I love summer.  I can’t say it enough.

According to Jacob, today was the hottest day in Chicago since August 5, 2006 (our wedding day :0).  We were crazy enough to get married in an un-airconditioned chapel, so why not be crazy enough to head to Brookfield Zoo with a great friend, a potty-training two and a half year old, and a 10 month old?

The very first thing Cohen said when he woke up this morning: time to go to the zoo!  And I have to admit– I was pretty excited myself.  I packed up the sunscreen, extra clothes, lunches, water bottles, etc. and we arrived at Courtney’s house 10 minutes early. (Did I mention we were very excited?)  Some highlites of the day:

Cohen (looking at water bucks, rhinos, giraffes, etc.):  “Woah! That’s cool!”

Cohen, with confidence (after stopping to stare inquisitively at the zoo map): “The lion’s are that way.  I checked it out.”

Cohen, grabbing Sophie (after arriving home and recalling how he saw a mama and baby orangutans )  “I’m the mama orangutan.  Sophie’s the baby.”  Pause/ Cohen stares down at his shirt.  He looks up at me “Cohen have bubbles?”  “Bubbles?” I ask.  He stills stares down at his shirt. Me: “Oh! Do you mean nipples?” He nods.  “Yep,” I say, “Everybody has nipples.”  Cohen: “Oh, I can feed the baby orangutan?”  Me: change the subject.

A fun kid image to end the day: Cohen running around the house after his bath with Sophie’s hooded monkey towel on his head billowing behind him like a cape..  Screaming: “I’m a orangatang!!!”  Then, later with his doctor pajamas on, “I’m Dr. Orangutan!”

Zoos are more than crowded, sticky, and smelly when you see them through the eyes of a kid.