Rain + zoo...

Seattle worked extremely hard this week to live up to its gray and drizzly reputation.

Somehow though, the rain here is different from rain anywhere else.

It's more like a perma-mist, if you will.

Meaning if you venture out into it, you'll get damp, but not unbearably soaked.

Also, when it rains here things get cheaper, which is awesome when you are poor like us.

The Woodland Park Zoo is a perfect example of this phenomenon -- rain = 50 percent off the admission price.

So off to the zoo we went.

In the car, Lola verbally planned out her strategy for feeding the animals the pretzels she insisted I pack for her.

But in true Lola fashion, the moment we pulled into the parking lot she panicked and begged us to take her home.

I am telling you, the Disneyland-induced terror lives on.

She refused to let me put her down, begging, "Mom, you have to make sure the animals don't eat me, OK?"

Where does she get this stuff?

My poor, sweet girl.

Our first stop was the penguin tank, and once I assured Lola the birds couldn't get through the very thick glass, she relaxed her death grip enough for me to breathe normally again.

She loved the leopards and immediately asked me if we could take one home with us to live with Adele and Jack.

How does one explain to her baby girl that this would most definitely not end well?

The gorillas were fascinating. 

I can't get over how human-like they are.

It's a little creepy, to be honest.

Lola assured me that the gorilla closest to her was not dead, just sleeping.

The Woodland Park Zoo is incredibly beautiful and unbelievably green.

It's like the Lake Como of zoos, as far as I'm concerned.

If I were an animal, I'd want to live here.

Lola was certain that a group of passing kids left the tracks above.

"Those kids are messy mom." 

The girl met her bird soulmate in the flamingo.

"Mom, they're PINK!!!"

Funny story -- since she's not big on posing for pictures these days, I had a difficult time getting her to hold still with the flamingos.  She scowled at me until the moment I offered her a lollipop for a smile.

This is what I got...

 My children will do just about anything for sugar, and I exploit this fact mercilessly.

Bad Jessica.

Great picture.

The hippos were a huge hit with my kids.

Lola was entranced and James wanted to jump in the water.

Speaking of James, the boy spent half the time growling in the stroller and the other squealing and squirming with joy -- particularly when he met the warthogs.

 Lola spent the majority of our outing searching for the elephants.

They needed her pretzels, and she was determined to make sure they got them.

Oh these babies of mine.

 We ended our afternoon with a ride on the solar-powered zoo carousel and a trip to the gift shop.

Three cheers for a lovely, rainy day at the zoo with my monkeys.

And since Reece loves zoos more than anyone, I'm sure we'll be back.

That is, if he hasn't left me for taking our children to the zoo without him...