Ball... Ball.... Airplane....Ball...

Or, the day we spent at the zoo.

I was lucky enough to snag a set of Culture Passes to the Phoenix Zoo last week at the library. Clay had a mandatory meeting on Monday, so Zane and I took Grandma and Grandad instead.

I was concerned about traffic since the zoo is on the opposite side of the valley and we were traveling during rush hour. I shouldn't have worried. We got to the zoo fifteen minutes before it opened. It is possible that Zane enjoyed his time in front of the zoo as much, if not more, than the actual zoo.

Why?

1. The zoo is VERY close to the airport. Loud, low-flying planes make Zane a happy boy.

2. There are turtles and ducks in the pond under the bridge at the entrance to the zoo. Zane tried to figure out how to climb over, around, and through the bars to get to the ducks and turtles.

3. The biggest reason that he loved the outside of the zoo was this giant ball. He couldn't get enough of the ball. When the zoo actually opened and we made our way inside, Zane threw a giant tantrum. He didn't want to leave the ball. Thankfully the airplanes continued to fly over once we were inside.

Although you can't really see, there is an elephant standing in the distance to the left of Zane. Take a look at the space between the second and third bamboo poles from the left. That is where Zane managed to squeeze three-quarters of his body through in an effort to get to the elephant before I caught him and pulled him back to our side of the fence.

I think it goes without saying that he wasn't even the slightest bit happy with me for not allowing him to go play with the elephant.

Every exhibit after that, Zane tried to figure out a way to get to the animals. He's a hands-on kind of guy.

So, we made our way to the area where touching the animals is actually encouraged.

 And Zane made some new friends. She was a little bashful, but Zane brought her out of her shell.

 Followed by meaningful talks about goats and life with Grandma.

Then it was on to the splash pad, where Zane practiced being a water monster.

Or maybe he was just doing The Wave.

In any case, balls and airplanes and goats and water, and grandparents make for a great day at the zoo.

But not elephants.