fun.

Yesterday we were a little more spontaneous.  Waking up to blue skies can do that, I suppose.  Turns out, an awesome day with my family is as simple as wandering Half Price Books for an hour before heading to the zoo.

Okay, I need to elaborate on the zoo.  I don't think I've ever had more fun at the zoo than I did yesterday.  Maybe it was the slightly chilly weather or the fact that people were probably still either post-Thanksgiving shopping or still in that post-turkey stupor, but the zoo parking lot was only half filled.  The animals were more energetic than I've ever seen them.  There were three giraffe following a keeper about as she tried to get their food placed properly.  One little gorilla girl was really trying to assert her bigness.  She was leaping all about, pounding her chest, teasing her older sister, throwing hay, and generally acting like a moody teenager.  She startled Hazel too.  The kids were all against the glass when the gorilla turned and stared straight at Hazel, who screeched before running over to me and Hans.  The hippos happily crunched on pumpkins while swimming, the elephant scootched closer to her keeper for a scratch, and the jaguar skulked along the glass, glancing occasionally at onlookers.  Hans even held an elephant tusk!  Pip said she loves the zoo so much she just couldn't stop running.

After the zoo, Hans even treated us to Seattle's Spaghetti Factory for dinner.  Hazel was so wiped, she was sound asleep by 6 on the drive home.