A Good Friday bike ride through the zoo

Today started out cold and rainy and by the time the rain quit and the sun came out at 2pm, we were ready to get out of the house! So after a few errands in town, we loaded up the bikes and headed to the zoo.

The Riders

We met this fine, stately gentleman

A handsome chap! He's a red tailed grandaddy monkey

We caught the baby zebra at nap time, unfortunately. I really wanted him to stand up!

The sun was out and they were all enjoying it!

Our wilderness guide took the time to inspect and show us some scat she found

And pointed out some other

Riding away

The little security guard, riding along on his little midget bike. What a KICK!! I'm so proud of him on his little bike!

And away they go. As they were departing Ella yells back, "Mom! Try to hurry so you're not as slow as last time!" Aw, thanks sweetie ;)

Our baby camel is growing up! I found it funny that she was working so hard to nibble the vegetation inside the zebra pen. Like she couldn't find enough elsewhere! I love our little zoo because they don't keep the camel's in pens :)

Christmas break/vacation!

Every year our office is closed the week between Christmas and New Years. So that means that we get the entire week off! Usually we try to go somewhere fun, but this year we opted to stay home. It was a good move. The roads are crazy busy this time of year and fuel is expensive, so we chose to spend our Christmas vacation... at home! I worked some half days the week before Christmas too, so we had a nice long break and spent some good quality family time together. I would like to say that we did a bunch of school but, um, no... ;)

During our break I tried to focus on the kids and not so much on myself (blush) or the Pack. We cooked together, went to the zoo, did crafts, went swimming (no pictures as I was swimming too!), scoped out our construction sight, played dress up with The Pack, had some water fun on the trampoline, and generally just tried to enjoy each other.

Each kid was able to achieve a major (in my book!) milestone as well. Frankie can now buckle his own seat belt and Ella can swim across the width of the big, deep pool, by herself! Life is so much easier when a child can bathe them self, buckle their own seat belt, and wipe :) Now two out of two of my kids can do that, thereby making my life so much easier!

And, we were also able to get rid of two cats and have the third one booked for a new home, as well! It is SO much better with three, rather than five, cats now!

So, without further adu, pictures!

Happy tots in our house that is under construction

Ella cooking pancakes. Yes, that is a huge pancake! And no, Ranger did not get it.

We also had a big time playing dress up! I think Madea looks smashing in pink.
Note Bridger's enthusiastic participation ;) He wouldn't leave the couch!

And who could look more handsome (and patient!) than Ranger?

Pull your pants up, Billy! Good grief!

These are the reasons that my couch looks like hell! Well, at least a part of the reason. We do seem to be a bit rough on furniture...

Jaws! This is the kitten that we're keeping. Frankie named her "Lucy" :).

This one kitten, that we gave away, LOVED to sleep on Billy

And obviously Billy didn't seem to mind in the least

These were not staged pictures - these two napped together for about 45 minutes!

We took the bike to the zoo

I liked the way Ella carried her jacket - in her teeth! Think she's been raised a little to closely with The Pack or something?

Looking for something

Whatever it was, I think Frankie found it!

We always see something unique when we visit the zoo, no matter how many times we go. This trip was somewhat of a dud, until we saw these zoo workers hauling away a drugged hartebeast!

Peanut gallery, overseeing the hartebeast removal

And I just couldn't help posting a picture of this little guy :)

The worthless African horse

Our house is coming along - slowly but surely!

Ella has an infatuation with the cement mixture

Luckily she refrained from jumping in it!

This is the interesting find that I discovered on Christmas morning. The Pack had somehow put the outside entry rug into their water! (?)

The wee ones playing with their Christmas moon dough

I was counting heads among The Pack and couldn't find Billy's. He was fast asleep under the mat, with his butt covered in moon dough!

I bathed the dogs while the kids jumped on the trampoline in their swimsuits splashing each other with water and the hose. I gave Sanyu a ridge, just like Billy's!
So, there are just a few pictures from our wonderful Christmas vacation, which is about to come to an end :( Work and golf starts next week so it's back to reality!

Christmas party at the ZOO!!!

Today we had our annual office Christmas party -at the zoo again! Now it's been a while since we've been to the zoo. It's a crime really. We are zoo lovers and sort of feel that this is "our" zoo. Our zoo pass expired in April and since that one was such a pain in the arse to get, I just put off getting another. So we were good and ready to return to the zoo today! And wouldn't you know it, I was able to EASILY get another zoo pass, too! The first quote the gal gave me was 250,000 for a years pass and I was like, "Um... no!" but then she "lowered" it 100,000. Yeah, I think someone was wanting a little extra Christmas bonus!

Oh how we missed our zoo - and we were THRILLED to see the new baby elephant that is resident there, too!

The tots are finally big enough and coordinated enough to work a teeter totter by themselves! Helps that Frankie weighs 20 kilos and Ella 22 :). That's right - Ella is only 2 kilo's heavier than Frankie, who is 2.5 years younger! That boy is PACKED.

Ella and our spunky little friend (who is moving in January -crap) riding the camel! I think it was our little friends first time and her parents were pretty surprised. You never know just what will happen with your kid when you send them off with the H's... Which is probably why I rarely if ever babysit! Your tot just may end up on the back of a camel :)

Frankie, our little camel lover and enthusiast, actually missed out on the camel ride because of - get this- a TOOTHPICK.

Our office group ate first and the kids (and I!) had a blast because we didn't sit together. Frankie and Ella sat with Simon, who works one day a week at our house when he's not at the office. Well, Frankie got into the "control Simon" mode and was having a ball.

We headed out to the playground and were diverted by the camel laying there, ready for riding. Frankie decided to run back to the restaurant while the girls were boarding the camel, to tell Simon to bring him a toothpick (!), oblivious to my shouts.

The girls got on and Frankie happily came back, as happy as a clam. Soon after, Simon came out with Frankie's requested toothpicks and proceeded to pick Frankie's teeth for him!!!

Now, my kids don't get much opportunity to so openly exploit the kind intentions of adults like that, so Frankie was pretty smug. The smugness turned into absolute shock (and horror) though after the girls got off the camel and we had to join the rest of the group before he got a ride! He did not cry but fixed me with his steely glare for the next 30 minutes or so. He did not want to hang with the girls, much less me, but he can not have fun when burdened to control adults. So I insisted that he stay with us and by the end of the time he was having fun again!

"Merry X-Mas!" Courtesy of the crocodiles. Ha ha ha!!

Nothing is better than visiting the zoo, unless you can do it with twenty of your best friends! Oh my, did Ella ever enjoy herself! She got every ones thoughts, feelings and opinions on their favorite animals, the most scariest animals, you name it!

Lydia, Irene and Prossy

The office crew. We all work together in the office in EBB. Not everyone could come, but this was most of us. We're a fun bunch :) I love working with these folks!

The four EBB "missionary kids." There would have been more "normal" kids there too but two went to their mothers office party at the Serena and the other three were recovering from their circumcisions. Ha! I just love Uganda :)

This way of exercising your kid is somewhat like a hamster wheel. Our little friend would run around and around in circles pushing, while my two did tricks on top :) Gone are the days of just sitting on it. My little ones are growing up!

So big! Notice Ella's bare feet. Again - I just love Uganda!

Frankie climbs up the play area much like a floppy or drugged little monkey

Then he jumps off! Absolutely no fear! I mean, I had fear that he'd break a leg and have to go to the hospital, but he sure didn't have any!

And of course, what one must do the other must also do

I had read in the newspaper a couple of months ago that the zoo had gotten an orphaned baby elephant from Queen E park, and we were hoping to see it. It wasn't on display yet though, so no luck. Until we were heading out and there it was, being exercised in the waterbuck and forest hog pen! The little guy/gal (I didn't find out which) is six months old.

It was amazing to watch him use his little nose to touch things. It reminded me just of the way a baby touches everything! Ella was worried that he'd eat his nose :)

All the poor waterbuck were like, "Holy crap! What's that?!!!!"

And last but not least... "Coke does the body good!"