Holden was really excited for the St. Louis Zoo this summer because they now boast sharks that you can "pet" mixed in with the stingrays. I can think of more pleasant things, but he thought this was awesome! Of course we had to get the shark face paint when we arrived, and pose under the big shark in the entryway. :) For the record, we did see the sharks...they are very small which was just fine by me! None of them swam close enough for us to touch, which was also fine by me. Holden was slightly disappointed, but he got to feed the stingrays so he got over it.
The penguin exhibit is one of our favorites. It was a huge hit with Hunter! He loved them! We did have to move through the indoor part pretty quickly because it was SO cold and his little lips were trembling.
The carousel and the "choo-choo;" two stops we can't skip with little boys. Daddy was a good sport and handled the carousel since it makes me nauseous. We all rode the train together.
We hit the children's zoo at the perfect time; right before a thunderstorm/downpour! As a result, their indoor area was packed, but at least we stayed dry. The boys had a great time in there. I love how hands-on it is.
Once it stopped raining we headed to the outdoor children's area. It was a little wet and muddy, which made it all the better to Hunter. :)
Holden had a great time exploring, too. He really like climbing the big spider web. He's getting so big!
Hippo mouth shots! I couldn't get a good one of Hunter looking because he just kept scrambling out. Somewhere there are pictures of my brother and me in the same hippo when we were kids.
Even Daddy got in on the slide action.
Summer 2011: Hunter was as tall as a koala, and Holden was between the river otter and pygmy goat. Mommy didn't quite clear the llama, and Daddy just matched it.
As usual, we had to get our otter family pic. A few more years and I will be able to start making a collage of this yearly tradition. Cracks me up!
Holden made "Smiley the Penguin" at the zoo's Build-A-Bear shop. I also included a picture of him in the penguin exhibit. He just loves his stuffed animals! Hunter was snoozing in the stroller during the making of Smiley, so we got away with just making one animal. I am sure that was the last time we will be able to do that! Smiley is a low-maintenance pet and even makes water sounds when you squeeze his leg. Lol. 
I was so bummed that Hunter missed the elephants. They were really active, and one especially came right up close! Holden and a little group of boys were just enthralled with them...and equally so with the giant mounds of poop that they found hysterical. Ohhh boys! We also got to see one of the hippos swimming.
Watching the giraffes. Hunter had just woken up when we got there. Love his smushy, sleepy face and sweaty hair. Holden had the giraffes on our must-see list.
The boys at lunch: all smiles! We had a great day at the zoo together. It was the nicest weather that I've ever experienced there! Usually it's unbelievably hot. The animals were so active because it was much cooler-high 70's and breezy. 
