Lions, Tigers...& Pandas!

Oh my!  So you might think us a little crazy if I tell you that on our last day in D.C. before we loaded up in the car to make the long 6 to 8 hour drive home, we made one last stop AT THE ZOO!  But really, we couldn't have asked for a better end to our wonderful week.  Saturday turned out to be the only fair weather day of our whole trip, and the temperatures had risen back into the seasonably warm (almost hot) zone.  We rode the metro over to the Smithsonian National Zoo and spent a few hours in this national treasure.  One of the best parts of this zoo is definitely the panda exhibit, but there were plenty of other things to enjoy too.

First, we spotted a sweet zebra. 

Trying to get a picture with the boys. 

So sad that we didn't get to see the red pandas. 

We did get to see elephants though.  They are always a treat. 

This one was very playful rolling his ball around. 

Our Favorite! (I did go a little overboard with pictures but seeing the pandas was definitely a big opportunity for me.  They really put on such a cute show for us!)

At first, Mama Panda was enjoying some yummy bamboo. 

She was really getting with it!

Isn't she a cutie? 

Then, she needed to go potty and headed off for a little privacy. 

Evan wanted to know why her rear was brown.  I told him that if he was wearing white pants all the time and didn't have toilet paper to wipe, he'd have a dirty bottom too.  Haha!

She was a big girl.

Brody loved his nice view of the pandas from Daddy's shoulders.   There were tons of people at this exhibit, but Evan and I managed to get through the crowd for some good pictures.  Evan could squeeze right through to the front with no problem.  Ha!

For a while, we couldn't find baby panda anywhere.  People thought they could see him hiding up in a tree.  The zoo workers started throwing in some yummy apples to entice him out of the tree, and he finally came down.  

Mommy waiting for her baby to come out. 

Here he comes out of the tall grass. 

Sweet mama waiting for her baby. 

Like mama like baby. 

Baby panda thought he would go back up in his tree to hide.  He seemed to be a bit shy. 

He was so cute here trying to climb back up the tree.  

Then, he fell back out of the tree and rolled down the hill which appeared to really embarrass him.

Mama bear comes to check on her baby. 

Our next stop was the ape house which was quite hot and smelly inside.  That's just a little warning for you. 

I recently caught some of the old Planet of the Apes movie (yes, the Charlton Heston one), and this ape totally makes me think of them. 

This orangutan did not look very happy. 

This tiger appeared to just be enjoying a little morning nap. 

This tiger was a little more alert. 

Then, one of the tigers got thirsty. 

And this one was feeling quite playful and started playing with this bag. 

Looking very proud. 

Tigers are such pretty animals.  

The King of the Jungle

A beautiful lion. 

The orangutans were allowed to climb over our heads on these ropes. 

Brody's Favorite 

Brody had been enjoying riding the metro train all week, but he kept asking to ride "Puffer Pete."  Puffer Pete is a steam engine from his favorite train cartoon.  He finally got his wish as he rode this little train at the zoo which was like a mini version of Puffer Pete.  

This was a happy little boy.  Luckily, his big brother could ride with him. 

So cute peeking his little head out at me. 

Brody's choo choo. 

Climbing out like a big boy. 

There they go. 

A perfect ending to our trip making our little boy's dream come true!