Friday, May 30, 2008

San Diego Zoo...or...the death of a duckling

During our trip to San Diego, we never arrived at a park before noon because we spent too much time in the mornings just chatting and eating and getting ready, so we didn't get enough time at each park and we need to visit them again, but what time we did have there was a blast! Steve (Tasha's boyfriend/Dru's dad) had to work each day, and Cage (Tasha's-13 year-old daughter, whom I witnessed the birth of) had school each day, so it was usually just Tasha and Dru (her 3-year-old girl) and our family of 5.

The party started at the zoo! Ha ha! The girls outnumber the boys! My ankle had locked up the day before, but luckily it functioned properly here and I was able to walk the entire zoo just fine.

Obviously I'm the odd-man-out since I didn't have a hat. Unfortunately, I don't own one. But look how attractive our tongues are! Okay, maybe not, but we got most everyone to do the same thing in a picture, which is pretty incredible! Hyrum barely got his tongue out of his teeth, and Kiersa... well, she thought that when Tasha said "Stick out your tongue," she really meant "Look at your toes!"


All the little cuties! All we were missing was Cage, but she was in school that day.


We took the double-decker bus ride around the zoo at the beginning so we could see everything before-hand.


Oh! Look quick! It's the elusive Tianapotomus with one of her young!

Here's our E3 double stroller acting as a triple stroller since we didn't want to pack our umbrella stroller also. I can't tell you how much I love this jogger!!! I've already written an ode to it in an earlier blog, so I won't go off about it again, but I did see them everywhere in San Diego, and even the more updated Vibe, which I'm having a hard time not coveting. (Kiersa's in the back, you just can't see her very well.)

Tasha's single jogger's foot rest acted as a double seat when Talea wanted to ride with Dru.

It rained briefly during our visit to the zoo.

The San Diego zoo is one of the only places you'll see a panda bear. Shh! You have to whisper around the pandas.

Think hippos are cute? Want one for a pet? You'll need a litter box on your wall! They stick their hind ends out of the water and use their tail as a manure spreader to splatter their poo on the rocks! It's foul! Hyrum caught one in the act. The discoloration on the rock is the poo!!

"Nice one, Larry!"
"Yep. I know. I'd say I got it 3 feet wide that time."

It's a hippo attack! Talea's always willing to do funny poses that her dad puts her in. Hyatt just gets confused, so he's never a good candidate for the pictures.



This is what happens when I'm not around. Tilly asks Hyrum if she can "suck on the monkey's boobie" and he says "sure". Leave it to a dad! What about germs? What about people's reactions? Nothing embarrasses Hyrum! Apparently that's rubbed off on Talea.


Talearilla and Hyrumzee.

There was a baby gorilla there! Spring seems to be a great time for viewing babies at the zoo!

When we got to the zoo, there were 7 ducklings swimming around. SO adorable! When we were leaving, we noticed there were only 5. Hmmm. Strange. As we were adoring them, we witnessed a most cruel and uncalled for act of nature. A Great Blue Heron, normally a fish eater, maliciously stomped it's way over to the ducklings, plucked one out of the water after it futilely dove underwater for cover, and took off with it. The mother duck was furiously chasing it, and the flamingos even got ticked off and tried to attack it, but it just flew off with the poor duckling crying out for help. I just about jumped in the water to save it and would have thrown a rock if I could have found one. I know it's nature, but it was as horrifying to witness as watching a horse snatch up a baby kitten and eat it. Cranes eat fish, not fowl! Isn't that cannibalism? I'm still upset. I saw one fly by me today while I was jogging and I thought evil thoughts towards it because I also happened to be jogging by a mother duck and her 5 ducklings at the time. Vicious little piranha with wings!

Dru and Talea were all over the face-painting action, but Hyatt wanted nothing to do with it.


Decked out in face paint and holding the souvenir cup...is she a tourist or what!?

I love this little girl!

Running down the aviary ramps.
I love being the mother to such a sweet little boy!

The kids kept running too far away from us, so we started playing "Red light, green light" to keep the kids close. Tasha joined in the fun and froze in funny positions, and then Hyrum joined too.


There was a great animal show at the zoo!


Tilly was feigning sleep to have a good excuse to cuddle in Tasha's arms, as though she needed an excuse! Tasha's a great aunt!

My brother-in-law, Edward (Daisha's British hubby), has a fetish with all things badger, so when we went to the animal show and they had a badger, Tasha, Hyrum and I all had a good laugh thinking about Edward, and we took pictures for him. Yes, Edward, we did this just for you, but did you know badgers can dig faster than a person can dig with a shovel, or are you just a pseudo-enthusiast?

Teresa (one of Hyrum's little sisters) has been threatening that if I don't post more pictures of myself, she's going to do vile, unmentionable things to me. Okay, fine, that's a slight exaggeration. But I'll have you know that it is for her only that I'm posting so many pictures of myself. Hyrum went on a photos-of-Tiana spree for Teresa, so here you go. Get your fill!!!! It's likely that a drought is coming soon. I prefer to be behind the camera because I still look 5 months pregnant!! (I've been asked if I'm expecting again already.) Having a third baby and having it in my thirties is proving to be more than my body wanted to handle. It won't let go of the excess weight! (Thus the jogging, and most of you know I hate to run.) Just so you're aware, it's difficult to find a picture of my face, because when Hyrum takes the camera from me, this is what happens. Remember the shower tiling photo? Mmhhm. I told you!!
Now, I don't think my hind end is attractive, but I have to show you how often I'm surprised with these pictures when I download.
At the zoo...
Memorial Day Weekend '07...

A couple weekends ago (he told me he was getting me, so I covered)...

A year and a half ago...

Last month (I wanted a picture of the tile, but I had the feeling he'd be putting me in it too)...

During our last house remodel...

See what I mean? Anyway, on to faces.



The worst of worst things happened! I forgot my sling in the truck at the Medford airport! I had to make a makeshift one out of a blanket that luckily was big enough. (It's not near as good, by-the-way.)

Okay, that's enough.

No really, that's enough.

Now this is the way nature is meant to be. The males do all the strutting and fancying up, and the girls are allowed to look plain and normal. Now, why is it that human females wear the makeup and high heels and low cut shirts while the guys are wash and wear creatures? I'm still confused about that.

Yet another fancy male with a plain female. Hmmm.

At the end of a long day, Dru was not up to a silly photo session. "Can someone please get me out of here!"

"Look at how ridiculous he looks!"

"Oh, come on! Not you, too! Ugh. I'm surrounded by fools."

The San Diego Temple, in my opinion, is the most beautiful of the temples. It's only a couple of exits from Tasha's house. This was taken from the freeway on our way home from the zoo.

4 comments:

Austin said...

Great Pictures! I love the ones of your daughter and the gorilla statue. I don't think our kids would pose like that.

John-Maren Goodman said...

I'm so jealous! That would have been so much fun! You guys looked like you really enjoyed that trip! someday maybe a Utah trip will turn out that good! Really wish we were there. We miss you guys!

The Lanyons said...

How cute Tiana, looks like you had fun...although you should have been visiting us in England instead! On the other hand, the Brits might have died of embarassment if Tilly started breastfeeding from one of their statues - so maybe it's for the best!

Teresa Jolley said...

Your more beautiful then you give yourself credit for. I love pictures of you, You have thee most beautiful eyes and a gorgeous smile. Really I'm just giving compliments, not trying to come on to you.