shred it: California Adventure- Day 18

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Its hard to believe it, but California is starting to feel like home! And having family around really helps :) Today we spent the most wonderful day with my aunt and uncle at the Los Angeles Zoo. We got there right when it opened and stayed until 3:00 in the afternoon! Very out of the ordinary for us, but we were all having such a great time that it was hard to call it a day simply because it was noon. The zoo was really fantastic. It is much more compact than the Detroit Zoo, so you don't feel like you are hiking six miles in between exhibits. And the animals... the animals were so active! Even though we have a zoo membership at home, sometimes its hard to drag ourselves there because half of the time you don't really get to see any animals because they are all hiding and/or laying around and it ends up being a tad boring for the boys. Maybe these LA animals are more used to the heat or maybe we just caught them on a good day, but it was almost like they were performers! We watched the monkeys climb and flip around, the chimps wrestle and chase, and the tigers playing in the pool and chasing each other all around. We even got to watch the elephant get a pedicure! Of course in between exhibits we got to see our own two little monkeys run wild. By the end of the afternoon, my aunt, my uncle, Jon, and I were all ready for a serious nap! It was so wonderful to spend the whole day with my aunt and uncle. When we first got to California and first went to their house, Caleb was quite fearful of my uncle... but by today they were holding hands and romping all over the zoo together like old friends. It was so sweet :)

The boys took a short nap on the way home. Jon and I stopped for an iced caramel macchiato and drove around a little bit. Although I miss my daily hour or two to myself that I get at home when the boys can nap on their own, its actually cool to drive around while they sleep and explore different parts of town! But we didn't let them sleep too long because it was already so late. So we came back home, made some dinner, and headed out to the park down the street for the evening. All of the parks here have sand instead of gravel or wood chips so its like a two for one bonus- playground and sand box! While the boys were sitting in the sand digging and Jon and I were off to the edge on the curb, a little boy who looked to be about 4 years old came up and asked the boys if he could play with them. We were pleasantly surprised when Caleb walked right up to him and asked him what his name was, then proceeded to introduce himself :) Of course Matthew also introduced himself as Caleb and then proceeded to laugh because he knew the kid wasn't in on the joke, but it was nice to see them mastering the proper etiquette on their own. Even if it did involve a little twin trickery :) Sometimes its the simplest things in life that bring so much pride and joy. And we got one more of those simple pleasures when we met a couple who was at the park with their 3 month old boy/girl twins. When we promised them that it does indeed get easier, the mom seemed so relieved to hear it that we sat and chatted for awhile. We talked about babywearing and breastfeeding and the unique challenges that only other parents of multiples can really understand. And when we all said goodbye and parted ways, Jon and I realized that we were the veterans offering that little bit of hope that so many people offered us back when we were sleepless, overwhelmed, and in way over our heads. All of a sudden we are the ones sleeping through the night, the ones who were able to breastfeed for 19 months, the ones who are raising 2 year old toddlers and smiling at the same time! It was at the same time so sad and so joyful for me.

Anyways- here are so photos from our great zoo adventure!!