One of Toledo's greatest treasures is the Toledo Zoo. A family membership is one of my mommy "must haves". Every summer since Avery was a baby we've been members and it has saved my sanity. The girls and I love meeting up with friends for play dates or just an impromptu weekday morning trip on our own when we're getting a little stir crazy. I love that we can go for just a couple of hours, get home in time for lunch and naps, and not feel like we have to stay all day to get our money's worth (again, the joy of a membership). Since Avery, Norah, and I go so often throughout the summer on days when Erich is at work, I don't often think about the fact that Erich never gets to go too. We made it a goal to go once together as a family this summer and we finally squeezed a trip in at the end of August before preschool and other Fall activities started to book up the schedule. Since it was a special family date for us, we made it special by staying a little longer than usual and packing a picnic lunch, and splurging on a carousel ride and a ride on the African Safari train... (for just a couple bucks a piece, they aren't exactly a big splurge, but they are things we skip on a typical visit so it felt like a big deal to a sweet 3 year old).
Very sweaty Mommy and Avery riding the carousel in the 90+ degree heat. I love this old classic carousel at the zoo. They have a much newer, bigger, faster one near the main entrance. This smaller older one is tucked away off the beaten path but it's my favorite. It reminds me of the carousel scene in Mary Poppins!
Enjoying our packed lunch while Norah napped in the stroller. Avery thinks packing a lunch to eat at the zoo is such a hoot. I wonder how much longer until she realizes there are restaurants with very overpriced chicken nuggets all over the place. We'll ride the frugal "picnic" train as long as we can.
Norah and Daddy having fun on the African Safari Zoo Train.
Pretty girl enjoying the sun! She enjoyed the stroller rides at the zoo this year but didn't get too into the animals. I have a feeling next summer will be a whole new experience for her.
Erich and I came to the realization this summer that in order to make sure we were really enjoying quality family time together we had to make it a priority to schedule it into our busy lives. We've made it a point to physically write it into our calendar to do something fun together (trip to the zoo, apple orchard, going to the park together, etc) once a month and I think we are all loving the memories we are making. Our kids will only be small once. What a treasured time this is.
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