Went to the Oakland Zoo this past weekend. It was really amazing -- built right into the hills, maintaining as much of the natural terrain and vegetation as possible. You can't even see it from the highway. It had a children's train and sky ride and petting zoo (none of which we actually got to this time around, but yes, I did pick up the application for a season pass).

We were there for most of the morning, and the kids talked SOLID for the whole 3 hours! Every plant had to be identified, every child was a potential victim of the terrible hugging duo, and every animal absolutely had to have a name -- we saw the Dawn Patrol (the elephants), and Simba (the lion) , and Sheer-Khan (the tiger), and then Chago wanted to see the merecats. Merecats, I tell you. What two-year old specifically requests 'merecats'? And then when we found them, he yells excitedly, "There he is! There he is! There's Timon!"

"Now where's Pumba, Mama?"

So, off to the warthogs we go.