Zoo Halloween '09

Last Tuesday evening we took Ella to Halloween at the Zoo. It was such a perfect evening, one of the rare warm fall days that we've had. I had never been there before, and had heard mixed reviews on it. We had received a coupon in the mail and decided to give it a go.
Ella had such a good time and was perfect while we were there. Believe me, that's shocking these days.....those Terrible 2's are hitting hard!! (But that's another blog post.) It was set up really well; very organized. There were thousands of pumpkins lining the walkway and people dressed up everywhere. All of that plus the few animals and other attractions really held Ella's attention.

We had just entered the zoo and rounded the corner and we saw a pumpkin with Ella's name carved into it, so we had to get a pic, of course! :)



Here she is, leading the way! If you can't tell, she's a ladybug this year. Our neighbor gave us the costume and it fits perfectly!



Here she is taking Brad through the maze. I'm surprised she kept her hood up the whole time. Maybe some of you remember the drama with the spider hat from last year??? If you need refreshed, look at the pic at the top of this blog! ;)



Of course we had to make a stop and see the fish. I think they've made quite a few appearances on this blog....



Ella is getting a "treat" from one of the stations. She really thought she was big stuff handing everyone her tickets. I can tell she hasn't been around candy too much because she would hand it right to me without a fight. :) I don't see it being that easy in the years to come...



In the barnyard area there were quite a few animals made out of pumpkins and gourds. They were really cool and Ella got a kick out of them too. Good thing, because it took her mind off the horse I promised would be there....but wasn't. Oops.





At the end of the night, she ended up with ten things, ranging from candy to a straw cup, and even Brad and I got a bag of chips and some coupons. She was so excited with her "loot", this is a pic we captured just as we walked out of the zoo. Don't think you can get a much bigger smile than that! Makes it worth it to see her so happy and appreciative!




And one last pic, a very happy, satisfied, and tired ladybug. :)





I would highly recommend this to anyone who's considering going, especially the younger kids. We had a great time and will definitely go again next year.