Feast with the Beasts (AND with the BEST[cousins]!)

Indeed.

This was a GREAT Thanksgiving. Thanks to the awesomeness of my Cousins, Animals, and the letter Y. Okay, not the letter Y.

For the past week I haven't even known for sure WHERE we were having Thanksgiving. It's been all "Oh, in Vegas with [Uncle J and Aunt J]" (Padre's favorite brother) one day then "We'll stay here and invite [Ostlparkwells] over here"(meaning Mom's favorite sister, Aunt Clare & Uncle Lynn/T-La & Les and their 3 adorable boys, Gabe, Caleb, and Elijah/Megs & Jakey/and probably Uncle-who's-not-really-our-Uncle Pat). So even though I kept pressing for REAL PLANS I got none, So I had to plan for either... like trying to get together a hotel workable travel cage for the suggies. And Nani was sick and on twice daily meds. Only weather seemed to be a major factor with Vegas. BUT having just moved to the new house, that seemed a stressful thing if we stayed. I just kept trying to get firm plans so I could KNOW where we were. And I kept trying to get a promise of if we are in Vegas, to go to the Secret Garden again to see the tigers and lions and dolphins and such. And if we DIDN'T go to Vegas to take everyone to the ZOO! Because I have been mounting a campaign to go to the zoo for a WHILE and zoos are more fun with people. Especially little people. But I really didn't know the plans for SURE till the day before and the AWESOME Ostleparkwells had us over THERE and PLUS ALSO I didn't know that it was a SPECIAL zoo day... Feast with the Beasts!

I am sorry to say, we missed some of it (Like the cool stuff on this video :O( )because of my stupidness in waking up. I really hate that about me A LOT. BUT we still got to see a lot of fun things. We saw the elephants squishing little (meaning NORMAL sized) pumpkins and eating them, black bears eating veggies out of turkey pinatas, the tiger completely snubbing a meat-filled pumpkin in true cattitude, etc. It was awesome! And the little boys had LOTS of cute comments. Because, well, they are cute.

We arrived at Hogle Zoo and picked up the schedule of the feeding. We started rushing down to the Black Bears which were being fed right then BUT got distracted by the fact that the elephants were smooshing pumpkins and eating them! It was so cute!

(Meggy and I later decided that Pumpkin would be a really great name FOR an elephant. We didn't know they liked them so much! But they seemed to really think they were delicious!)

Anyway, when we got to the Black Bears we realized a few things. First of all, that the "featured" animal being fed meant it was REALLY hard to get close and so it was hard for the kiddlets to see them and second of all, that the bears were NOT being fed turkey. Instead, they were being fed veggies and stuff in a Turkey-shaped pinata! The first part was disappointing, but the second part was funny. (The second part was disappointing to PADRE who kept saying they should feed the carnivores LIVE turkeys. Umm, yeah, like THAT wouldn't traumatize the children for life! YIKES!!! Besides, I think the bears (omnivores) seemed plenty impressed with their carrots, sweet potatoes, etc.)The whole time Caleb kept saying he wanted to see the "crocodiles and alligators." He told me they were his favorite animal. We THOUGHT they were in a certain exhibit that we kept passing so we were very glad to see a couple lazy little crocodiles in the reptile house. However, for all his excitement, apparently, Caleb was really SCARED of them. He kept asking us about the glass and touching it to be sure it was still THERE (thank you, Harry Potter.) He stared at them very bravely, though, for a LONG time. He also whispered, very seriously to me, "I think THAT crocodile is LOOKING AT ME."
"Are you sure, Caleb?"
He nodded, looking a little terrified.
"well, would you like to leave?"
"NO."
"Okay. We can keep watching them."
THEN, one of the crocs (the one NOT looking at him) actually moved. Caleb leaped back towards Megan pretty quickly. He DID go back up though... after checking the glass again since "that one came over closer to us!"

I think he was pretty proud of his bravery. So was I, and well, it was pretty dang cute.

One of our favorite animals was the Tiger. Part of the reason Megs and *I* loved it so much was because of how sad the old "cat house" used to make us when the Tiger would just pace around inside looking miserable and how much happier he looks now. Also he is just a BEAUTIFUL animal. I love that cat!!!!

We was just so... chill. Like, oh, no problem that you are all watching me... I think I will just siddle up to the glass and take a nice COOOOOOL bath. Ahhh.





Awesome awesome awesome.

Aaaand... Rinny randomly started dancing by the carousel while the boys had a potty break. And so did Padre. Scary.


ANYWAY, moving on...

The Ape House was hilarious. The little boys AND the apes were both adorable. There was a Gorilla, I think it was, and he had a blanket over it's head like it was sulking or something. Little Eli goes, "I think he's saying 'I'm in time out.'" We cracked up, but so did random strangers who passed the quote around and just cooed over his cuteness.

And then we watched Acara the UBER DARLING baby orangutan show off like crazy. She stood on a bucket, put hay IN a bucket, did somersaults, made faces... everything RIGHT in front of us, like LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME! I AM SOOOO CUTE! (She is right. She IS.)

*sigh* I SOOO love apes.

I also loved when the drinking fountain didn't work, but still got THIS expectant face.

And when we rode the Zoofari Express and Gabe wore a conductor hat.

And when Eli thought he was Hercules pushing that ball in the water.
The zoo was just a really fun time all around. I already want to go back. BUT by this time we were all really ready for T-La's EXTRORDINARY sweet potatoes. (and, for some reason, Mac&Cheese?) so we left and played the funniest game of "Eye Spy" I have ever heard in my LIFE. Adults included.

"..do YOU know what it is anymore, Caleb?" "Umm... I'll go again."

"..something Goldenrod..."

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!