The San Diego Zoo

We spent an absolutely perfect day at the San Diego Zoo with our friends Crystal and Jimmy Tang. The weather couldn't have been any better - just the right amount of chill in the air to make walking the Zoo comfortable instead of hot and sweaty. No crowds at all. And the kids were on their best behavior.
(Pictures are posted at right. And in case you didn't know, if you use the slideshow function, you can't see the comments.)

Morning time was the best time to go as the animals were active and they were getting fed. Crys and Jimmy are Zoo members as they go there often but they kept commenting how they hadn't ever seen some of the animals this up close and personal before. Heck, I've never seen a hippo so up and close and personal before. I've always known they were huge animals but until I saw one just a few feet away, I never realized how massive they really are. In all the trips to the Wild Animal Park and the San Francisco Zoo that we've taken, I have to say that this trip to the SD Zoo was the best. Kael and Malia got to see a lot of animals really close and even saw a crocodile swim by. The monkeys were sitting as close as 10 feet (if that) instead of hidden in the trees and to Kael's absolute delight, all the insects in the Insect House were easily seen (and clearly feed growth hormones as they were gigantic mutant bugs).

Spending time with Jimmy and Crystal was of course very nice as we hadn't seen them in about a year. They are thinking about changing their DINK status to a Family of Three with the new year. At least Crystal is thinking about it -- Jimmy sounded a little surprised when I mentioned it.

Oops.

At least the kids were on their best behavior and didn't scare C/J off the family path. Malia kept asking Crystal to hold her so hopefully that plucked Crystal's maternal strings a bit more.

When asked by Crystal what his favorite animal was at the Zoo, Kael thought about it and said: "The crickets." Meaning the crickets he saw in the Bug House that managed to not get eaten by the mutant bugs. The feeder crickets. The ones that are sold for $0.15 a piece at Petco. Great. Good thing we got in free as Zoo Member Guests.

And my final comments on today will be my favorite Crystal Quotes (as said by someone who clearly has no children):

1) "Do you see that big hook? They use it to stab the cricket, rip it open and eat all their guts!"
Said to Kael in the Bug House when he asked what that big beetle was doing with the cricket.
(I'm calling you tonight if he has nightmares about beetles, crickets and guts.)

2) "I had to climb on top of the house and break the window to get in. I BROKE the window!"
Said to Kael when he asked what happened when she got stuck outside the house.

They came home from a trip to China, to find out she had the wrong keys to her parents' house, who were in Japan, and in her parents' house were her keys to her car and house. Crystal had to climb up to the 2nd story bathroom and evidently broke the bathroom window to get in.
(I'm sending you the bill for any broken windows.)

And my favorite:
3) "Did you know there's CANDY in there??"
Said to Kael (unprompted I have to say, he didn't ask her) after I told Kael the star-shaped things in his bug toy were pretty colored rocks. Rocks, Crystal. Not candy. Of course he believed her and not his mother so he's asked me a few times if he could eat his candy.
(Thanks. Thanks a lot.)