I took the boys to a local zoo (one hour from home) last week since they are starting school soon (the oldest already started school) and summer will be coming to an end.  I wanted to have a really fun day together and make lots of wonderful memories - and we did. They had a blast from the moment we arrived until the moment we left.  It is a small zoo that is easily explored in a couple of hours.  We saw some exhibits more than once.  They were so excited about the rain forest that we had to tour it twice.  

There is a really nice playground, water play area, and picnic area adjacent to the zoo so we made a day of it and spent the afternoon playing, eating, and having fun.  The boys were on cloud nine and we didn't have a single melt down, even when they were hot and tired.  We did have two sleepers on the drive home.  So much fun does bring on exhaustion.  

They couldn't resist sitting on this tiger statue.  My oldest said "Don't worry Mommy the tiger isn't real.  He won't eat me."  

The boys love the wallaroos.  The wallaroos were resting when we visited them.  They are completely enclosed in a large fence, but I am amazed at the short fence along the sidewalk in the wallaroo exhibit.  Visitors walk through a large heavy door to enter the wallaroos pen, but then the fence inside is so short.  

Last summer we came with some friends and a toddler climbed over the short fence and started walking around the wallaroos pen.  His Mom quickly stepped over and grabbed him.  The wallaroos must be harmless for the zoo staff to trust them with such a short fence.  It does make for excellent wallaroo viewing.  

One of the highlights was the carousel ride.  

Our youngest had to watch most of the zoo from his stroller.  He seemed ok with this arrangement and didn't complain until the very end.  Then I dressed him in his swim suit and walked him around the water play area until he decided he was wet enough and ready for a nap.  The older boys played for a long time in the water play area.  I'm surprised I didn't have three sleepers on the way home.  

Even bigger was the gift shop.  I rarely buy them anything from gift shops.  We just don't have much wiggle room in our budget for extra splurges and I want them to really appreciate the things that they have and receive as gifts.  I could tell that they were amazed by the gift shop and all of the animal toys and they weren't begging too much, a little, but not too much.  

They were so good on this outing and I knew it would mean the world to them if they got to buy something at the zoo.  Then I remembered they had some birthday money in their spending envelopes in my purse.  I've never given them their money to spend before.  I always saved it for them, until recently I thought about putting some of it in spending envelopes for them.  I handed them each the cash to buy their animals and they excitedly approached the cashier and bought their new treasures.  We sat down at the picnic tables to eat lunch, but there was too much excitement with the new toys - lunch would have to wait.  

This is a healthier recipe that I adapted slightly from The Nourishing Home.  I made these for my boys and they loved them so much they begged for them.  I kept them in the fridge and let the boys have them for snacks.  I made them with almond butter, but will try them with less expensive peanut butter next time.  I made 13 cookie dough bites from one batch.  

• 1/2 cup creamy almond butter or peanut butter
• 1/4 cup, plus 1 tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup, plus 1 tbsp coconut flour
• 3 tbsp ground golden flax seed*
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips or carob chips

*I have whole flax seeds that I bought in the bulk bins at the health food store so I put some in the food processor and ground them.