At the Zoo

A few weeks ago Jason was out of town, so I took the girls to the National Zoo with my parents. Last time we went (years ago), it rained horribly and I was still nursing Vivian. This time, it was supposed to rain also--but the rain never came, the crowd was thin, and all the animals were out!!

Riding on the little bear


Following the Elephant Trail (this was their favorite!)




I think they are looking at meerkats


Butterfly Garden


We found a wild lizard (escapee, maybe?)


My Dad got lots of great pictures of animals (does your kid have a favorite? If we have a shot of it, we'll send an e-card!). Vivian recognized many species, and really enjoyed the elephants. E liked the lions (8 older cubs!), the reptile house (she loved to find all the camouflaged animals), and the otters. While we were watching the otters, a young family approached us with their daughter as they helped her out of her strollers--"Hey, we have the same shoes!" (SureStep AFOs). Their little girl was younger than Elena, but many similarities were there. It's always nice to see parents that "get it".

One thing I don't get, though, on a trip like this--TRANSPORT. I am always wondering the best way for E to get around places. In our case, the ideal method of transport is our (used) sit-n-stand. It's our go-to option when we have both kids--Elena can't fit in the front seat, so she gets the "big girl seat" in the back. It's easy for E to get in and out of, and she can kneel or sit or stand while we move around. But what do I do when Viv is too small for the front seat? Elena is proficient in her crutches, and getting better all the time...I want them to make a sit-or-stand where BOTH seats are sit OR stand. That would be perfect for the next few years.

Our expectation is that when going to a large park (like the zoo, or amusement park) E would use her crutches--and when she gets tired, take the train or skytram or something like that. I'm not completely opposed or ruling out a wheelchair or scooter, but they're so darn BIG I'm hoping we can just stay with the small/collapsable equipment.