Portland Zoo

Since we had AMAZING weather this last weekend, we decided that we would take advantage and go to the Portland Zoo. It was a warm 83*, but we had so much fun. I was a little worried that it would really do me in with all of the heat and the walking, but I did pretty well. Once we got home I noticed that I was swollen, but it was pretty much par for the course. :)

Tucker was SO much fun to watch. He loved seeing all of the animals. He patiently waited in his stroller while we were in line to get tickets. I was so worried that the line was going to be a mile long because it was the first really nice day. But I was pleasantly surprised to see short lines. Tucker really didn’t have much of a clue as to what was going on… …until we walked into the park and were greeted by a few of these at the first exhibit.    I got so wrapped up in how close the bears were to us as we went along, that I was an idiot and didn’t take very many pictures. The picture below though makes me laugh because Tucker would stick his hand through and growl like a bear as if he were talking to them. He’s such a funny kid. :)

These pictures didn’t turn out so great, but we were able to see a beautiful eagle. Tucker wasn’t really able to see him because he was blending too much into his surroundings.

We were also fortunate enough to come across Benny the Beaver (OSU Mascot, for those of you who don’t know). David made sure to tell Tucker that the Beaver’s name was Benny. In the first picture you can kind of see that Tucker was clapping because he was seeing Benny. :) I’m not sure who was more excited though, me or Tucker. I had never seen a beaver before, and I couldn’t get over the size of this guy. He was HUGE!

  Now, let me tell you a little story. That morning Tucker was in the shower with me so we could save time. We were talking about the different animals we would see at the zoo. I went through the basics; tigers, bears, birds, elephant, etc. Then, Tucker says, “Cow, mooooo.” I laughed and said, “I don’t think there will be a cow there, but maybe.” So, you can imagine my surprise when we walk out of one of the tunnels and come across a farm-type section. There were cows, chickens, goats and a pigs. Tucker was SO excited to see a cow, as you can see in this picture. He looks weird but he had just finished clapping and was saying, “Cow!”

Another exciting thing for our little Bubba was this guy that we came across…

   I didn’t see it right away, but all I heard was Tucker growling up a storm. So when I realized what was going on, we had to get a picture. This was the first time has has smiled for a picture in a long time. Silly little boy! :)

We ended our day with a ride on the train. This was Tucker’s very first time on a train, and I was AMAZED at how well he sat. He had his own little seat and sat like such a big boy. I couldn’t help but watch him and think about how quickly he is growing up. I just kept thinking how much he looked like a little boy on the school bus for his first day of kindergarten.    Along our train ride we saw a couple of bald eagles in their cages, a family of elephants (So cute), and a whole bunch of dinosaurs from the special attraction at the zoo right now. We had such a GREAT time at the zoo. In addition to the animals mentioned above we saw Monkey’s, a Tiger, a TON of fish (which, by the way, Tucker surprised us by knowing what a turtle is right away), HUGE Polar Bears and other various animals. We were only able to see half of the zoo because of a tired Momma and a nap-deprived toddler. But, since we live so close, we figure it will make for a fun day to go back again soon and see the other animals. We are hoping to take advantage of the next 2 1/2 months before the baby comes, and take Tucker to a bunch of the fun attractions so he can really enjoy them. Although, I don’t know who has more fun, Tucker being a kid, or David and I watching him. I’m pretty sure it’s a draw! :)