Seahorses At The winter Zoo

Today we went to the zoo. Even though I've had membership for 2 1/2 years this is the first time we've been in the winter. Essentially this means that the bears are asleep. I love the bears. They're so big and near and, well, wild animal-like. It was shame we didn't see them and a shame for them that they miss Hanukkah every year.

I've said it before about the zoo - you think you learned all the animals in kindergarten and then you get to the zoo and find you've never even heard of most of the animals. I always learn something new. In honour if the 8 nights of Hanukkah, here are 8 things I learned at the zoo today:

1. Bears really do hibernate for the winter (and miss the whole of Hanukkah).

2. Even when they work at the zoo, the bears get the winter off for hibernation.

3. There really are such things as seahorses and they really look like the Yardley soap-on-a-rope I got when I was about 12. Actually they're even more beautiful in shades of sparkly blue and delicate gold.

4. I've never eaten shrimp in my life. I saw live shrimp today for the first time (i.e. outside of an M&S food dept). The reason I've never eaten them may be because they're not kosher but, having seen live ones I can tell you, there's more than one reason for not eating a shrimp.

5. Tilapia, Nile Perch, and St Peter's Fish (from the Sea of Galilee) are one and the same. We know about tilapia from Eric Carle's Mr Seahorse. The female lays her eggs in the male's mouth for safekeeping until they hatch don't you know. #don'tevengothere

6. Crocodiles really do sleep with their eyes open. And wild crocodiles were hunted in Israel as recently as 1905.

7. Even though you've been to the zoo 100 times and have 1000 photos of it on your computer, you shouldn't leave your camera at home.

8. When you are 4 the most exciting things are the zoo train and the possibility of buying an ice-lolly. We didn't buy an ice-lolly but we did see an elephant doing a big wee-wee and kaki which was adequate compensation for not being allowed an ice-lolly.

As it's still Hanukkah and I don't have any new pictures of the zoo, here is an a capella mashup of modern and ancient Hanukkah songs:

First Day Of The Holiday - I Was Wrong

Some of you will know from my comments on other blogs or from meeting me in the street, I was dreading the summer holidays. Even though DD's nursery only broke up yesterday and her new nursery starts in less than three weeks (19 days to be precise), I was dreading filling the time in this hot weather, with no car and limited funds. I think I may still be traumatised from two years ago, despite the pleasant surprise of last year that prompted this post: What a Difference. (Btw, I just reread this post. What an idiot I am, I should have reread it weeks ago.)



Reading the map

Anyway, I was dreading it and I was wrong. It started last night when I wasn't so anxious for her to fall asleep as I knew I could let her sleep in today. This morning she woke up at 8.30 and joined me in my bed for another 20 minutes - no rushing against the clock, no fighting over getting dressed.... We had a leisurely breakfast in which we discovered that DD loves wholegrain honey covered cornflakes without milk (you remember I had to ask the nursery teacher) but digs out the almond and pecan pieces for me. So that's breakfast sorted.

So I wrote on our local mothers' fb group that we were off to the zoo and would love to meet up for a picnic lunch and left my mobile number. No one called but it turned out to be an amazing day just the two of us. I've only ever managed 2 1/2 hours at the zoo tops because we get too hot and exhausted usually and then we've had enough. Today we were there for 5 1/2 hours and we enjoyed every minute of it. Here's what we did differently:

1. We didn't have the buggy with us (first time at the zoo) and it actually freed us up a lot, especially in terms of short-cuts over the grass or up stairs. I was more willing to explore something involving steps, I didn't have to keep an eye on it and keep going back for it. And with one small backpack, I found the whole thing much less exhausting.

We were frequent flyers on the train

2. I let DD go at her own pace. We had the whole day ahead of us with no one else to worry about, no one to keep up with, wonder if they are getting bored with our slow pace, meet for the picnic at a certain time or place. We hopped on and off the train, we stopped to play on the grass for half an hour, we ate our picnic in increments - one item at a time sitting in the shade and chatting. I let DD go exploring wherever she fancied so there were no conflicts of interest. We were totally relaxed all day. We even went round the aquarium about four times. Eventually we did find Nemo (and Dory) so it was worth it.

Nemo and Dory are alive and well in the Jerusalem Zoo

Water-vapour fans kept us cool

3. It wasn't as hot or crowded as I had feared. Maybe the lack of buggy, my recent weight loss and no set plans made me more laid back and less tired, which rubbed off on DD? Who knows but we were both in great moods. We loved the fans with water vapour along the route to keep people cool. Cool!

4. I discovered things I've never seen before and we went to places we don't usually have time for. For example, there's an area with a big poster of animal footprints and all the prints are set in the concrete on the floor. You can find the prints on the ground and identify the different animals.

All the footprints on the poster are also on the ground

Cecil and Susie look nothing like this

5. We left the Zoo just in time for our weekly visit to Cecil and Susie for tea. By the time we walked home from them at 6pm it was all I could do to get some supper down DD before she fell asleep. Result!

6. I renewed our yearly subscription to the zoo and next week I will be buying a month's pass to a local swimming pool. To have two major outings on tap and paid for is a huge weight off my mind and well worth the cost (which isn't exorbitant).



You know the annoying expression - cheer up it may never happen. That.

There are also meerkats in this enclosure, not just DDs

Uh oh, the DD is escaping!