For Josh’s birthday last week, Josh took the day off work and we went to the Los Angeles Zoo. We took a different route through the zoo than last time so Eleanor got to see some animals that we didn’t get to see on our last trip.

Pelicans, not condors. They stank like fish.

We checked out the petting zoo at the children’s area. Eleanor go to pet a goat, but not for long. I was concerned that because of the multitudes of running, screaming children, the goats, although appearing to be pretty docile, would go on a rampage with children being tossed about by headbutting goats. Goats have a reputation for that type of behavior right?

Maybe those beards just make me leery.

After pretending to be groundhogs, we got to pet some other animals at petting stations throughout the park.

Eleanor was pretty excited about the monkeys. I’m pretty sure they remind her of Curious George, even though George is a chimp and therefore technically an ape and not a monkey, but what do toddlers know anyway.

Because it was a weekday, the park was fairly empty aside from the occasional roaming pack of field trip students. Which meant that Eleanor was able to run free for most of the day, rather than being held, strapped into her stroller, or forced to hold our hands.

She was pretty happy about that.

The meerkats are fun because they are always out basking in the sun on this rock.

Eleanor loved them and decided to try to climb in to get a closer look, or perhaps join their meerkat family.

Like everywhere we go Eleanor made some friends. As usual they were offended by her lack of respect for their personal space, as she gets right up in their faces to examine them and the bows in their hair.

Also as usual, they take off running when they’ve decided that they are through with her intrusions.

Eleanor was exhausted after our long morning at the zoo, and fell to sleep immediately upon being strapped into the car and slept the whole ride home.

Up next: a swimming lesson for Eleanor, and a birthday dinner.