On day 3 of our stay-cation last week, we headed out to the OC Zoo in Irvine Regional Park.
We had such an excellent day and learned a LOT too!
We had no idea about this little zoo just around the corner.
We had no idea about this little zoo just around the corner.
And, admission was only $2!
Aida worked intently on her scavenger hunt...such a neat educational idea to engage the older kids!
The petting zoo was a highlight for sure!
India insisted on kissing (and wrangling) all of the goats.
Boden liked brushing the biggest goat best (with his blue brush of course).
(Brodie's favorite)
Of course now we've been talked into chickens and goats (and ponies?!) of our own...
just need that property we've been waiting on...
Elka, our bird lover, was especially excited about the parrot who repeated everything she said!
"Hello, Elka!"
My personal favorite wasn't even an animal, but the beautiful covered wagon we passed on the way out.
I think I would have liked the prairie....
After the zoo, we had planned to go to the pony rides in particular for Olia who has always dreamed of riding a real pony...BUT...poor girl! She was too tall for the only size they had to ride that day! What are the odds?! Noble, Nova, and Boden had the time of their lives, though, and Olia was beyond understanding about the whole thing!
(Surprise! Mom and Dad have to...I mean get to...walk the ponies around the loop!)
...and...
SURPRISE!!!
On our way home from our Lake Arrowhead trip at the end of our week (which happened to be the weekend...the only time her size pony was available), we stopped off spontaneously to let Olia ride a pony after all...her brother too...
...and Olia's pony riding dream finally came true!!
After our pony rides and the zoo, we had a picnic in the park and made flower crowns like the ones I used to make on the field in elementary school...talk about memories rushing back when I saw those little flowers I hadn't seen since then.
30 years may have gone by, but I still remembered as if it were yesterday how to make them. Time flies...
All in all, it was a wonderful day of educational fun at the OC Zoo learning about God's creatures.
I'm sure we'll go back again next school year and perhaps we'll even have some new pets of our own by then.
Time will tell...
"So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm,
according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good."
according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good."
Genesis 1:21