Along with the Bayly Bank, Teag and I also give our kids points for different things; random acts of kindness, being helpful with out being asked, etc. They never know when they're going to get them, but once they've earned a certain amount, they're qualified for different prizes. A special treat, an activity with mom or dad, or a dinner with mom or dad. We're not trying to bribe good behavior out of them, we're mostly just trying to foster a positive atmosphere in our home.
After trailing behind her sisters for awhile, Rory finally earned enough points for her special activity a few days ago. As such, we decided to take her to the zoo and see the new Rocky Shores exhibit that recently opened. First up though, was the elephants.
Rory exclaimed over how large they were, but she was most interested in seeing the baby. Suri isn't all that small anymore, but Rory was satisfied.
The new exhibit is really quite spectacular! Not only is it much more modern looking, they have new animals that Hogle Zoo hadn't had in the past, including seals, bald eagles, and a variety of bears, including a polar bear. The polar bear wasn't around for viewing that day, however. But Rory seemed rather pleased at being able to view the Grizzlies up close.
The sea lions and seals were awesome to watch! They would swim in circles, and right next to the glass, which all the kids loved. You can see one right next to Rory's head in the picture below.
Finn accompanied us, and loved being out and about. I can't say whether or not he cared about any of the animals, but he liked the walk at least!
Rory kept begging to see the giraffes, so she was quite excited when we finally made our way there. The three giraffes behind us had their backs to another giraffe behind them. It was very odd, like he was being ostracized or something. All four of them just sat there, barely moving other than to stick their long blue tongues out and lick their faces.
As we were walking along one of the paths, we came across this family of geese with their little group of goslings. They had no fear of people at all, but we still kept Rory a safe distance away. Those fluffy little goslings were adorable!
And no zoo trip is complete without measuring your child against the gorilla silhouettes!
Speaking of gorilla's, all three of them were indoors, so we got to see them up close. The big male one in the background even pounded his chest when one of the smaller gorillas came in his enclosure. Rory decided to put on a show for him, but I don't think he was impressed.
It was a lovely, sun-filled Spring day, and it was a great way to spend a few hours. The new exhibits are definitely worth a look, and an African Savannah exhibit will be opening in 2014 as well. If it's done as well as Rocky Shores was, I'm looking forward to seeing it!
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