Zoo Day

The weather yesterday was GORGEOUS! More like a September day instead of the start of November. The boys didn't have school and I had the day off to be with them. My original plan had been to take care of chores and things around the house, but Wesley convinced me to take him and Ryan out to the zoo. I am so glad I listened to him.

 It was perfect at the zoo! The temperature outside meant the animals were actually moving around, and it wasn't crowded since every other school district had a regular day. So it was pretty much us and the preschoolers. Of course that only served to remind me of when my guys were the preschoolers at the zoo.  Time really does fly.

Love this picture. It perfectly captures who they are right now. Ryan is still a aiming to please and so lovey. Wesley is a full blown tweenager and just too chill.

He may be ten, but he still likes to climb the letters in Habitat Hollow

 
We spent quite a bit of time in the Africa area of the zoo. Ryan and Grandma watch the lion cubs for a very long time and Wesley and I hung out at the cheetah enclosure. That little bit of time together with Wesley - just the two of us - felt so precious as he's getting older. And I learned something new about him. I learned cheetahs are his favorite wild animal.

Of course, half the fun of going to the zoo is playing and posing on the statues. Wesley is much less likely to just smile nicely, but he cracked me up with all his poses.

Very cute picture of Ryan and then there's Wesley who looks like he just smelled elephant dung. 

And then there's this.  How does he look so old here?  I'm not ready for this!

Despite looking (and acting) like a tween/teen most of the day, Wesley completely fell in love with a stuffed cheetah that Grandma so graciously purchased for him - and one for Ryan too. He named it and slept with it last night. I guess he's still a little kid in some ways.