Labor Day at the Lincoln Children's Zoo

The Harvey family was blessed to get to spend time with both sides of our family over Labor Day this year.  The Johansens drove up to Nebraska from Oklahoma on Friday, and stayed until Monday.  Baby President was so excited to get to see Grandpa, Gramma, and Aunt Kiley!

The big event of the weekend was taking Baby Prez to the zoo for the first time.  After lunch, we all loaded up and headed to the Lincoln Children's Zoo.

We arrived at the zoo just in time to watch the Humboldt Penguins get fed.  Baby Prez had a great view from Daddy's shoulders.  Then we checked out the Amur Leopard!  Baby President wasn't sure whether he should be excited or scared, but Miss Coco was right there with him and they looked at the leopard together.

Miss Coco got to feed the Dromedary Camels and the Nubian and Pigmy Goats. And she had the chance to pet a Frilled Lizard, several different turtles, a rabbit and goats. She thought the lizard was pretty neat and wants to volunteer at the zoo next summer once she's old enough!  She also found a real bald eagle nest.  It was huge and pretty cool!

In the butterfly house, Baby Prez thought the rocks were way cooler than the butterflies!  We also saw a momma ring-tailed lemur with her babies hanging out on her back.  They were just adorable.  There's nothing like the love between a momma and her babies.

Feeding the goats was one of Baby President's favorite parts of the afternoon.  Gramma helped him out and showed him how to feed them. He was fascinated by the goats and was surprised when they ate the food out of his hand!  We also enjoyed watching the squirrel monkeys.  Daddy propped Baby Prez so that he could get a front-row seat!

We tried to find the lion, but it turned out to be a fake plastic lion that "eats" trash. Not cool.  Instead, we walked over to the aviary to see the Snowy Egret, Wood Duck, Tawny Frogmouth, Scarlet Ibis, and the Great Malay Argus Pheasant, where Miss Coco tried to scare the birds and then got scared of them herself.  Silly girl!  And Baby Prez tried to escape into the habitat by limboing under the rope barrier.  Silly boy.  (Later, he tried to jump into the koi pond, so this was a recurring theme).

Our first trip to the zoo with Baby Prez was a success.  I love the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, but the Lincoln Children's Zoo was perfect for our family.  (Luckily, we had a great navigator who loved reading the guide map.)  We got to see some great animals, and it was the perfect size for an afternoon with a toddler.  Baby Prez saw everything without getting too tired and cranky.  And it wasn't too busy.  Baby President walked around most of the zoo, and we only used the stroller a few times.  I would definitely recommend the Lincoln Children's Zoo to families with small children.  

Have a fantastic day!  Bye, bye!