simon's 5th birthday zoo party

this weekend we celebrated simon's 5th birthday

at the seneca park zoo.

as the hosts of the party,

we got there earlier than our guests,

and when our room wasn't ready for us,

we had fun visiting with the animals.

(orangutan)

(white handed gibbon)

(meerkat)

(golden lion tamarin)

(vulture)

(vulture...he gets twice the "air time"

because he was so cool)

the first part of the party

was in a festively decorated room,

which was just big enough for simon, toby

and 7 of simon's friends.

the room came equipped with a party hostess,

who first gave the kids a craft to do.

the kids made animal puppets,...

...which they then used

to torture one another.

after the kids made animal puppets,

three real animals were introduced,

including "mr. legs."

mr. legs is an african millipede.

his many legs worked perfectly

in concert with one another.

mr. legs is still young.

full grown, he will be the size

of a hot dog!

the kids were offered to "pet" mr. legs.

simon wasn't so sure about it.

toby wasn't quite as reluctant.

after mr. legs came "ice,"

the albino hedgehog.

the kids were instructed to pet ice

by stroking in the direction of her spines.

simon looks here as if he didn't

heed the party hostess' advice.

the afternoon's final guest was "badger,"

a bearded dragon.

toby noted the beautiful patterns

on badger's back,

which he was told were a form of

camouflage in the desert sand.

simon was as tentative about badger

as he had been about the two animals

which preceded him.

once again, toby didn't seem

too bothered about touching badger.

i think simon was happy when

the animal presentation was over,

at which time he got to blow out 

his "5" candle.

instead of a cake, we served the kids

"dirt and worms," which was messy and fun,

and seemed suited to a visit to the zoo.

all the kids enjoyed the dessert,

despite this look on toby's face.

when dessert was over,

the kids readied themselves to play outside,

donning croc hats they found

in their gift bags.

i suppose having seen three animals up close,

the kids were more interested once outside

in playing than in seeing more.

here are "the three musketeers,"

toby, simon and a friend who is both

in toby's kindergarten class

(and soccer team!)

and in the boys' after-care program.

though the boys were unquestionably

more interested in play,

there was one animal simon

was very eager to see.

seneca park zoo is home to three

mexican wolves, as gorgeous in real life

as the wolf on simon's t-shirt.

(thank you, aunt lesley!)

after a visit with the wolves,

the three musketeers became four,

and the boys moseyed on

to the africa exhibit.

once the bigger boys took off - 

and all but one of simon's party guests

were kindergarteners, unlike himself - 

simon had no chance of keeping up.

though he may not have kept up,

he eventually caught up, 

with time to spare for a portrait no less.

toby and the rest were too busy

unearthing fake animal bones...

...to even notice this gorgeous lion,

who was getting ready himself to play.

behind the lion playing with his tire

is a bus to nowhere.

the boys enjoyed playing

on the double decker,

where simon - once again - stopped

for a photo op.

   

simon is at least better at posing

than toby,

who puffs out his chest unnaturally

when asked to pause 

for the camera.

seriously, could toby be any stiffer?

(and why does simon look so suspicious?)

anyhow, it was really a very nice party.

we were very glad to spend 

our afternoon at the zoo!