

we go to the zoo! This trip to the zoo was almost the trip that never happened because Ruth Ann was told she had to clean up the playroom before we left. If you're feeling this may have been too much to ask a 2 year old let me say the following...
~I believe if they're capable of lifting toys out of the toy box then they are also capable of lifting these same toys back up off the floor where they left them and put away in the toy box...it's not like I was asking her to dust and vacuum...yet.
~I gave her plenty of time to do this task...30 minutes...and our play room is actually what should be our dining room, so it's pretty small.
~After 15 minutes of watching her pick one toy up only to sit back down to play with it I realized I needed to step in if this was going to ever happen.
~Then after many tears, one spanking and a few minutes spent in her room...she had 5 minutes left so I directed the rest of the picking up of toys. She kept telling me she was finished when clearly there were toys still left on the floor...most of them all around her feet. I remember telling my mom my room was clean when I was little only to have her walk in to find 10 things I didn't do...apparently Ruth Ann has inherited my childhood blind eye to a mess...how much longer until she grows out of this??

Finally, after her chore was complete, we loaded up to meet our friends at the zoo...with all the public school children from Richland and the surrounding counties. Luckily we like to go early, so we missed the biggest part of the crowds.



Another way we avoided the crowds was by hanging out at the playground. Ruth Ann started up this obstacle and my first thought was she is still too small to make her way up...



clearly I was wrong. I thought Ruth Ann and Christopher were the only 2 I caught in this picture...it wasn't until I loaded them to the computer that I noticed Mason made it into the picture too...barely.

Then someone sent a memo to Ruth Ann and Mason to make crazy faces when asked to look at the camera...resulting in these jewels...





Christopher enjoyed the slide...



And Roper climbed up the steps...



All the while Tripp-man snoozed...



But eventually sleeping through the excitement was too much for my little buggy...



Ruth Ann showed off her muscles...



And also did a little playground flirting...even though she came to the playground with 3 good looking boys...



The zoo has a carousel next to the playground, so after telling Ruth Ann 20 times to stay on the playground and hearing back her plea to go ride...we headed over. I didn't get to join in on the fun since I was on Tripp-man duty...



Again, it wasn't until the pictures were loaded that I realized Tripp made it into the picture...but only by his chubby little legs and feet!

I love this next picture because of how excited Ruth Ann looks.



Then we headed out...but stopped by to see the tiger, which I refer to as the Auburn Tiger. I asked Ruth Ann what she's suppose to say to the tiger...without missing a beat she raised her right arm and began to circle it around her head while saying "War Eagle, HEY!". I feel my duty as an Auburn mother is complete...now on to brainwashing teaching Tripp-man.