All Aboard the Zoo-Choo Train

Callie loves the zoo and Callie LOVES trains.  If you ask her what she wants for Christmas she will immediately say, "Choo Choo Rain" and she means the big table with all the tracks and trains on it.  We recently spent one pleasant afternoon at the zoo with Mimi and Yoo-Hoo where Callie got to ride the train.  It was a perfect day because it was after the big Zoo-Boo Halloween crowds and so there were very few other people around.  We are zoo members so we hope to spend some more pleasant winter afternoons with some of our favorite furry and scaly friends.

This was my favorite zoo friend of the day.  I love his color and am just amazed at how many times he can fold himself up.  I guess it's comfy...but it reminds me of those days where I eat too much and my tummy is spilling over the top of my jeans!

Callie may be turning into "Little Miss Independent" but she still wants her daddy time.

It was a little difficult to all stay on the turtle!

 Just a group of playful otters out on a nice day!  The real otters were hibernating.

 When Callie saw we were nearing this cavernous lion enclosure, she asked if that was where the dinosaurs were!

 Oh boy!  Train time!

 Kisses for Daddy.

Poor Yoo-Hoo has to contort himself much like that snake to make sure Callie can reach one of his fingers to hold.  You should see how he has to twist his arm from the passenger seat of the car to reach back to her car-seat.  Mimi and I have to lay down the law on the hand-holding while he is driving, though!  In those instances, she will resign herself to holding Mimi or Mommy's hand!

And speaking of fuzzy friends, here are a few pictures of Callie and her fuzzy brothers.  She regularly says that she "wuvs" them now.  She will throw herself on one of them and say, "Aww, Wuv Ollie" (or Poe Poe or Hecker - she can't say Chester yet) as she flattens whichever unsuspecting napping feline she encouters.  Both Poe and Ollie will patiently lay there while she loves on them.  Chester is still afraid of her and that makes him her favorite one to chase since he is always running from her.  He doesn't get mad at her or strike at her, but he will run and hide as soon as he wiggles out from under her.  Ollie has surprised us the most.  He is the least tolerant cat we have but he LOVES Callie and is happy to be her pillow any time she wants.  He is usually purring away even when she is trying to ride him like a horse.  And he misses her at night and nap time and frequently gets in trouble for standing in her doorway and meowing.  We call him our rooster.  It's cute but very annoying!

 They will lay like this for a long time.  Sometimes she demands that he sit by her when she is playing in the floor.  That is when I think she really needs a dog because cats are just not THAT obedient.

 My poor childhood pet, Zack, had to wear lots of different outfits.  Not sure Ollie will put up with too many wardrobe changes the way Zacky-Dog did, but at least he does do hats!

And when Ollie won't wear one, she knows Yoo-Hoo will!

Ollie even gets the pleasure of "flying" in the laundry basket with Callie.  Matt's mouth looks funny in this picture because he has to make constant WWII fighter jet noises.

Chester is a sitting duck when he gets on Mommy's lap.  Callie often asks me to hold him in place for her since she can't usually catch him herself.