DEAN, ALLY, BLAIRE & IRELAND: Weekends

Weekends are great. I get to spend more than a half hour a day with Blaire and also get a little face time with Ally. The weather has been absolutely beautiful here for the last couple of weeks, something I've had to observe from my office window for the most part, so the weekends also provide an opportunity to get out and enjoy LA's best feature- clear sunny days.

Last week we took Blaire to the LA Zoo. When Ally first suggested it, my response was "LA has a zoo?" That's how well I've done getting out and seeing the sights of our fair city. Yes, LA has a beautiful zoo, and going there is like going anywhere else in LA...difficult and crowded. We circled the parking lot for about 10min before finding a spot, and then waited in a "Splash Mountain" sized line to purchase a ticket to get into the actual park. In just a shade under an hour we finally gained entrance and began the experience.

A couple of notes here about the zoo for those novices out there like myself:
1) Don't go in the middle of the afternoon. This is when animals sleep. Lions are much less interesting when they are huddled in a giant cat-mass in the corner, napping. And no matter how cool you think Koala's are, when they are sleeping on a branch and all you see is an arm peeking out from behind the leaves, they lack luster.
2) Wear sunscreen. Zoos aren't as shady as you might think.
3) Don't bring a 6 month old. Your child may have started noticing your pet cat and may even track the occasional squirrel outside the window, but I'm willing to bet she isn't prepared for a couple of hours of animal showcasing (especially sleeping animals).

Blaire had fun with the flamingos as we first walked into the park, but lost interest quickly thereafter. By the time we got to the Giraffes she was o-v-e-r it. Having said all that, we had a fun afternoon as a family and I thought it was still worth the time and money.