So Cal Days 8 & 9- San Diego Zoo & Home Bound!

Our last day was at the San Diego Zoo...and the first thing we went to see was the pandas.  We had brought a book about pandas to read to the boys while on the trip, so it was great for them to see the giant pandas (& a few red pandas) that they had just learned about.  We lucked out in that both pandas were out that morning, as they were closing the exhibit for the next three days to let them mate (& the female was removed shortly after we saw them for making too many mating noises & getting the male all wound up).

All they wanted to do was touch the elephants butt...of course.  A little someone also tried to showcase his butt too.  

Pretending to be Ryan  :-)  Sadly, Ryan is not offended by this, he is flattered and proud.  When I asked him how old he was going to be when he stopped sucking his thumb he told me, "Thirty two."  Which I'm fine with, only because then the cost of braces would be ALL on him.

Who wants to see beautiful animals from exotic, faraway lands when there's a playground at the park?!

The zoo staffer said she'd never seen the warthog do this before.

Teaching Ryan how to find calm in the middle of the stormy sea...

Thanks to Grandma...Ryan's latest obsession- souvenir penny smashing!

On the sky tram for the second time that day...

While riding the double decker bus out of the park...we managed to run into one of our best friends (who live 2 hours from the park)!  So Ryan got to see his sweet girlfriend for about 45 minutes.  :-)  They were so hyper and thrilled to be together again.

On our last night there the boys begged and begged to go to one of the many indoor playgrounds we saw each day, so we caved and took them to this one.

Nighty story with Uncle Joey, who changed the main character of the story's name to "Handsome Uncle Joey"...which resulted in hysterical laughter from all.